The Crit #22: Benjamin Hubert
What do designers think about their past work? Which designs have catapulted their practice forward, and which continue to keep them up at night? The Crit, a podcast by Disegno, has the answers!
Each fortnight, Disegno’s editor-in-chief Oli Stratford invites a leading designer to Kef Music Gallery to review their own work. 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 twenty-second guest on The Crit is Benjamin Hubert, founder and creative director of Layer, accompanied by show host Oli Stratford.
Episode #22: Benjamin Hubert
Benjamin Hubert is the founder and creative director of Layer, a London-based design agency working across branding, engineering, and digital, spatial and industrial design, with diverse projects ranging from dog toys to exercise bikes.
After initially making his name in furniture design with his first practice Benjamin Hubert Studio, Hubert launched Layer in 2015 to move outside what he perceived as the industry’s focus on aesthetics and concentrate on delivering more meaningful experiences.
From designing a 3D-printed wheelchair for Nike to a sculptural speaker for Bang & Olufsen and a pebble-like power pack for Samsung, Layer is known for creating a softer, more human technological experiences.
In this episode, Hubert visits the studio to talk about his decision to move away from personality-driven design, creating objects for pets, his relationship with the media and his desire to do more pro bono design work.
Show Notes: Benjamin Hubert
Best design: Layer
Worst design: Diamond Chair
Most successful design: Dog toys for Earth Rated
Most impactful feedback: A Financial Times article
Dream design: Pro bono design work for charities, NGOs or community groups
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.