What is the world's most critical design store MoMA do

There are few museums in the world, like MoMA, that can make souvenir shops a brand of design and art.

Recently, MoMA released the latest spring design store directory, inside there are many lustrous and dazzling surrealist work:

Daydream, daydream mirror

Slice Bowl

FLYTE Maglev

Fresnel table lamp

Clock Clock 24

Although the catalogue works are from the modern designer, but designers use shadows, suspension, illusion, unique way will make you think of Salvador Dali, Rene Magritte and other surrealist works of all.

The rise of surrealism in the 1920-1930 era of the first World War, the European countries on the one hand to recover from the war on the one hand, on the other hand, the emergence of this escape from reality and the birth of the artistic style.

Create this directory buyers and editors since last fall in the spring to create this directory, they want to borrow this shares the realism of the resurgence of reflecting the thinking of the current environment: false news and ignore the truth of speech scuffle let world order imbalance, it is full of disturbing variable.

MoMA spring catalog cover

MoMA spring catalog page

The MoMA store releases two catalogs every year and tries to use it to view the present. Therefore, the works that appear in the catalog and are sold in the store, at least in the concept of convincing. Fast Company has commented that MoMA store products can be seen as a barometer of the design industry trends".

But through the strict access to the MoMA store principle is far more than this:

"It depends on whether it can represent the museum collection, whether it is creative, whether to provide solutions to the problems of daily life, the use of new materials, whether to stand out from competitors. MoMA sales director Emmanuel Plat said.

MoMA's fault and strength comes from the fact that it is a persuasive brand. Eleven years ago, it introduced the MUJI to the US market for the first time in a flash store. Since then, MUJI in the United States design enthusiasts occupy a very heavy component.

Because for many people, to enter the MoMA store, it means that the artist's products have reached the "innovation, creativity and quality" standards, at least, it must have good taste.

Some of the goods sold in the MoMA store are replicas of the museum's collections, such as Charles Eames's leisure chairs and short legged replicas in 1956, priced at $more than 4 thousand.

Charles Eames leisure chairs and short footstool. From: hermanmiller

This is also a lot of souvenirs sold in the museum form: copy. But copies of many of them have no sincerity, just to the environmental protection bag or other peripheral printed collection of work patterns / patterns, in addition to the certificate as a tour, it is difficult to escape the fate of the shelf.

But MoMA is far beyond the usual museum shop for souvenirs of the definition: in addition to copy, every year, the MoMA store buyers will run to the world's major exhibition design, update a MoMA list for new products for two years.

In addition to these products must meet the conditions of access, but also to make an agreement with MoMA: only in the exclusive sale of MoMA stores.

Such a high degree of art and design industry can be said to be the first brand in Manhattan on the fifty-third street in a museum sales counters. In 1939, it now has 6 independent stores in the world (of which there are about 5 stores in the United States and the other in Tokyo, Japan, South Korea). Most of these stores are designed to display a sense of art, and always arouse the desire to buy the design / art lovers.

In the MoMA store product label, in addition to the price, often will attach a brief description of the product and the introduction, such as the designer's name and the year of creation. Assistant director Chay Costello believes that this allows consumers to have the same feeling as in museums.

One of the world's most successful museum stores attracts 2 million 500 thousand visitors a year - almost as much as the MoMA of the people who visited the exhibition in. For MoMA, the retail revenue from the design store accounted for 1/3 of its total revenue, and selling tickets and membership fees.

But it is not only the high quality of the high standard of good products, but a keen sense of smell and open mind.

2013, from the global Expo MoMA buyers who have been heard from the public to raise the site Kickstarter project. In the same year, New York Design Festival, MoMA store will focus on the year to raise the public, second years began to cooperate with Kickstarter.

Although it is suspected that such a picky design store, and now to sell some of the things that rely on the birth of the public, will pull down its level. But this means a possibility. Plat believes that a lot of projects on the Kickstarter, may indicate some of the future direction of design, so that the product and technology combined.

In addition, Kickstarter is clearly a channel to expand the tentacles of buyers, so that they can make timely response to the new design studio.

"If we find an interesting project, it may be unprecedented, and even novel that we have not heard, to raise money seems to be very stable, then we will contact the designer. "Plat says.

In fact, with the MoMA design store and Kickstarter is the right thing, it also became the most popular Kickstarter chips champion.

So far, MoMA has sold more than 48 thousand sets of products on Kickstarter, revenues of more than $5 million. From science and technology products to home decorations, many products have become a classic Eames such as leisure chairs or Noguchi Akari desk lamps.

The most representative of the 3Doodler 3D pen should be considered, as well as a smart bike helmet Lumos. The latter raised $125 thousand within a day, doubling the number of supporters within five days.

3Doodler 3D printing pen. From: Kickstarter

Intelligent bicycle helmet Lumos. From: Kickstarter

The Carpenter wooden watch. From: Kickstarter

With the MoMA store and to raise public website not only let it become an old and young brand, also let many of the original designers began to be known, unknown to the public, it is many designers first and only one retailer.

For a start-up company, it is not easy to go up to the mass consumer products to the location of the public goods.

In general, the best situation is: the start-up companies in the congregation to raise enough money to raise the platform, according to the number of orders will be produced out of the product, the real design into a commodity.

But there are often companies to raise funds, but can not guarantee the number of orders and failed to raise public projects, such as Zano UAV, it became the victim of this initial success. More common situation is that most companies simply can not complete the goal to raise public.

Therefore, if there is a retailer can not only economically support their products, but also to provide advice on mass production, which is undoubtedly a huge help for start-ups.

This is one of the MoMA store capacity. It is on the Kickstarter collection of potential novelty, and urge the designer to complete the goal of raising the public, like a business incubator.

This process rather than creative control is also the designer and startups want, but in cooperation with the MoMA store also has limitations: not only must meet the access conditions, they must reach an exclusive agreement for 6 months with the MoMA store, not selling products on other platforms during the. This means a certain risk. But more designers think the risk is worth taking.

Figure MoMA: from 2017 spring catalog

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