Everyday Reimagined

We live our lives surrounded by objects. Our everyday life has become saturated with things. We have things for every task, taste, need, budget; things in every colour, size, texture, material. Endless things. As designers it is fundamental to ask ourselves whether we really need more things. At times it can be difficult to justify bringing more objects into this already cluttered world.

This is where Everyday Reimagined, the core vision of the Brand, comes in.

I believe it doesn’t make sense to just produce more of the same, adding needlessly to this metaphorical pile of things. It is the pursuit of the new, the creative and the unexpected, that gives my designs their purpose. The objects we use today are the result of thousands of years of development and innovation driven by need but also driven by an endless pursuit of beauty. We need things to work in order to live a full and comfortable life, but function is not all there is. Aesthetics is just as important. In the words of Alan Moore, “Beauty is key to everything”.

Design starts with asking questions. My first question is always the same: what is the reason for each object to exist? Design must go beyond simply creating more of the same. It must defy the status quo and challenge our expectations. It must make us question the familiar and conventional, and make us reconsider what we think we know. After all, we live in a dynamic and constantly evolving world. Technology changes, society changes, human behaviour changes. If the world we live in keeps changing, why do some of our objects remain the same? We need to dive deeper, to question whether form really follows and fulfils function, and ask if there is an alternative approach to solve a problem.

“DESIGN STARTS WITH ASKING QUESTIONS.”

We need to look at objects with fresh eyes. This is what Everyday Reimagined stands for. It requires us to use our intelligence and playful inquisitiveness to question the norm, and to reimagine the everyday objects we have come to take for granted.

We must never stop questioning and challenging the things around us.

Going beyond what’s familiar and comfortable, expanding our imagination and solving problems – challenging ourselves – is what allows us to grow as people. Asking questions, stretching our intellect and finding sense in our surroundings, is an essential aspect of being human.

Also fundamentally human is the need for connection, to feel part of something outside ourselves. I invite people to connect with my products, I wish to create a conversation between myself, my design, and the person using it.

“WE NEED TO LOOK AT OBJECTS WITH FRESH EYES.”

Ultimately, Everyday Reimagined is rooted in setting up and resolving a series of tensions. The tension between an object adopting an unfamiliar form to fulfil a familiar function. Between the intellectual pleasure of solving a challenge and the need for connection with what surrounds us. These objects offer an opportunity to experience and enjoy the world in a different way. These tensions, the very essence of Everyday Reimagined, are at the heart of my work.

– Mike

February 2021