Inspiration vs. Copy
In any creative field, pulling inspiration from those before you is a part of creating new and original designs. Being inspired by the greats of your industry can allow you to create something that is updated and fully unique. But, you must remember, there is a thin line between inspiration and duplication. Copying past designs is a dangerous path to take that can lead to detrimental effects on your company’s sales, development, and most importantly, reputation.
We have all seen them: fakes of the great Mid-century modern furniture designs sprinkled all over the internet. These rip-offs are exact replicas of classic designs made of cheaper materials and made using even cheaper production practices. Even more often you will see pieces that aren’t exact copies, but rather partial copies. This kind of replication is where many begin to excuse the practice of duplicating others’ designs. Is it a copy of an Eames Chair if it doesn’t have the exact same legs? Let me answer that for you: it is.
This is where inspiration and duplication begin to blend together. The rule of thumb is that if one part of a design is identical to a part of a past design, you are no longer using the piece as inspiration but rather as a model. Stepping over this line leads you into dangerous territory that drains the originality from your design. Finding inspiration from past pieces is a different story all together.
When a designer pulls ‘inspiration’ they are not copying a piece, rather they are implementing the principles of a past design to their own. Observing the shapes, styling, and lines allows you to create a variation of the original that then produces a fully unique new product. Applying this tactic avoids creating a carbon copy and instead produces a piece that references the past while looking forward to the future. Overall, when looking for inspiration always remember one thing: your design must evolve past what the original was and must not steal from its predecessor.
A perfect example of inspired design: Bend Goods Black Lucy Chair embraces the Bertoia Chair’s use of wire, but with a contemporary twist.
Bend Goods is a Los Angeles based design and manufacturing company that designs functional products for the home and public spaces. The company makes furniture, lighting, and other goods, with a commitment to being innovative and playful. Founded in 2010 by Gaurav Nanda, a sculptor and designer from Michigan, Bend is based on Nanda’s passion for making functional yet sculptural objects. The quality of their products is in the details: the inviting shapes, the sparks of color, the ease of assembly and the packaging. Each element embodies Bend’s drive for making iconic, sustainable, and authentic products.