By Cassandra Pizzey /asdf 13-10-2011

Entitled USUALS the collection by the popular design duo comprises a fun affordable collection which will be sold exclusively online.

But with this new concept comes a twist. The products are made in short lines "allowing us to keep the price low" says Niels van Eijk, one half of the design duo. "What we often miss is the direct communication between designer and end user and designer and manufacturer. By communicating directly to both parties we can produce relatively quickly and allow competitive pricing."

The line features products  ranging from re-used wooden fruit bowls to a downscaled version of Bloom my Buddy and a handbag in the shape of a beretta. At the moment, the website features nine products for sale but every first Monday of the month a new product will be added to the collection.

But do we really need another line of products? According to Niels van Eijk the answer is yes. "But it's not only about the line of products, it's more about the way they reach the user and are open to a dialogue with this user. The world is changing, getting smaller thanks to worldwide access to internet. In this collection we can be in charge of every decision."

And the products themselves, what gives them that characteristic Van Eijk & Van der Lubbe feel? It all lies in the process behind those products. On the website drawings, photos and videos will be accessible through which the designers aim to give consumers a behind-the-stage look. "No secrets, we want to share and inspire." By clicking on the 'Be Inspired' button - found on every product page - visitors can find the background story behind their purchase.

This way we find out that our fruit bowl started life in an old farmhouse, that birds can live in high-rise buildings too and that historical prints of old factories can function as beautiful lightbulb designs.
With consumers today demanding to know more about where their products are coming from, Usuals seems like the right set forward in open design.  

Main image: Miriam van der Lubbe and Niels van Eijk with big Bloom
Other images: 1. Lightbulbs 2. Detail lightbulbs 3. detail lightbulbs 4. Wooden bowls 5. Wooden bowl 6. Bloom buddy
courtesy of www.usuals.nl

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