Connected – A Conversation

Nine international designers have been challenged to create a table and seating that suits their new ways of working from and living at home, recording their creative journeys to give us an insight to their approach during these challenging times.

When the onset of Covid-19 significantly changed the way people live, interact and work, creatives and makers had to adjust their processes using new technologies to work together at a distance and often operate from new, improvised, home offices.

The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), Benchmark Furniture and the Design Museum challenged these designers to create a table and seating for their personal use, to suit their new ways of living and working from home.

The designers had a choice of three sustainable American hardwoods to work with – red oak, maple or cherry. They were also invited to record their creative journeys to demonstrate how they approached the brief and developed their designs at a time of limited physical contact.

The individual pieces, designed to suit each designer’s home living and working situation, came together at the Design Museum, celebrating the act of coming back together – reconnecting – after lockdown.

Learn more about the project and see the finished pieces from all 9 designers watching the virtual tour of the past display.