一個與過去截然不同的世界正在我們身邊成形。遺傳學、神經學、打印技術、奈米技術、合成生物學等領域，全都以前所未有的程度和規模挑戰我們對自然的理解、暗示設計有新的可能性。倘若能用心觀察，便可預見其打破陳規的嶄新革命正如火如荼的到來。
不過，現今社會似乎正面臨停滯不前的問題，綜觀設計，目前看來不是太過著眼於過去歷史脈絡，就是充斥過度強調背後精神，實際卻無突破的品牌更是不可計數。關於這點，亦讓筆者想起很久以前看過一本探論現下社會觀點的書籍，記憶中內容大致寫道：
「Haus Rucker Co、Victor Papanek 這類的想像設計，在今天鼓勵不同的社會早已變得更難實行。畢竟，自從資本主義的崛起後，設計便開始以「膚淺」的方式進入企業而變得高度商業化，反向其他富有想像力能讓生活增色添彩的創意就被開始視為不符合經濟需求，並將其可能性「邊緣化」逐漸的吞沒整座社會想像的大陸。」
image via Haus Rucker Co
雖然這樣的思維形式運作許久，已然成為運行社會架構的遵循模式。但回歸根本，設計是催生全新觀點的重要元素，現在隨著科技進步幻化的全新世界，仍然還有人願意與過去存在過的實驗精神重新連結並打造出品牌單位，以其之名發展適用至今 – 未來的新方法，試圖喚醒人們更多元的意識形態與價值觀。那便是此次 潮流社論 要介紹的品牌：Published by。
Published by 成立於 2017 年，來自奧地利，創辦人為 Christoph Tsetinis、Ruby Wallen，品牌旨在運用 3D 技術重新審視行業傳統製造的方法，並汲取汽車產業與高科技工業和經歷的人、事、物、自然為靈感，試圖突破既定設計上的傳統限制。
image via Ruby Wallen
也許各位對「3D 技術重新審視行業傳統製造的方法」這句話並非了解得透徹，事實上 Published by 在官網陳述的話語，某種程度而言亦是建立在「易於回收」的概念之上。簡單舉個例：比如現下品牌製造的包款、鞋款皆是由多種素材進行拼接，就算是標榜「可持續性物材」製成，實際來看類似這樣的產品在回收階段還是難以拆分，而 Published by 的 3D 打印技術便是縮短傳統生產流程，改變傳統生產繁複的流水線。
image via Published by
當然，Published by 運用的 3D 打印技術並不只是侷限於改變生產環境，利用這項科技的能耐以及對高性能用品汲取的工藝技術，亦能有效降低製造門檻，相互結合讓更多有趣的設計真正實際出現在市場中。
image via Published by
必須提的是，筆者認為這種感覺便像是 Chris Bangle 早期為 BMW 設計出的「GINA」概念款式，亦或 Joey Ruiter 的「Moto Undone」為其引入新的設計意涵，運用技術與可許媒材重新思索製造限制以及提供行業內受限的前瞻性設計視野。
image via classicdriver
而為更了解 Published by 的設計疆界怎麼可以拓展想像力與擁抱具啟發性的內涵，此次筆者特別邀請到其主理人 Ruby Wallen、Christoph Tsetinis 以及品牌人士 Parnia Sarraf 與我們聊聊，帶著我們領會關於 Published by 是如何處理美學的新構思。從以下專訪讀者們亦便會了解到設計如何帶來：提出問題、啟發思考、引發辯論、提供新觀點，甚至，是鼓舞人心的卓越觀點。
image via Published by
1.設計師們大多利用伸展台來傳達品牌價值與設計師身份，似乎很少去挑戰社會規範，能說說 Published By 代表什麼樣的精神嗎？
我們不會利用伸展台來創造價值，我們所做得是利用作品本身來創造價值，這種想法是提供人們傑出的東西讓他們能每天使用，因此更像是每天都是伸展台。因為對我們來說數位生產管道以及數位整體外觀是非常重要的，我認為未來我們會嘗試去做，也會盡力去做的，是類似在虛擬展示中互動的呈現一般，因為很不幸的是伸展台已沒有能令我雀躍的東西了。我們喜歡伸展台本身的概念，以其做為讓你知道還可以發展到何種地步的起始點。
2.比起傳統包袋，Published By 汲取建築與現代藝術的概念，讓造型顛覆既有設計語言，請問你們怎麼在兩者美學間取得平衡？
我們所做的是在美學，建築和時尚間取得平衡。我們總是試著找出最美的外形，或我試著去找出最美麗的外形；這表示當我看到看起來不錯的東西時，我就會想「好這看起來不錯，但問題是我如何能從此創造出一個包袋？」當然也就是說這是個挑戰，特別是當功能性愈來愈參與其中。對我們來說，創作傳統的包袋並不合理，因為其他人都已經做得很好了，這也是我們決定也往此方向進行的原因，尤其是我們擁有生產方法的背景以及生產的方式，讓我們有足夠的自由可以做我們想做的東西，不做的話會很可惜，就像是擁有一輛保時捷 911，卻在奧地利維也納的瑪利亞希爾夫大街（Mariahilfer Straße**）上每小時開 3 公里一樣悲慘。 **奧地利維也納的知名街道。
3.那麼 Published By 包款的型塑，有包含著挑戰大眾審美的思想實驗嗎？
不，不盡然。我們當然主要是以想法開放及對新事物具相當開放態度的人為主，所以我不認為他們受到挑戰。我認為許多人是相當驚喜，而且通常並不真的懂我們的包袋，所以你必須教育他們；但這就是新事物，要將這些新事物傳輸給一般大眾，你就必須教育人們，讓他們了解並且接受。話雖如此，我想 80% 的人對我們的創作抱持非常正面的反應。
4.我們知道可持續性是 Published By 重要的核心，你們認為品牌做到什麼樣的地步才算是「真正實行可持續性」？
永續性當然是今日這個時期很重要的主題，我們盡力推動此主題，也相信在這個產業中存在有很多的「漂綠/假環保」。我們生產流程很大一部分使用科技，因此在創作樣品前，我們會先在數位管道中進行創作，這就少了很多的廢棄物。近來我們剛開始採用使用了 70% 回收品的皮革，也將持續嘗試尋找最具永續性的方式來創作作品。
5.Published By 運用的 3D 打印技術又如何改變傳統生產流程？
3D 打印技術幾乎改變了一切，沒有這個技術，我們根本不可能創作任何產品。當然我們使用此技術創作了所有的原型來展示給買主們，但這也讓我們享有創作任何想做的自由，也對廠內擁有及使用這項技術感到驕傲。
6.在創立 Published By 品牌前，有面臨到生產規模、技術複雜性以及是否需要因應大眾市場差異的問題，讓品牌產生何種困難嗎？
Published By 很棒的一件事就是我們與買主和客戶的溝通良好，因此總是可以精準地計算數量，而我們也都按需求生產，這意味著我們不會過度生產，因為特別是就永續性而言，我們並不相信過度生產。
7.設計與科學會帶來嶄新視野，Published By 又帶來了什麼新觀點？
我希望 Published By 可以讓人們知道可以將某些主題推動到甚麼程度。例如結合科學和時尚，如果我們能和汽車工業或其他像是為船舶工業鑄造大型物件的人合作，會是非常美好的；這通常很具挑戰性，因為你必須說服他們，必須向他們解釋這兩個世界是可以互相合作來創造出新的事物。但我認為最終一切都是值得的，因為結果通常都非常美好。
8.你們希望人們怎麼看待 Published By？
我總是說 Published By 不是關於我身為設計師，而是關於人們。就像是包袋的反射面，應該是由人們自己去看到自己及週遭，對我來說這非常重要，因為包袋是非常個人的想法，而這也是我所愛之處，因為我們可以看到從世界各個國家不同年代的許多人配戴我們的作品，總是有某種特定的心態將他們連結起來，如同現代雕塑和工業設計一般。更像是純粹分享對美好作品的愛一樣。
9.能跟我們透露接下來Published By下一個目標嗎？
繼續成長及當然是提升並真正體現我們所擁有的美學。我認為是關於真正推動到我們創作出新品且無法慢下來的地步。我個人會害怕的就是我們必須製作極度商業化的作品，現在當然是還不到這個程度，但對我而言是絕對不可淡化的，不管你做的是什麼東西，可能是內裝，或是家居服，可能是任何東西，但我就是不想淡化，我覺得都應該是帶著熱情和品味。對於熱愛 Published By 的人們，我並不想以任何太過簡單的東西讓他們失望，因此我們的目標並不是達到特定程度的財富，而是忠於我們自己和設計。
10.最後也想問問，Published By 有考慮進軍台灣嗎？
首先我一直想要到台灣旅遊，當然在我們的目標名單中也佔很高的地位，因為我認為台灣是個很棒的國家，人們心態真的很開放會喜歡 Published By，如果在台灣有零售商會很不錯，或許有可能可以再去一次和參訪店鋪。
結：
筆者曾經閱讀家具設計史時讀到一句話：「用椅子做為探討新設計哲學和日常生活願景的媒介，不論是美學、社會、政治方面」。倘若將這點放在 Published By 似乎也足以成立。通過 Ruby Wallen、Christoph Tsetinis 以及品牌人士 Parnia Sarraf 對其的共同闡述，關於「設計」並不應該如此狹隘的表達自我身分及單純的商業組織配合，應該著眼於廣義的社會，把目光拉遠思考技術變革帶來的弦外之音和關於人類不斷變化的各種意義。就像是 1980 年代 Katherune Hannett 曾以「SAVE LIFE ON EARTH」等口號 T-shirt，來讓其衣著成為具有反思性意義的存在。
另外 3D 打印技術及環境問題相信他們已為我們解釋得相當清楚，但更重要的是不同於其他品牌，Published By 願意用新的形式來拓展設計疆界，探討一條平行設計路線的其他可能性，用自身的作品來創造屬於自己的價值。
最後，筆者認為自己不需要在結語上解讀的太明白，也許由讀者去自行想像 Published By 的美學之處更為恰當。不過筆者仍要述說在與 Published By 對話中被喚起的想法：「世界萬物即是令人產生美感想像，並無法窮盡的本體」。
（Published By / English version）
A world unlike the one before is now taking shape around us. Fields in printing technology, nanotechnology, and synthetic biology et al challenge our understanding to the nature with a never before level and scale, suggesting new possibilities in design. With careful observations, we could foresee the brand new revolution that breaks all the stereotypes is coming in full swing.
However, societies now seem to face the problem of standstill. Design is either over focused on the historical context or overly emphasize on the spirits behind; brands that actually do not have any breakthroughs are countless. Regarding this, author recalls a book that discusses the current social views. The content is as such：
“Imaginative Design such as Haus Rucker Co, Victor Papanek became even more difficult to carry out in the society now that encourages difference. After all, since the rising of capitalism, the design has become highly commercialized by entering the enterprise in the shallow way. The creativities rich in imagination and adding colors to life have been considered as not conforming to the economical needs and having their possibilities marginalized that the imaginative continent of the society is gradually engulfed.”
This form of thinking has been operating for some time that it seemed to have become the model that the social structure follows. Returning to the basic, however, design is the important element that induces novel perspectives. In the new world that transforms with the advancing technology, there are still people who are willing to reconnect to the experimental spirits to craft the brand and develop till now; with the novel method of the future that tries to waking people’s diversified ideologies and senses of value. The brand our Trend Editorial is going to introduce is: Published By
Published By was established in 2017 in Austria, founded by Christoph Tsetinis and Ruby Wallen. The brand aims at using 3D printing to revisit the traditional manufacturing methods of the industries, drawing inspirations from automotive and technology industries and people, events, matters, and Nature of its experience; trying to break from the traditional limits of the existing designs.
You probably do not fully comprehend the meaning of “using 3D printing to revisit the traditional manufacturing methods of the industries. In fact, as stated in the official website of Published By, to a certain degree, it also builds on the concept of “easy to recycle”. Take an easy example, the shoes and bags manufactured by the current brands are mostly splicing with multiple materials; even as it is stated to have been made with “sustainable materials”, the products actually could not be disassembled in the recycle stage. The 3D printing technology of Published By shortens the traditional production flow and changes the complex flow lines of the traditional production.
3D technology utilized by Published By of course is not limited in changing the production environment. The capability of using this technology and the craftsmanship drawing from high performance supplies could also effectively lower the production threshold. Combining the two could allow more interesting designs to actually appear in the markets.
Author has to mention that this feels like the GINA concept style that Chris Bangle designed earlier for BMW or the new design implication introduced by Joey Ruiter for Moto Undone; using technology and possible media to reconsider the manufacturing limit and providing visions to the limited forward-looking design of the industry.
In order to understand how the design core of Published By could expand imagination and embrace the enlighten meaning, we invite its directors Ruby Wallen, Christoph Testinis and the brand person Parnia Sarraf to talk with us, taking us to comprehend how Published By handles the new idea of aesthetics. From the interview, readers would understand how design brings about raising questions, inspiring thinking, provoking debate, providing new views and even the excellent views that inspire people.
1.Designers mostly use runway to express brand value and designer’s identity, and rarely challenge the social norms. What type of spirit does Published By represent?
We don’t use the runway for creating value but what we do is we use our pieces themselves to create value, because the idea is that you give people something outstanding that they can use everyday, so it’s more like an everyday runway. Since for us the digital pipeline productions and also the digital look overall is very important I think in the future what we will try to do and what would be best to do, is something similar to a virtual exhibition where we do interactive presentations because the runway is sadly nothing that really excites me anymore, we like the runway concept itself as a starting to point to tell you how much further you can go.
2.Comparing to the traditional bags, Published By draws the concept of architecture and modern arts to overturn the existing design language. How do you achieve the aesthetics balance between the two?
What we like to do is balance a look between aesthetic, architecture and fashion. We always try to find the most beautiful shape or I try to do that find the most beautiful shape out there meaning that if I see something that looks nice, I like to think “Okay this looks nice, but question is, how can I create a bag out of it?”- which is, of course, often a challenge, especially with functionality coming more and more into the picture. I think for us it does not make sense to create traditional handbags because that’s something that other people do really well and that’s why we decided to also go in this direction especially with the background in production methodology that we have and the ways of producing it gives us just the freedom to do whatever we want so it would be sad to not do it, kind of like having a Porsche 911 and just going 3 kilometers an hour on Mariahilfer Straße**, that’s also a bit sad.（**famous street in Vienna, austria）
3.Do the shapes of Published By bags include the thought experiment of challenging the public’s aesthetics?
No not really, of course we orientate ourselves around people who are really open minded and quite open towards newness, so I don’t think they are challenged, I think many people are really surprised and often don’t really know what our bags are so you have to educate them a lot, but that is the thing with newness – in order for it to be transported to the general public you need to educate people to make them understand and to accept it. But with that being said, I think about 80% of people react very positively to what we create.
4.We know that the sustainability is the important core of Published By. To what extent that you would consider your brand achieved the true sustainability?
Of course sustainability is a very important topic in this day and age and we try to push it as far as we can and we believe that there is a lot of greenwashing in this industry especially. A big part of our production process is the use of technology, so we create everything in a digital pipeline before ever creating a sample, which already saves a lot of waste. We recently just started using leather that is 70% recycled and we will continue to try to find the most sustainable way to create our pieces.
5.How does the 3D printing technology of Published By change the traditional production flow?
3D Printing pretty much changed everything, if you think about it we could have never ever done any of our pieces without this technology. We of course use it to create all of our prototypes which we then show to our buyers, but so it also gives us the freedom to create whatever we feel like and we are quite proud that we have it in house and can use this technology.
6.Prior to establishing Published By, have you encountered questions regarding production scale, technology complexity and whether to respond to the public market difference and resulted in any problems for the brand?
I think something that is great about Published By is that we always communicate well with our buyers and customers so we can always calculate the quantities very precisely and we try to produce on demand meaning that we don’t overproduce, since that’s something that we really don’t believe in especially in terms of sustainability.
7.Design and science bring brand new vision; what new perspective does Published By bring?
I hope Published By can show people how far you can push certain topics. You know for example combining science and fashion, I think something that is very beautiful is we work with people who work in the car industry or others working to cast massive pieces for the ship industry and that’s often challenging because you have to convince them and you have to explain to them how these two different worlds can actually work together to create new things. But I think at the end of the day it’s worth it because the outcome is usually quite great.
8.How would you like people to perceive Published By?
I always say Published By is not about me as a designer but it’s about the people. Pretty much like the reflective surface that the bags have, it should be people who see ithemselves in it you know and their surrounding and and that’s for me very important I think it’s a bag for very individual thinking people and I think that’s that’s what I love about i, as we can see like many people from all countries around the world of different ages wear our pieces but they always have a certain mindset that connects them like modern sculptures architecture and industrial design. You know it’s just more like the pure sharing of love for great pieces.
9.Could you tell us the next target for Published By?
both to grow and and of course you know rise and really manifest this aesthetic we have. I think it’s about really really pushing it to the point where we create newness and we don’t slow down. Something that I personally would be scared of is, that we have to do extremely commercial pieces now but it hasn’t been the case yet and for me it’s never about watering down, you know if you do something doesn’t matter what it is like, it can be interior pieces, can be home wear, it can be whatever, but I don’t want to water down, I think it should be intense and tasteful. Also for the people who love Published By I wouldn’t like to disappoint them with anything super simple, so our target is never reaching a certain wealth but it’s about staying true to ourselves and our designs.
10.Finally, I would like to ask if Published By considers entering Taiwan? (Personally, I want Ruby’s Lost Stone Bag badly.)
First of all, I’ve always wanted to travel to Taiwan and of course it is very high up on our Target List, also because I think that it’s a great country I think that like people are really really open minded I think and would like Published By, so it would be lovely to have stockists there and maybe once it is possible again to go and visit the shop as well.
Conclusion：
Author once read in the furniture design history that “to use a chair as the medium to explore new design philosophy and the visions of daily lives, whether in aesthetics, social, or political.” It seems to work also with Published By. Through the common elaboration from Ruby Wallen, Christoph Tsetinis and brand person Parnia Sarraf, design should not be as narrow as expressing self identity and as simple as cooperating with the commercial organization but should focus on generalized society, looking furthers to ponder the overtone brought by the transform of technology and the various meanings regarding the constant change of human being. Just like Pierre Cardin in the 1960 that discussed the concept of future; or the protest slogan T-shirt of Katherune Hannet in the 1980s, let their clothes carry inspiring or educational meaning.
They already explained very clearly regarding 3D printing technology and environmental issues. What is more important is that, unlike the other brands, Published By is willing to use new form to expand the design horizon, exploring other possibilities of a parallel design path, using their pieces to create the values of their own.
Finally, the author does not need to interpret too specifically; it would probably be better suitable for readers to imagine about the aesthetics of Published By. However, author would like to express the thought evoked by the dialogue with Published By: “Everything in the world, despite being able to generate aesthetics imagination, is inexhaustible in itself.”
