The Crit #43: Alexandra Gerber
The Crit, a fortnightly podcast from Disegno, invites designers to pass judgement on their careers to date, sharing both their favourite designs and worst missteps.
For those new to the show, each episode sees Disegno’s editor-in-chief Oli Stratford invite a guest to Kef Music Gallery to look back on their past projects. Our guest reveals what worked best; what failed; what pushed their career to new heights; what feedback most shaped their practice; and what they feel needs to be redesigned.
At the end of each episode, to complete their crit, they’ll be asked to give themselves a grade for their career to date: fail, pass, commendation or distinction.
It’s a design-school crit, delivered every fortnight! Subscribe to the show here, or sign up wherever you get your podcasts from.
Our forty-third guest on The Crit is Alexandra Gerber, accompanied by show host Oli Stratford.
Episode #43: Alexandra Gerber
Alexandra Gerber is a London-based industrial designer whose work prizes technical innovation and the potential for engineering solutions to pass freely between different industries.
An MA graduate of Lausanne’s prestigious ECAL, Gerber gained experience at Studio Nitzan Cohen and Tom Dixon, where she worked across furniture, lighting and product design for clients such as Mattiazzi, Alessi, Ikea and Adidas. She founded her eponymous East London studio in 2017.
Gerber’s work is centred on everyday products, which are distinguished for their aesthetic refinement and Gerber’s particular interest in borrowing materials and techniques from across different industries. While her work is often beautiful, its aesthetics are typically born out from the engineering solutions and technical detailing that they arise from.
In her crit, Gerber talks about design as a form of cultural expression, the gendering of objects, the pleasures of spontaneous solutions, and the allure and complexities of working with biomaterials.
Show Notes: Alexandra Gerber
Best design: Up shelving
Worst design: Installation of A Meaningful Order
Most successful design: A Meaningful Order
Most impactful feedback: When people say her work is not feminine
Dream design: Tableware and cutlery
This episode of The Crit was recorded at KEF Music Gallery London.
The Crit’s graphics were created by Leonhard Rothmoser.
The Crit’s music was created by Yuri Suzuki and Team Suzuki.