1992-1993 | Nurturing Vision

In 1989, Don moved to Holland, Michigan. It was a chance to once again create in new ways with different materials. He began consulting with Herman Miller and its subsidiaries to envision the products and spaces of office environments. Notable projects included transforming spaces for Herman Miller’s Annual Shareholder Meetings (1992, 1993), developing a concept for the ‘office environment of the future’ (Herman Miller, NeoCon 1992) and collaborating on the design of a new line of home office furniture (1994 | Herman Miller T.D. Collection).

It was also a time where Don was writing and organizing what he observed as the broader opportunity in — and value of — the design process itself. He felt that this wasn’t something unique to, or owned by him, but something inherently accessible to everyone. After decades of prolific output as an artist and designer, Don was ready to give shape to this thinking. In 1993, Don brought it to life as, “Ambient Design — towards the nurturing environment” (1993-2000 | Ambient Design).

“Our mission is to liberate the human spirit at Herman Miller.”

J. Kermit Campbell, CEO, Herman Miller, 1992

1992 | Herman Miller Annual Shareholder Meeting

Midwest Distribution Center, Holland, Michigan

“This event gave me an opportunity to demonstrate something that we all understand and yet seldom experience. I set up this design process so that approximately twenty employee volunteers and friends could participate as a group in the creation of this solution. With approximately three hundred yards of cotton fabric, six feet wide with brilliant fabric colors, we painted twenty two huge banners. It was also an important demonstration of the use of color and the value of people actively participating in their own solution.” –D.A.S.

Leadership 2000 — A Herman Miller internal training & team building environment.
“The banners from the 1992 Shareholder Meeting were transformed into several sizes of tents, pathways, canopies, etc. Each activity had an assigned color set. The orchestration of these elements planned in concert with the facilitating team. In a closing ceremony the more than 500 participants chose to express the metaphor of team work by forming into a human loom and recycled the banners into a large environmental wall hanging.” –D.A.S.

And another transformation
Don repurposed the blue banners to show up as Lake Michigan — complete with “Lake Effect Snow” participants at an annual parade. (Holland, Michigan is located along the Lake Michigan coastline).

1992 | Office Environment of the Future

For Herman Miller’s exhibit at the NeoCon trade show, Tom Newhouse and Don Shepherd co-designed a “10-year-out” office — a concept imagining the office environment of the future.

“Using the ‘temporal office’ paradigm, and a seven to ten person marketing team scenario, we addressed the total environment as the product. We wanted to demonstrate the nurturing value the work place might have where users have uncommon levels of control in choosing work style and personalization. We created significant options for varying levels of privacy, lighting, and air handling control. We demonstrated how the use of color, pattern, texture, and the articulation of the space brings coherence, beauty, and a sense of order. We were particularly interested in showing that technology did not have to be ugly nor degrade the environment. It was a demonstration of how using modest materials and a holistic design approach can yield uncommon, nurturing places.” –D.A.S.

Click on image grids to enlarge.

1993 | Herman Miller Annual Shareholder Meeting

Midwest Distribution Center, Holland, Michigan

“Working with an internal Herman Miller team, we developed a solution that would bring color and ceremonial form to this important, one afternoon a year, event. We approached the Milliken Company, an important Herman Miller fabric supplier, to use some of their remarkable new technologies to create a series of fabric banners. We wanted to create imagery that was as current as today’s newspaper. For example, we literally made three banners from graphics extracted out of the annual report. The others expressed in classic Herman Miller style, ‘we welcome’ banners. Their gracious food service described this year as ‘grazing’ and the food serving areas on either end of the warehouse had a series of eight banners, each with an image of a herd of Zeeland, Michigan cows. Richly colored crepe fabric ceiling swags and banner back drops completed the environment.” –D.A.S.

“I believe that design is a powerful communication tool. This environment is a metaphor for expressing Herman Miller’s vibrancy, good health, and vision for the future.” –D.A.S.