THE GREAT INDOORS: Q&A with DesignPhiladelphia's Hilary Jay

"Clearly, we are NOT a sixth borough of New York as the NYTimes would have it. We are our own unique place with our own unique character."

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THE GREAT INDOORS: Q&A with DesignPhiladelphia's Hilary Jay

POSTED: Monday, October 3, 2011, 4:00 PM

Filed Under: Interview

Once again, Philly will play host to DesignPhiladelphia — one of the most vivacious and varied design events in the country. Today, Meg talks shop with Hilary Jay, the founder and head of the event, who shares with us why design matters, how it functions in Philadelphia and what makes DesignPhiladelphia so freakin’ great.

CP: This might be a little cliché, but finish this sentence: Good design is …

HJ: … the thoughtful and elegant solution to problems of all sizes, shapes and forms — from a stylish plastic trash can for home and office to a fresh water distribution system in resource impoverished countries. But even more, good design creates an experience, changes behavior, gives you something you didn't even know you wanted.

CP: How does good design function for you in your day-to-day life? In what ways does good design help your life/work/etc?

HJ: Design affects all of us, all the time. It is the clothes we wear, the technology at our fingertips, the transportation system taking us from "a" to "b" and back again, the signage directing our way, the cereal box we pour in our breakfast bowl, the shelter we inhabit.

CP: Philly offers a lot of wonderful design aspects, but there’s something interesting about our ability to work in heritage and sustainable futures in all aspects of design. Any insight on why Philadelphia seems to be on the forefront of this? Can you also speak a little about political support and the creative infrastructure of Philadelphia?

HJ: Philadelphia has the luxury of 300 years of history outside our front doors. What's more, we have seven strong university-level design programs within the city, and the burgeoning local talent to use our heritage as a springboard or a catalyst for present and future design thinking, planning and action.

We also have a mayor who gets it, and for that he will be receiving the inaugural DesignPhiladelphia Design Champion award. One of the first things Mayor Nutter did when he walked into his office in 2008 was to reinstate the City Department of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy and establish a cabinet-level position for its director. Additionally, he founded the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability,[which is] positioned to evolve Philadelphia into the greenest city in America.

Clearly, we are NOT a sixth borough of New York as the NYTimes would have it. We are our own unique place with our own unique character.

CP: Why do we need DesignPhiladelphia, or DesignAnything for that matter?

HJ: The design community is vastly underserved in America. Consider this: How many design museums or galleries are there across this country? A small handful. Unlike other cities in other countries, Americans don't celebrate design or appreciate its significance. But we sure should. America is no longer the manufacturer to the world. To continue to be a super power we have to trade on a new platform. Innovation and enterprise will carry our country forward. Take Apple. It's an easy mark. Good design is good business. Thomas J. Watson, Founder of IBM, said that in the 1950s!

CP: Why do you think DesignPhiladelphia has had the success it has?

HJ: DesignPhiladelphia is a grass-roots effort made possible with the talent and funding of hundreds of designers and design aficionados, including institutions like University of the Arts and DuPont. This is not a top-down organization. That's part of what makes it unique. We don't have a central trade show to build off of. We are a city-wide celebration running in and out of professional studios, retail outlets, galleries, warehouse spaces, city streets, coffee shops, universities and even hair salons!

CP: DesignPhiladelphia has such a spectrum of disciplines. Can you tell me why the event works (or maybe what doesn’t work) with that kind of structure?

HJ: DP represents the full range of design disciplines, including architecture, interior design, graphic design, fashion, urban planning, interactive design, product design and videography. In some instances there's a blur between the barriers of craft and design, and art and design. I like that smudging. It sparks conversation.

CP: When was the moment that you knew DesignPhila was really making an impact on the design community here in Philadelphia (or in the world)?

HJ: .... in the country. Gary Steuer, Chief Cultural for the City of Philadelphia, told me the story of meeting his equivalent from Boston who noted how fortunate Philadelphia was to have something like DesignPhiladelphia to distinguish our city.

There was another really good day, too. Jason Schupbach, the director of National Endowment for the Arts' design division, called me one Tuesday afternoon wondering why I hadn't applied for any grants yet. A funder like the NEA calling on a non-profit? Rare. Very rare.

CP: What does the young design community look like today? What roads are they travelling and how are they becoming successful?

HJ: The young creative community is glowing gold with hot spots like Indy Hall, P'unk Ave, Ignite Philly, Make: Philly, Philly Works!, Next Fab, TEDx and all the others I'm leaving out. They are cooking a stew of technology laced with a DIY attitude. What a mash up!

(megan.augustin@citypaper.net)

Photo: Hilary Jay (left) with furniture designer Matthias Pliessnig

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Featuring everything from event roundups to concert reviews and sex talk, City Paper's Critical Mass is a space for off-the-wall coverage of Philly's A&E scene.

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