NewDealDesign office, San Francisco, CA

Gadi Amit, founder of newdealdesign, has just published his opinion piece on Core77 where he asks "What is Industrial design?". In his bio is an intriguing statement that informs us that New Deal Design is not just the name of his San Francisco based industrial design studio but also the company motto and underpinning philosophy behind their work. DD went to find out more about Gadi's "New Deal".

DesignDirectory: Gadi, could you tell us a little more about NewDealDesign's motto and philosophy? What is the new deal in design that you are offering?

Gadi Amit: Our philosophy of New Deal Design emerged from our experience in working with very large design consultancies and corporate departments.

The essence of good industrial design, in my mind, is being able to create [produce] well designed, everyday products that are affordable and accessible to all. IKEA comes to mind as an example of a company that fulfills this promise. This motivation was the seed behind starting the studio - to form a team of talented designers that were passionate about designing good looking products within the constraints of a certain price point. And our philosophy does not stop there, the end result is also very important to us. Whatever we design must sell, else why invest in industrial design?

DD: So you're saying that good design that sells the product is the new deal you are offering? Isn't that the function of industrial design everywhere?

Gadi: Yes and no. We approach industrial design with almost a craftsmanlike passion - our first question always, is, "Is this appropriate?". Is this design strategy appropriate for the market our client wishes to reach, is this design appropriate - for it's intended function, for cost effective manufacture, for the environment in which it will be used in, for the culture and society of the intended customer.

We aren't focused on creating good looking products that win awards. The fact that our products have consistently won awards *and* are successful in the market, profitable for our clients, supports our philosophy. Industrial design has a very important role to play in business and does not require large teams of designers or numerous offices to demonstrate those results. What it does need is committed, talented designers who are passionate about their work. That is our new deal in design.