Features

All Eyes On: New Tendency

By Stephanie - 8 min read

It’s always interesting to see the different ways people use EyeEm. Check out this project – NEW TENDENCY.

It’s always interesting to see the different ways people use EyeEm. We met Alan Don Jones at the JR photowalk we had in May and we were immediately drawn to the project he is working on called NEW TENDENCY. He took some time out of his busy schedule to answer a couple of our questions:

Please tell us a little about New Tendency.

We started in 2009 as an interdisciplinary design collective called MY BAUHAUS IS BETTER THAN YOURS. At that time most of the designers were product or graphic design students at the Bauhaus University in Weimar, and the collective’s name reflected its mission to elevate the bold design vision of Walter Gropius’ Bauhaus and to stimulate discussion about contemporary art and design. After evolving the collective into an official company in 2012, we changed our name to NEW TENDENCY.

X Chair at NEW TENDENCY by NEW TENDENCY on EyeEm

What is interdisciplinary design? What exactly do you create?

The term “interdisciplinary design” is extensive and vague, but then again, so are “design” and “art”. We recognize the inability to divorce the relation between all designs—furniture, fashion, graphic, etc.—and therefore, it is impossible to create just one “type” of design. That being said, we mainly create furniture and home objects. We also do graphic and fashion design, and some of our latest endeavors have been commissioned works for companies like Mercedes-Benz. Regardless of what we design, we always work to build a clear link between conceptual art, furniture, graphic and fashion design. We donʼt focus on just one area, because every field influences the others.

After School Club documentation at NEW TENDENCY by NEW TENDENCY on EyeEm

Sid & Chad by Marie Burkhard at NEW TENDENCY by NEW TENDENCY on EyeEm

Who is the team?

The core NEW TENDENCY team consists of four people, and we work with an extensive network of designers from around the world. Manuel Goller is the founder and creative director. Sebastian Schönheit is head of product design—a role he was born for considering his family name mean ‘beauty’ in German. Christoph Goller manages operations and administration. I head up our marketing, branding and communications.

What’s your relationship to Berlin?

Like the Bauhaus, we began in Weimar and ended up in Berlin. Not only is Berlin famously inspiring, it has been a global art and design capitol for many years and is home to many designers and artists with whom we collaborate. It was a clear choice for us to call Berlin our home.

What’s your design process like?

Each design discussion is made by the team, and that is why NEW TENDENCY projects always have a consistent quality and unique perspective.

Do you have a signature piece?

Our signature piece is the Meta side table. It’s simple forms, versatility and quality epitomize NEW TENDENCY design. On the street in German cities you will often see our NEW tote bag—it has also become NEW TENDENCY’s signature.

Meta side table at NEW TENDENCY by NEW TENDENCY on EyeEm

Hanging out at NEW TENDENCY by NEW TENDENCY on EyeEm

What do you guys eat for breakfast?

Everyone does his own thing for breakfast, but lunch is a community event in the studio. Everyday we take turns preparing lunch, we sit around a NEW TENDENCY table and eat together. As interdisciplinary designers, often everyone is working on different projects, so lunch is an important time when we all sit and talk about our projects and ideas.

Lunch at NEW TENDENCY by NEW TENDENCY on EyeEm

flowers at NEW TENDENCY by NEW TENDENCY on EyeEm

Cake table at NEW TENDENCY by NEW TENDENCY on EyeEm

Why does NT use EyeEm as a platform to share its work?

Our work is not made in a vacuum, and it is meant to be shared. For example, we chose our workspace in Neukölln (Weichselstrasse 22) because it has huge windows that are over 3 meters high. Every person who walks past the studio is invited to look in and explore our work. EyeEm is kind of a virtual studio window — it’s a visual tool to share and connect with other designers and design lovers in an interactive and communal way. Even if you are not in Berlin, you can have a look into our world and the projects we are developing via EyeEm.