Adam Nathaniel Furman launched the Glowbules lighting collection in 2021 with Curiousa. But when pictures of the made-to-order lamps started turning up all over TikTok and Instagram, it became clear they had copycats on their hands.

Slow design is something I’m passionate about, but few are willing to pay for it. And while designers are often expected to court publicity, sometimes there’s a sting in the tail.

I met Curiousa founder Esther Patterson through Corinne Julius, who curates Future Heritage at Decorex, and who had invited us to create pieces of contemporary craft together. Curiousa is a hand-blown glass lighting manufacturer in England’s Peak District, working with regional artists. Everything is handmade to order – precisely the kind of business model I like to be involved with.

We spent a year developing the Glowbules collection, sending samples back and forth. There were lots of FedEx packages, lots of FaceTimes with glassblowers talking about material tolerances, and a proper photoshoot.It was a big investment from both sides.

Glowbules were a real hit at Decorex 2021 – people were fascinated – and then everything went quiet. Probably because they’re price on application and very much aimed at the luxury market. When I started to see photos of Glowbules on social media, I just thought it was nice that Curiousa was getting sales. I never considered any other possibility. Then I started to get messages from people asking, “Have you been sending your lights from China?”

A factory had copied the design and farmed it out to retail outlets. They called them Candy Lights, used all our photos, and sold them at a tenth of the price. They were everywhere, but they weren’t ours. I realised that I have absolutely no recourse to protecting my IP whatsoever.

It was a horrifying shock. When I spoke to Curiousa, it turned out we had sold only a handful of Glowbules. It was so sad. Clearly the lights – if we had managed to reach the right audience – could have done well because they were demonstrably popular. Since these fakes have proliferated, Curiousa has received more interest, although many potential customers are put off by the price. But we couldn’t make them with local glass artists for anything less.

It’s not all been bad news for the Glowbules, however. Last year a movie studio got in touch about featuring the lights in a film. Curiousa signed an NDA, but I’m 100 per cent sure that those are the Glowbules you can spot in the background of a certain pink-themed summer blockbuster.

We can’t publicise that it’s our lights in the film – which goes to show that attention and popularity don’t necessarily create a foundation for one’s career, or income. I’ve had my work featured on the front page of the design supplement of The New York Times, only to get zero client interest and then see the design ripped off elsewhere. So I would warn young designers starting out that there’s very little correlation between public chatter and a sustainable workflow. Meanwhile, I’m determined to stick with designing for brands who care about their supply lines and the people making their products.

Words Adam Nathaniel Furman (as told to India Block)

Illustration Leonhard Rothmoser

This article was originally published in Disegno #36. To buy the issue, or subscribe to the journal, please visit the online shop.

Learning from Failure with Adam Nathaniel Furman

Design Line: 9 – 15 December

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