The Crit #38: John Tree
The Crit, a fortnightly podcast from Disegno, explores designers’s reflections on their own work: what are their favourite designs and which do they wish they’d done differently?
For those new to the show, each episode sees Disegno’s editor-in-chief Oli Stratford invites 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 thirty-eighth guest on The Crit is John Tree, accompanied by show host Oli Stratford.
Episode #38: John Tree
John Tree is a London-based industrial designer whose work is grounded in the manufacturing realities of serial production and the role of products in everyday life.
Tree launched his own studio in 2016, but was already well known within the design world for his work with both Sony and long-term collaboration with Jasper Morrison. Working across furniture, lighting, products and consumer electronics, Tree’s client roster now includes brands such as Hay, Hydro, Muuto, Motorola, Nine, Roli, Tala, and VG&P.
During his crit, Tree talked about the challenges of mobile phone design, his belief in the social potential of industrial design, the opportunity to completely reconceive electric vehicles, and the importance of not obsessing over your business card.
Show Notes: John Tree
Best design: Billet chair
Worst design: A mobile phone for Samsung
Most successful design: Apex lamp
Most impactful feedback: His friend Chopper from Rosie Lee saying that it’s not enough to be a good designer, you have to get your work out there
Dream design: Electric vehicles
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.