John Small - interview
History and art graduate turned school teacher, John Small took himself back to the classroom to study design. Now, after 25 years with Foster + Partner, he is design director for Steelcase.
Words by Emily Martin
There has been a focus on educators in this year's selection of FX profiles. Not always intentional, it has nevertheless been fascinating to hear the stories of how designers have opted to work within the education system and the ways they have even found themselves back in the classroom. From Daniel Weil returning to the RCA, but to teach at the institution from which he graduated, to John Miller, starting out as a teacher before leaving the profession to co-found Cornish-based furniture manufacturer MARK, they have all offered insight to the range of talents and values that are put to work (and to educate) within our exciting industry.
This month's candidate is another example of starting work life within the education system. On the opening day of Clerkenwell Design Week I met up with Steelcase's European design director John Small, during a brief break from his 'Wellness in the Workplace' seminars he was leading throughout the day.
Tecno Nomos, developed by John small while he was with Foster + Partners
'I started out as a teacher and I taught for five years at a comprehensive school in London,' he says, his words leading me to an inward smile, recalling previous Profile subjects. Himself a history and art graduate from Kingston University, Small decided to leave teaching to attend Ravensbourne College to study three dimensional design, progressing to specialise in furniture design at the RCA as a mature student.
'I thought I was good at making things and I had the idea of becoming a craftsman,' he says. 'But it was through the education process I found that there were far more interesting processes, rather than just the making aspect. That's when I switched from the idea of becoming a maker-craftsman to a designer.'
The B-Free range, developed at Steelcase
After graduating from the RCA, Small won an internship prize with Knoll International and went to work at its American offices in East Greenville, Pennsylvania. He then freelanced for a short time in the USA and Italy before returning to the UK in 1985 and accepting a job at Foster + Partners. 'I was extremely lucky and extremely happy,' he says, recalling first working at the practice. Small initially worked on an office system for tecno, which was then mass-produced as tecno nomos. 'When that project came to an end I started to work on interiors, or rather elements of interiors,' he explains, which included projects for Stansted airport and the Reichstag in Berlin. 'I was having a fantastic time, but I was beginning to want to do more product design again.'
In 1995, after a conversation with Sir Norman Foster, small help to establish the Foster + Partners' Product Design Group. Developing a fascination for mass production, small said he was also fascinated with the idea of people using 'objects' and how they would then be incorporated into people's daily lives: 'I like the idea of people using things - that was one of the ideas that came out when I was at the RCA. Through conversations with Norman Foster we talked about setting up a group that was inside the practice looking at mass-produced objects. Norman said: "Yes, actually that could be interesting." He is that kind of person, to find working on a different scale to be interesting.'
It was during this time that small got to know James Ludwig, Steelcase's vice president of design, as he was working on an office system (Forward) and a light (Dash). Small says that he admired the direction in which Ludwig was leading design - 'design attitude' - within the Steelcase. Lugwig approached small to with a job offer. He tells me: 'We got talking, and there had been a design directorship vacancy in Europe for some time. He said "Do you fancy doing this?" I thought about it for a bit then I though "Mmm, well, perhaps not." But then we had another conversation and I thought "Well, why not?" so after 25 years with one of the world's most famous architecture practices, small joined Steelcase on 1 December 2010. a decision that, despite his quick run-through of events, wasn't taken lightly.
The Dash lamp, developed at Foster + Partners for Steelcase
Just shy of his fourth anniversary with the global office furniture giant, and based in Steelcase's global design studio in Strasbourg, France, we talk about what has changed for him and how he has contributed towards that change. 'The challenges are very different; it's a very different world, as you can imagine,' he says. 'I'm enjoying it immensely and have a nice team of designers now working in Europe. The attitude of design within the company has changed extraordinarily and I'm very much enjoying it here.'
With three European design offices, Ludwig helped develop Steelcase's design strategy that was rolled out from its global headquarters in Grand rapids, Michigan. Fundamental to the strategy is an alignment of global products - as opposed to market segmentation - with all designers considered as global designers, ensuring all products are viewed 'under one lens'. Small joined steelcase to further develop this appealing new 'design attitude' and realising the design potential within it.
'Something I was also really interested in when I joined the company was seeing the scale and time dedicated to research,' he says. 'Being exposed to projects like Workspace Futures, and the research they are doing, I was interested in this idea of, if you do this research how does it manifest itself into a product?'
Since joining Steelcase Small has been involved with the development of key portfolio products including the B-Free modular furniture range designed to create flexible workspace solutions, which captures some of the company's extensive research.
'It is something James Ludwig has been trying to stimulate more of, pulling down from the research programmes into product development and that too is something I am really interested in.'
