Get acquainted with the people behind Black + Blum and their stylish products that will appear at the 2017 International Home + Housewares Show in Discover Design.

We are speaking today with Dan Black, co-founder and lead designer for London-based Black + Blum, a respected brand that is one of the headliners in Discover Design.

Dan, where do you find inspiration when designing new products?
A great design is when you can take all your inspirations and meld them in a perfectly balanced combination. It’s amazing that a certain styling, detail or colour from a car or even a piece of furniture, can influence something completely different like a lunch box. We also take a lot of inspiration from the past, by looking at vintage and antique designs. We really enjoy looking at new materials to see how they can be integrated into a new design, offering improved functionality of even an environmental angle.

Are there any specific designers, places or eras that influence you?
We are very eclectic when considering what influences us. We take inspiration from many different designers and countries. The secret is being able to look at all designs very objectively and decide which elements you like and why. This attention to detail and open mindedness needs to be applied to all designs from all eras.

How do you choose which idea to take to the next step — to product development?
We have a very democratic product development process. A design might start with an outline of a concept or even just a product category. Everyone in the company has a say and gets to input what they would be looking for in a new product if they were to see it in the shops. The design team’s job is then to create a product that answers all the requirements proposed. Certain requirements are mandatory, but sometimes some requirements are not possible to combine into a new design. We are ruthless about not adding any feature that is more of a gimmick than a real benefit. We always do a thorough investigation into what is already available on the market and really test these to understand where improvements can be made. The important benchmark is that any new design is only launched when it has been tested and justified by everyone in the company.

How do you identify the key user audience for your products? Because we design for ourselves, this obviously has a strong influence. We also have a strong social media following and through this, we can see who is engaging with our designs and brand.

Is there an approach or look that joins the functionality, form or emotional appeal of your product line?
In the early years, I wouldn’t say we had a set look. Each design was created on an individual basis and there were very different aesthetics. With our Box Appetit range, there is definitely a family emerging and a more recognisable look. However, if you look closely at all our designs, you’ll see that they are grounded in functionality and when they launch, they all solve an issue with what was currently being offered on the I market.

How do new technologies influence your product design?  Do you use 3-D printing, Kickstarter or other platforms to develop or launch products?
The advances in CAD software and 3D printing have definitely helped us develop more complex products. In the early years, we drew everything two-dimensionally (this shows how long we’ve been around!). I am not sure the designs actually change, but these new technologies help us reach a final design slightly quicker and certainly make it easier to communicate and understand a design much earlier and without the need to take it all the way through to production. We haven’t used Kickstarter yet, but watch this space as we have a planned campaign later this year… 

How do you use social media?
We use Facebook and Instagram to communicate with people who use our designs and we also use it to see how they use our designs. It is amazing how much you can learn about how people perceive your brand. 

How do you see design’s importance in our industry as it moves forward?
Due to online sales, the world is becoming smaller and smaller. It is now possible to research products all over the world. People are becoming more discerning and because the internet is so big, it is getting harder and harder to be heard and get noticed. Therefore I see design only getting more important. You can either be the cheapest or the best, but not afford to be in the middle. We want our brand to be known for being best in class.

Can you give us a preview of what you will be showing in your booth in Discover Design?
We have added five new designs to our growing Box Appetit collection, covering lunch boxes, water bottles and thermoses. A fun and original Lunch Box Book, three elegant stainless steel designs, and the stunning Eau Good Glass charcoal filtered bottle. Additionally, we will be handing out free activated carbon for people to experience first-hand the benefits of this wonderful material. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity!

• Eau Good Glass – This classy reusable bottle comes with a protective insulating sleeve to avoid damage and a stick of Binchotan charcoal.

• Box Appetit – a lunch box for eating on the go. The lid locks to the body for a water-tight seal and provides an ingenious sauce dipping area. A sauce pot for salad dressing keeps salad crisp until eating. An inner dish can be microwaved for hot foods but keeps other foods cold. The clever fork has a cutting edge on one side for easy one-handed eating.

• Thermo Pot – is the perfect vacuum flask to carry hot food with you, whether you are sitting shivering outside on a cold wet windy day or at your desk eating some soup.

Tell us about your previous experience with Discover Design.
Being in the Discover Design section offers us the perfect opportunity to reconnect with our current retailers and fellow peers in the industry, as well as making contact with prospective accounts and new media.

Thank you, Dan, for giving us some background on your process and latest products.  We look forward to seeing your elegant and functional items in your booth N8127. Learn about Black + Blum products at www.boxappetit.com

Discover Design is the premier destination at the International Home + Housewares Show for trend spotters who make design their priority. Nearly 200 design leaders will present their products in all Show categories to delight retailers looking for the unique at the Discover Design Expo located at the front of the North Building.

Anchored by renowned brands such as Alessi, Nambe and Joseph Joseph, Discover Design welcomes new exhibitors, such as 3 Sprouts, Stelton, Sophistiplate and Victoria Lekach, and introduces 10 emerging companies at the Design Debut incubator. Additional fresh offerings from veteran design-focused exhibitors such as Dreamfarm, Koziol and Three by Three will also inspire your choices for the coming year. Learn more about Discover Design exhibitors.