American Standard and DXV has announced the opening of an industrial design studio in New York City, as well as the addition of four new designers to the LIXIL design team.
Explaining the expansion of the American Standard and DXV industrial design team, and its relocation to New York City, is Jean-Jacques L’Henaff, vice president of design at LIXIL Americas, the business unit under which the two bath and kitchen brands operate.
“Moving our design studio to New York makes sense. It provides us with direct access to a climate of culture and energy that you get in a diverse metropolis. A talent pool of designers is imperative in order to reach our mission of innovative, compelling and inspired design. These changes demonstrate to our customers how passionate we are in achieving this goal,” L’Henaff says. “With this move, we now have our finger on the pulse of contemporary art, design, and architecture. We are committed to the future of our brands and to homes across North America.”
“Our role is to transform trends and insights into experiences and benefits for users,” he states. “At the heart of our process is a user-centric approach, a process that allows us to deliver meaningful design and innovation. We spend time observing and listening to the user, trying to understand what would make their lives easier, healthier, and more satisfying. Then we prototype, try, test, and do it again until the right balance is found between form and function.”
Recent examples of these efforts include the ActiClean self-cleaning toilet and the remote-operated Spectra Touch showerhead, which were showcased at the 2017 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS). Both products were the result of consumer research and prototyping, yielding user benefits combined with appealing design.
The industrial design team will continue to use its industrial design studio opened in 2015 at the company headquarters in Piscataway, N.J., to facilitate communication with the marketing and engineering teams.
Award-Winning Designs
The commitment from American Standard and DXV to invest in industrial design has been acknowledged by the many awards won in recognition of product innovations from both brands. These accolades from both the kitchen & bath industry and the design community are indications of the creativity and inventions produced by this team.
Recent award wins for American Standard include a Red Dot Award for excellence in design innovation for its Edgewater kitchen faucet collection. A blend of geometric styling and functionality, the Edgewater faucets feature a five-function sprayer that keeps the user in control over common kitchen tasks. A dishwasher-safe scrub brush that attaches directly to the faucet spout is available for more intense cleaning jobs.
Additionally, the Beale touchless faucet with Selectronic technology and the Edgewater semi-professional faucet were honored with a GOOD DESIGN Award in the Kitchen category for design excellence. Delivering wave-on/wave-off functionality that employs American Standard Selectronic technology, the Beale faucet offers the option to switch from touchless operation to manual operation, by sliding a movable door on the front of the faucet spout to cover the electronic sensor.
From DXV, the collection of 3D printed metal faucets was created through an assignment asking the team to “design something you can’t make.” The goal was to conceive a range of faucet models that could not be made using traditional manufacturing techniques. The faucet models produced by the team, the Vibrato, Trope and Shadowbrook, have won a number of design awards after being selected as the Best of Show at KBIS in 2016. Other honors include the Platinum A’ Design Award, an Interior Design Best of Year Award, and a Silver Industrial Design Excellence Award from the Industrial Designer Society of America, among others.
Design Team Expands
To further augment LIXIL design capabilities, as well as refresh and expand existing American Standard and DXV collections, four new individuals have joined the industrial design team. Hailing from a variety of backgrounds, both culturally and professionally, each member of this dynamic team brings a unique perspective to new projects.
Kibok Song joins American Standard and DXV as design director, special projects, from Hewlett-Packard, where he developed commercial tablet, notebook and work station computers for many years. His previous industrial design experience also includes positions at Eastman Kodak, Radius Product Development, and Beyond Design. Song holds a master’s degree in design from the Illinois Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in industrial design from the University of Seoul, South Korea.
Jacob Nitz joins the team as a senior designer with years of experience with American and European design labels and firms, most recently at his own Jacob Nitz Studio in the Netherlands. His prior experience includes positions at JSPR in the Netherlands and MNML in Chicago. Nitz earned a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial design from the University of Cincinnati, where as a student he was selected to show his work at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) in New York City.
Also bringing international design experience to the team is Sherry Jiekun Qian as a junior designer. After holding an industrial design position at the State Key Lab of Rail Traffic Control & Safety in Beijing, China, she came to United States to pursue a Master of Fine Arts degree in industrial design from the Rochester Institute of Technology. In addition, Qian traveled to Denmark to attend Scandinavian furniture design programs. She holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in industrial design from Beijing Forestry University in China.
A recent graduate of Purdue University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in industrial design, Calum Wagner completed a design internship in New York City last year. Wagner often finds creative inspiration in travel and adventure, and is delighted to begin his career as a junior designer with the American Standard design team.
“Our industry has been using many of the same manufacturing technologies, melting and casting metal to make faucets, or firing clay to make toilets, for over 150 years,” says L’Henaff. “The opportunities that technology offers to the plumbing world, both in manufacturing and as smart features integrated into products, will enhance functionality and make life more beautiful in the coming years. As our team of talented designers continues to grow, American Standard and DXV are positioned to make the most of these advancements in design.”