Behind the scenes with David Weeks Studio at CLOSEUP.
Responding to the needs of an industry negatively impacted by the cancellation of major in-person trade shows, ICFF and WantedDesign Manhattan developed a new platform of design showcase with CLOSEUP: a two-day trade event broadcasted live from New York. David Weeks sits down with Stacy Shoemaker Rauen for an in-depth look inside the studio, how it all began, and what it means to truly be Made In Brooklyn.
David Weeks Studio Interview with ICFF:
Stacy: Take us back to 1996 when you started with that 400-dollar-a-month studio. Talk about your earliest prototypes and iterations — the products and designs you cut your teeth on. (Were you a creator since day one, like early in life?)
David: 1996, the US/NYC design was close to nonexistent. I feel like there were under 1000 people in NYC that were making and promoting design. Totem, Modern Age, Gallery Aero, G7 design group. No Moss, few Italian showrooms, no one was going to Milan. Everything was analog. Without the internet, you were only aware of the designers you find books about. Design bookstores or the 26th street flea market were the most efficient way to get inspired and learn about the discipline. There wasn’t really an American esthetic other than Eames and vintage — which left the field open for individual interpretation.
This was my starting point. Between working for Ted Muehling (the jeweler), collecting and modifying parts from the flea market, and cross-pollinating sculpture and jewelry techniques, I created my first collection.
Stacy: What do you think propelled the success of your creations — the secret to your success:
David: Initially, New York was the big secret. When I started the biz there were only about 1000 people in the design world, all in NYC, the creative mecca of the world. If you can do something well here, everything wants to hire you to make something; word of mouth spread quickly back then.
Stacy: I loved that you say, “handmade equals fun.” Let’s talk about the evolution of handmade.
David: I should rephrase that: handmade equals freedom. Design as an industry existed, for all intents and purposes, as a manufacturing industry. Design development was completely tied to where and how many things you were trying to make. People would either invest in a container of one SKU or gear up to take it to tradeshows, team up with a retailer/distributor, collect a meager royalty and try to get as much press as possible. “Handmade” freed you from these scenarios but had plenty of pitfalls of its own. I came from an arts background, and I approached everything with the attitude, “I could make that.” Which meant you only had to make enough to fill your orders, and you got paid at least 50% of the sale depending on how it was sold. I don’t think any one path was the yellow brick road. I just found that hand was made more satisfying.
Observation and doing things with your hands is a better way to learn something than trying to figure it out in your head. Observation leads to learning the tricks and learning about materiality.
Stacy: Does all your work start in the studio? Or where else do you, and continue to, find inspiration?
David: It usually kicks in when reviewing the progress of a different project. The origins of many ideas’ come from a mental library of sketches and models. I wish there were a way of having a search command for your head.
Stacy: You can see how much you really love your team. It’s such a collaborative effort. Everyone has a different role and works together in a really great way — how have you led the team through this pandemic and kept them interested in working on a project for two years?
David: The team has been very understanding, dedicated, and flexible during this past year. We had a lot of changes during the year leading up to Covid and beyond. The crew that committed a year ago to ride these times out are all great self-motivated individuals who aren’t just filling orders but developing product.
Stacy: Do you have your own lines as well as custom pieces? And how do you manage between the two?
David: It’s kind of all the same — We have about 50–60 pieces, which is good but also exhausting to keep in stock. The making of it is by hand — I would call it “artistic manufacturing.” Things are mostly made by hand, so in some way, each piece is custom and unique. Unexpected. We give the process a lot of personality; the beauty comes from the unexpected and imperfection.
Stacy: How often does technology change the way you work, for instance, working with LED?
David: It continuously inspires but can be challenging to implement on the business’ scale. Connecting with collaborators to work together to exploit technology is ideal. It can be frustrating when the level of potential invention gets maligned by access to the appropriate market.
Stacy: It was enticing to hear you mention “the unknown” as part of the act of creating. And you said you create more with your hands than with your head. How do you let that unfold? Does this apply to your comment “imperfection through perfection” — where the organic and the unknown meet the technical world? It’s like a balancing act, walking a tightrope, and we’d love to know more.
David: One of my friends described painting as the only medium you can create and destroy at the same time. It’s challenging to resolve a problem with such an open-ended directive. Design is problem-solving and has its own set of requirements. Chairs have load factors, tables have height requirements, technology needs to feel like magic, and they all require some level of human interface. I don’t know if it's perfection you’re actually looking for. It’s more the capitalization of imperfections or mistakes to avoid predictability.
Stacy: Made in the USA is a huge driver right now for so many of us who would like to see domestic manufacturing succeed and a design industry that thrives at all levels. Over the past 25 years, you’ve grown your business exponentially. What are the lessons learned, and what makes you excited about the future?
David: When I first started the company, finding manufacturers required a lot of detective work. You would ask around and knock-on doors. Now you can post bid requests on global manufacturing directories. Implementation of CNC applications is moving faster than manufacturers’ imagination. It’s not uncommon to hear about an innovation in one field that has been overlooked by other industries.
Stacy: What are you most looking forward to for the future?
David: The simplification and integration of new technology into the act of making. I imagine that 3d printing will be as common as fresh bread once was. Waking up to a freshly rendered prototype with the scent of polymer in the air.
