In conjunction with a five-year Cooperative Education Program with Century Furniture, Rick Berry graduated in 1974 from N.C. State University with a degree in Furniture Manufacturing and Management.  Planning to attend graduate school in product design, he took an interim job with a free-lance furniture design firm and opted to stay in this "hands-on" opportunity until opening his own free-lance studio in 1976.  In 1983, he and his partner Dave Clark, ASFD, formed Berry & Clark Associates, a full service furniture design and product development firm, which worked with major furniture manufacturers.  Their concentration was primarily on designing middle to upper-end residential furnishings.  Rick retired from the design partnership in 2006 and today owns and operates his own free-lance company.

Rick has been a professional member of ASFD since 1982 and has served on its board of directors during two terms, including serving as Vice President in 1987-88.

ASFD is fortunate that Rick has graciously supported ASFD's mission statement by donating his time and sharing his professional expertise in support of ASFD's mentor initiatives for the past several years.  The following are some furniture design career questions, which have been addressed to Rick in the past and include his carefully considered responses.

Furniture design career questions may be addressed to Rick by email at rb@rberrydesign.com.

Dear Mr. Berry, 

My name is Mark Moseley and I live in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I’ve been trying for weeks to find out how to get started in furniture design. I’ve work as a designer for years now, but not this type of design. I’ve worked a mechanical designer for an oil rig company for three years; I work as a tooling designer as well. I recently designed and built a bed stand for my bedroom, after weeks of looking for one I liked and could afford.   I finally gave up and built one. I didn’t think it would be as cool as it was. After I finished the design and construction of the bedside table, I began receiving compliments and every one of my friends and relatives that have seen it have all stated that they would pay money for a bedroom set similar to my design. I have a ton of design ideas and have already drawn out a few of them; I just don’t know what to do with them. Where do I take ideas like mine? Is there a place that helps people like me? Is it possible to start in the furniture business without a million dollars in capital? If you could point me in the right direction or maybe provide some advice, I’d be forever grateful.
 
Thank you,
Mark Moseley, Draftsman
Tulsa, OK
November 26, 2008

Dear Mark,
 
Thank you for writing.  Your query faces many designers – how to put design ideas into action toward end product.  Obviously all situations and circumstances are different/relative, thus there is no set formula to follow. However, there are some basic steps to consider gathered thru the processes & experience as a “commercial” furniture designer. 
 
Are you striving to be a furniture designer/builder – producing & marketing your own designs - or, designing for a furniture manufacturer/distributor/marketing company for “mass” production – as a “commercial” designer?  The scenarios are quite different.  The former would obviously take equipment, shop space, hands-on construction knowledge, marketing/sales avenues, etc., etc. – maybe not a “million dollars”, but certainly some capitol. As a “commercial” designer, designs are presented to a manufacturer/distributor which would, upon acceptance/agreement of the design, receive working drawings from you; and with your diligent assistance, prototype, critique, edit, cost, market, etc., your designs.  In turn, you would be compensated for your designs and development efforts, which through contractual agreements can be done in a variety of means – royalty, retainer, set fee, etc. – and possible combinations of such.
 
A “sample/example” of this commercial design approach may be:
- Putting a portfolio of prior designs together and getting new concepts into presentable form (usually sketches ranging from free-hand line drawings to elaborate hand or computer renderings)
- Researching/establishing a “list” of manufacturers you would like to approach – those you believe would do a good job with the designs, production, marketing, etc. This is and can be an extensive process unto itself, and can be initiated by visiting furniture stores/retailers, trade shows/furniture markets, trade magazines/publications, internet, etc.
- Once a “list” is established, begin the contact process, usually with the individual who heads up the marketing efforts, by sending out letters, resumes, possible portfolio sampling, etc., in an effort towards setting up a presentation/interview. This is a continuing and on-going process which takes motivation, determination, persistence, and “thick skin” – as rejection is often part of this process.
 -Initial travel to such prospective design clients is an incurred expense to consider.  If such appointments can be arranged during markets/trade shows, there is the possibility of seeing several prospects in a short timeframe and in close proximity, etc.
- As presentation/interviews are set, it is always good to have some type of proprietary information agreement with the interviewer – agreement that the designs presented are yours and they will not “borrow” from your ideas, etc. ( P.S. - presentations/interviews are a two-way street, in my opinion, as you are “interviewing” them as well.)
- If/as designs are “accepted”, compensation “negotiations” and contractual topics should emerge and be initially determined - and direction from the client of the development process outlined. Then your work begins!
 
This, at best is an oversimplified outline, but hopefully may give you some idea and direction. Networking with fellow furniture designers, industry suppliers, and manufacturers is a great way to stay abreast of the furniture industry and related opportunities.  A great source for such a network and guidance is the American Society of Furniture Designers (ASFD). Contact executive director Christine Evans @ info@asfd.com for information - there are numerous benefits & various levels of membership available.
 
Best wishes in your endeavors.
Sincerely,
rb

 

 

Dear ASFD,  

I have some questions regarding the furniture design field.

I am a recent graduate with a major of Architectural Studies; during the school year I took a furniture studio offered through our program.  The studio provided us hands-on experience on designing and hand-making our own piece of furniture.  Now I am graduated with some furniture making skills, I am extremely interested in the furniture design field.  Do you have any recommendation of what path I should take next?  I considered studying in some industrial design program but I think working in the real world would provide me more valuable experience.  However I have a hard time finding jobs in this field, as my major in college is not directly related to furniture design.  What are some school / company that are ideal for furniture design/making?

 

 

There are several colleges and universities across the country, which offer degrees in Furniture Design.  Perhaps the best known is Kendall College of Art & Design in Grand Rapids, MI.   Kendall offers a comprehensive 4-year degree in Furniture Design, as well as other art & design disciplines.  Depending on your location, CVCC in Hickory, NC, offers a 2-year program in a community college setting with the ability to transfer all credits and complete the degree at Kendall in 2 years.  There are other design schools and universities, which offer furniture design, sometimes, related to other design fields.  You can probably look into a Design School Directory through the net, local library, or school guidance counselor. 

There are good job opportunities for creative, eager, informed furniture designers.  The industry is in a state of change, with more furniture and related components being manufactured abroad and imported.  This poses a challenge to domestic manufacturers - to adjust, participate, and enhance their overall capabilities.  Good design is more important than ever - and can distinguish products in the marketplace from would-be competitors.

As in any profession, salary and compensation depends on talent, knowledge, motivation, communication skills, and experience.  Young designers often get experience through "internships" with design firms, manufacturers, or suppliers to the industry - working for modest pay to gain experience.  Such opportunities may be found domestically or abroad.  This is often required by some schools as part of the education curriculum.  Employment opportunities range from staff positions with manufacturers or design firms, to freelance design or consultation work.  The schools & colleges you contact should be able to provide you with pertinent salary information.  

 

Rick Berry, ASFD 

 Hi Rick,

My name is Jim Wise and I saw you listed thru the mentor program of ASFD.

I am looking to find a way to bring to market two convertible furniture designs that I hold US utility patents (see attached). I named the convertible furniture, theOttovertable. Actually, I’m not a professional designer but just a guy who came up with an idea, got a couple of utility rather than design patents and now am pretty much stuck with where to proceed. My goal is to see these designs realized in actual products brought to market. I am looking to either work out a royalty agreement or licensing agreement with a manufacturer or perhaps, sell the patents.

Professionally I’m a psychologist and know little of the furniture business. Initially, a few years ago I went to a couple of the High Point Furniture shows and also submitted letters of inquiry to several furniture manufacturers. Most didn’t even respond to these letters of inquiry.  One company offered to pay me something like 18 cents per sold piece. I thought that was rather low considering the designs they would use were utility not simply design  protected patents. At one point a small manufacturer on the west coast with connections to Chinese furniture manufacturers proposed manufacturing the Ottovertables but he never did anything after over a year of promises to deliver. Since then I’ve pretty much dropped all activity pursuant to doing anything with the Ottovertablefiguring the furniture business was probably suffering enough and really I had lost my initial enthusiasm for putting in more time knocking on doors.

Now with ten years left on these patents and the clock ticking I’m determined to do something this year with the Ottovertable designs. Naturally I’ve been approached by many of these patent marketing companies who promise the world for a fee. But my research revealed most of these companies are really scams.

 

So now I’m thinking perhaps I should explore working with someone such as yourself, if you are able and interested, or perhaps someone you might  personally recommend, who is intimately knowledgeable about the relationship of independent designers to the furniture business.  In this regard I would be open to discussing establishing some sort of business arrangement that includes a sharing in potential future financial rewards with someone who is willing to work with me to secure a fair deal with the right manufacturer.

 

So that’s my story…actually there’s more but I’ve gone on enough. That’s where I am. I’d love to hear your thoughts about all this. I’ll be away this Friday  till the 24thThursday.

Jim

(cell) 301-651-8287

 

 

 Jim,