Watch: Digital and ecological

Designing furniture in times of corona - the pandemic is currently confronting creative professionals and producers worldwide with new challenges. Improvisation and flexibility are necessary, working methods and habits are questioned and re-adjusted. In order to document this changing process of design and product development, the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), Benchmark Furniture and the London Design Museum have jointly initiated the "Connected" project: Nine international designers are currently creating a table and seating that matches their new working and living habits. Ini Archibong, Maria Bruun, Jaime Hayon, Heatherwick Studio, Sebastian Herkner, Maria Jeglinska, Sabine Marcelis, Studiopepe and Studio Swine are taking part. For the material, they can choose from American red oak, American maple and American sessile cherry - hardwoods that are rarely used in furniture production but which together account for more than 40 percent of all hardwoods in American forests, according to AHEC European Director David Venables. Sustainable production is at the heart of "Connected", as the production data from the designs will also help to demonstrate the impact of the design created in this way on environmental life cycle analysis, and to visualise the life cycle assessment of individual items.