Normal is not a particularly thrilling adjective. So why would I call my bike accessory company NRML? It started with these stools. They were designed by Naoto Fukasawa for Magis. The most notable thing about them, besides the gorgeous material, is that they look like stools. Unlike many in the design world, Naoto is a master of subtlety. He has a genius for making products that are what they want to be. Naoto designs objects that feel evolved and refined over centuries, not flash in the pan fads. In fact these stools were so subtle, that when they launched at the Milan Furniture Fair, many thought that they were just part of the booth. People used them as stools instead of worshiping them on a plinth. Turns out that that’s a good thing.
Naoto’s pal, and like-minded designer, Jasper Morrison came up with a name for things that are what they want to be. He calls them Supernormal. Supernormal things are unsensational looking things that perform sensationally. They are things that reveal their greatness more and more over time, rather than having awesome shelf appeal that withers with familiarity.
That’s what we’re shooting for. NRML is about designing products that feel like classics from an parallel universe. We want them to feel almost obvious, and yet ingenious. And the Barbasket is just the beginning. Stay tuned!
That’s a good post.