50 Dozen Chair

The designer explains:
“I believe designers need to understand their materials—not just the physical properties but the cultural, historical, and social references. While looking for a utilitarian material, I came up with the pencil. The pencil has certain associations: elementary school, test taking, the smell of erasers. One of the great things about a pencil is that, like any column structure, it’s incredibly strong in compression. This chair is actually functional.”
—Jeremy Alden, graduate student, Pratt Institute

The professor says:
“We’re dealing with the idea of risks because we think designers aren’t taking any. Very few are asking questions or doing dangerous things that might be rejected. We’re living in a security-conscious environment; we’re worried about danger and uncertainty. We should be outrageous and optimistic and silly. If you don’t take risks, you don’t get rewarded. Academia should be saying more. I call it ‘return on soul’ rather than on investments.”
—Bruce Hannah, Professor of Industrial Design