On Beauty and Use: A Design × Philosophy Salon

​What makes an object good?

​Designers make decisions about beauty, function, and worth every day, usually without stopping to ask where those instincts come from. This is an evening to stop and ask. We'll sit with a short set of readings on aesthetics and design, from thinkers who spent their lives on exactly these questions, and argue them out together.

​The format is a salon, not a lecture. Everyone gets a passage ahead of time or on the night, we go around the room working through them segment by segment, and the conversation goes where the group takes it. You don't need a philosophy background or a design one. You need to be willing to defend an opinion about why a chair, a logo, or a spoon is or isn't any good.

​Come for the ideas, stay for the argument. Drinks and a room full of people who think about objects too much.

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​Format: Guided reading and open discussion, roughly 90 minutes

​Suited For: Creatives, designers, academics, philosophers, writers, and anyone who's ever loved or hated an object and couldn't say why.

​Hosted by:

​Industrial Design Society of America (NYC) | The New York City chapter of IDSA, the professional organization for industrial design focused on building community and programming for designers and design students across the tri-state.

​Designers Collab | A retail experience dedicated to promoting emerging and established artisan brands from around the globe, with an emphasis on small batches, high quality and sustainability.

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The Industrial Design Society of America (NYC) and Designers Collab reserve the right to use any photograph or video taken at this event without the express written permission of those included in the photograph or video. By attending, you consent to being photographed or recorded. Please reach out with any questions.

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​In order to support Desginers Collab, we ask that guests purchase one drink at this event.