I’m totally fascinated with how people present themselves and the judgements we make based on these impressions.

As Jean Paul Satre famously said “We are condemned to be free” meaning we can be anything we want to be, and certainly present ourselves however we want in a free, modern society…so what do we choose?  The same as everyone else! Even the individualistic “rebels” play to the same patterns – skateboarders or musicians conform to their own stereotypes while at the same time bemoaning homogeneity.

Personally I like to think I do my own thing, but recognise that I identify with certain communities depending on which hat I am wearing – be it as a father, entrepreneur, lecturer, employee, fisherman or whatever.

So why fit in? The way I see it, I often need to appear like those I am collaborating with as its in our nature to want to be with people like ourselves.  By reflecting back what they want to see I will receive co-operation to achieve my own goals.

So I guess my thinking might be individualistic but the image I project will never be as I need the acceptance of others to function…Can we ever get past how people look?

I’m often asked what we sell on the Vanilla Design Store website. The standard reply is “modern furniture and homewares” but it really goes a bit deeper than that…we have a pretty wide variety of products, so what’s the common theme? That terrible phrase comes  to mind of “I can’t tell you what it is but I know it when I see it” but I think we can shed a little more light on the topic…For me a “design store” sells objects that have a bit of extra thought put into them. It’s in their function and/or form, for example the “Hollarocket “water rocket adapter – a clever and unique device that converts any used soft drink bottle into hours of fun for a child, or the Aromarest pillows that use the sense of smell to help you sleep better.  Hopefully the product is innovative, and authentic – it should have a story behind it and involve an intuitive leap.  It’s a bonus if it delights the customer and brings a smile to their face but it should improve people’s lives and fit the customer’s lifestyle like a glove – I guess that’s where the “extra thought” aspect comes in, thinking through a better way to do things and that applies equally to the wide variety of products (and services) that use the moniker “design”.  

So, why did we start Vanilla Design Store, in fact why do people bother doing anything at all?