herman was born out of a deep respect and appreciation for iconic designers like Charles & Ray Eames, George Nelson, Alexander Girard and Isamu Noguchi. In 2010, Dan Golden conceived of a new family of designs, pieces inspired by the past but firmly planted in the present -- a collection that would feel familiar, yet be completely current and unique. Dan Golden Studio is working closely with the industrial design team at Design Compendium on this project.

Please note that there is no intent to commercialize herman and the concept is not affiliated with Herman Miller.

Working from Golden's original drawings, notes, and reference materials, Design Compendium has created working CAD files and scale models. Please note that there is no intent to commercialize the herman concept.

Red Jay is the centerpiece of the herman family and highlights our design objective: to develop a contemporary furniture & accessories collection that resonates with a new generation. We took our cue from the Eames' Molded Plastic Chair, and gave Red Jay a little extra room on the side to hold your keys, iPad, or favorite graphic novel.

Here are a selection of images that convey the tone we wish to capture with herman -- playful sophistication. Our art & cultural inspirations include: the graphic novels of Daniel Clowes, French New Wave Cinema, 60's mod culture, Joan Didion, Vans, Truman Capote, KAWS, Cy Twombly, Takashi Murakami, Barry McGee, and Woody Allen.

Meet the team behind herman:

Dan Golden Studio is a New York-based art & design firm run by Dan Golden and Jen Huh that specializes in product design and concept development. Dan Golden received his Bachelor of Arts in Painting & Conceptual Design from San Francisco State University, studying under renowned Photo-Realist Robert Bechtle. Mixing sophisticated humor with high design, Golden has established himself as a unique voice in the design industry. Golden's work has been featured in numerous magazines and websites including The New York Times, The New Yorker, Fast Company, Interior Design, Veranda, The LA Times, Shelter, FORM, Angeleno, David Report, Behance and MoCoLoco. Jen Huh is an artist and designer whose practice focuses on concept development, blending humor, text/typography, fine arts, and product design. Huh received her MFA in Creative Writing with a concentration in Poetry from The New School, and has worked as a teaching artist in the New York public schools system. Huh is currently Assistant Director of Advising for Architectural, Interior and Product Design at Parsons. 

www.dangolden.com

Design Compendium is a multidisciplinary design/build firm in Brooklyn, NY that offers a full portfolio of Architecture and Industrial Design services. Jared Lairmore is an Associate Partner at Design Compendium. Originally from Ohio, Lairmore received a Bachelors of Industrial Design from Pratt Institute, and a Masters of Architecture from Ohio State University's Knowlton School of Architecture. While a graduate student, Jared served as a project lead for the University's entry in the US Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon Competition, and helped guide the design, coordination, and construction of the fully sustainable "Solar House 1." At Design Compendium, Lairmore has been responsible for formulating the company's endeavors into architecture and driving the overall design vision as it relates to architecture and interior architecture design services. Rion Stassi is a lead designer and project manager at Design Compendium. Rion received his Bachelors of Industrial Design from Auburn University, and was the Grand Prize Winner at the 2008 Tastemaker's Design Competition. Prior to joining Design Compendium, Stassi spent 8 years as an independent designer in New York, Chicago, Washington DC, and Milan.

www.designcompendium.com