IHA chatted with Josh Williams and Eric Prum, founders of W&P Design, to learn more about their approach to developing their business and their elegant line of barware and products for home entertaining.

 Get acquainted with the people behind the stylish products that will appear at the 2017 International Home + Housewares Show in Discover Design. We’ll be posting conversations with exhibitors to give you a glimpse of the inspirations, influences and ideas that go into creating the exciting products that you’ll see soon in Chicago.

We are speaking today with Josh Williams and Eric Prum, founders of W&P Design an innovative food and beverage design company based in Brooklyn, New York. After meeting on the first day of college, now-best-friends Eric Prum and Josh Williams combined Eric’s design and manufacturing experience with Josh’s professional culinary training to co-found W&P Design in 2012. After a successful Kickstarter campaign for W&P’s first product, the Mason Shaker, the company has since grown to create more than 200 original food and beverage products. W&P Design operates with the simple mission to bring new ideas to life in the food and drink-iverse.

Josh and Eric, where do you find inspiration when designing new products?
We live and breathe food and drink. Seriously! Our everyday interactions with food serve as an incredible source of inspiration. We’re always on the hunt for new trends and problems that people face in their day-to-day lives. Once we’re able to pinpoint those problems, we often find ourselves trying to solve those problems through our products and content.

Are there any specific designers, places or eras that influence you?
Apple, as a company, has been incredibly influential in the world of product design and we have been no exception to that sphere of influence. One of the things we love about Apple is how they have transformed UX into a term that is no longer tech-only, but instead focuses on the complete user experience with a product. Consumer expectations and standards have been raised when it comes to the design of a product, and we take that into account when thinking through the user experience of all of our products.

How do you choose which idea to take to the next step — to product development?

• Rule 1: The product has to meet a consumer need, solve a problem, or just be so damn fun that we have to make it.
• Rule 2: The product has to be viable long term. Can we get the product to customers sustainably and at a price that makes sense?
• Rule 3: The product needs to be something we feel passionately about. If we don’t love it, we won’t pursue it.

How do you identify the key user audience for your products?
Oftentimes, our key audience is us! Our team is composed of individuals who are passionate about the intersection of food and design. We design products for anyone who is interested in food and drink, from the amateur home bartender to the weekend warrior host. So if you’re into food, we were thinking of you during our design process!

Is there an approach or look that joins the functionality, form or emotional appeal of your product line?
Our products often take a complex problem or need and address it in a very simple, approachable way. For example, the Homemade Gin Kit was developed to take the complex process of making gin in a distillery and break it down in an accessible and easy-to-understand kit for a home user.

How do new technologies influence your product design?  Do you use 3-D printing, Kickstarter or other platforms to develop or launch products?  How do you use social media?
Technology has affected product design immensely. We actually received funding for W&P Design initially through a successful Kickstarter campaign for our first product, the Mason Shaker.

Social media has accelerated the velocity of trends, especially in the food and drink space. We stay highly active on social media to monitor and share these trends while spreading the word on how our products fit into the food and beverage world.

Where are your products manufactured?
Our products are manufactured both domestically and internationally.

How do you see design’s importance in our industry as it moves forward?
Design is more important than ever. Consumer standards have been raised and home goods design needs to keep up. 

Can you give us a preview of what you will be showing in your booth in Discover Design?
There are a few product lines we are super excited about this year:

• Peak Ice: We have re-designed the process of making ice at home, fixing many of the issues we encountered in the past with silicone ice trays. Bonus: we also found a way to make crystal-clear ice, at home!
• Carry On Cocktail Kit: We were tired of boring, watered-down rum & Cokes on our flights, so we designed a line of Carry On Cocktail Kits to craft cocktails at 30,000 feet. TSA and FAA-compliant~
• Books + Products: Our sister publishing company Dovetail (http://www.dovetail.press) will be previewing its new line of books and products at the Show, including a punchy Matcha tea book paired with the products you need to whip up your next Matcha latte.

Your first Show with us was last year. Tell us about how your 2016 Discover Design appearance helped build your relationships with buyers and media.

We’ve not only made great connections with buyers and media but also our fellow brands and design companies that we that were our neighbors. We’ve made real partnerships (and friendships) come to life based on our time in the Discover Design section! 

Thank you, Josh and Eric, for this peek behind the curtain to share how you create new products. We look forward to reconnecting in March at your booth N8214.

Learn about their broad line of colorful products at www.wandpdesign.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.