X3DMedia is delighted to announce a key new member of its editorial team. Joining the team behind DEVELOP3D and AEC magazines is Tanya Weaver, former editor of New Design, one of europe’s leading product design publications. This formalizes a relationship between the company and Weaver that’s been a key factor in the success of DEVELOP3D in the two years since it’s launch. Weaver joins the key editorial team in the role of Special Projects Editor alongside the existing team.
“Since we founded X3DMedia, we’ve firmly believed that content is absolutely fundamental to building a community around what we’re doing. From day one, Tanya has been working with us under the assumed name of Frances Corbett,” commented Al Dean, Co Founder and Editor in Chief of DEVELOP3D.
He continues “Her user stories from inside some of the leading lights of product development including Lego, Nokia, Electrolux to name but a few have become the cornerstone to what we do. Bringing Tanya on board allows that relationship to continue and for it to expand, giving the company greater bandwidth and a wider spread of editorial specialism and expertise.”
“Over the past two years I have thoroughly enjoyed writing the cover stories for Develop3D and I am looking forward to being able to provide that magazine, as well as the other publications that X3DMEDIA produce, with more content and features bringing with me the knowledge I have gained working as an editor in the product and industrial design field,” said Weaver on her first day.
She continues, “I have always admired what the X3D Media have achieved in just two years, not only have they published a range of highly successful printed publications but they have also realized that the world of publishing is changing and its not just about printed paper anymore. They have developed websites for the magazines that are constantly updated and community focused, downloadable pdf versions of the magazines, iPhone and iPad apps and updates via twitter. It’s exciting to join a publishing company that is at the forefront of new media and I am looking forward to getting my teeth stuck into my new role.”
I had a quick chat with Tanya today as she headed into our new London offices to ask a few questions:
Al: How did you become a writer that specialises in design and product development?
Tanya: I fell into it really. I graduated with an English degree in 2000 from a university in South Africa and having traveled for a year I decided to stay in the UK and look for a job. I always knew that I wanted to write for a living and having sent my CV to loads of publishers in Birmingham, where I was living at the time, I eventually got a junior role at the publishers of Engineering magazine. At the time I didn’t realize that they also published a magazine called newdesign, which specializes in product and industrial design. I started off writing the news pages and small features and then gradually climbed up the company ladder to the position of editor about 5 years later. It has been a real learning curve writing about design and development with no previous background in it but at the same time it has also been extremely interesting to discover the processes and tools designers use in order to get a product to market. I thoroughly enjoy visiting and talking to designers about how they create the products that we use in our everyday lives.Al: What are your plans for the coming year?
Tanya: I am looking forward to using the experiences and knowledge I have gained working as an editor in the product and industrial design field and applying that to my new role at X3DMEDIA. As well as continuing to write product development stories for Develop3D I would also like to gain experience and contribute to all the areas of new media that X3DMEDIA are involved in such as websites, apps and twitter. There is so much more to publishing than printed paper and I am looking forward to new challenges and getting my teeth stuck into my new role.Al: What are the key trends you see in design in the coming year or two?
Tanya: I still think that sustainability/green/eco-design is a huge issue. Manufacturers and designers are under a great deal of pressure to provide increasingly ‘green’ savvy consumers with sustainable products. We are so much more aware of our carbon footprint and how we live our lives and what we consume affects the planet. In such a competitive industry, brands that are seen as being ‘green’ will gain loyalty from customers. So, designers and manufacturers have to constantly be aware of the materials, processes and packaging they use. For instance, just think back to 10 years ago where the notion of having electric cars driving around the city streets was just a fantasy but now many automotive companies are realizing that going green is the only way forward, as both customers and government are demanding it, and many are investing in building cars that are electric or are more environmentally sound.Al: Who’s design work do you admire the most? Who’s doing or done the most interesting things.
Tanya: I really admire the work of Dieter Rams, a German industrial designer who was head of design at Braun from the early 1950s to 1995. Having been to a recent exhibition of his work at London’s Design Museum you can really see how the products he designed decades ago were so forward thinking. In fact, if you had to have some of his products such as a toaster, kettle, shaver or radio in your house today, they wouldn’t look out of place. They are examples of what good design is and I think that all designers should take a read of Rams’ ‘Ten Principles of Good Design’.
I also really like the work of Yves Behar, a Swiss industrial designer living in New York who founded the design consultancy fuseproject in 1999. I met him a few years back and was struck by how he just oozes enthusiasm and passion for what he does. He can turn his hand to so many different projects and clients. For instance, NYC Condom dispenser to, a ‘clever little shoebox’ for PUMA, an automatic vacuum cleaner, to getting involved in an initiative called ‘One Laptop Per Child’. His sketch book must be rammed!
