This panel discussion will uncover the processes involved in designing and making modern furniture and home décor, with a focus on Canadian design. Moderated by EQ3 Creative Director Thom Fougere, he and panelists Christian Lo of ANONY (Toronto), Simon Johns (East-Bolton, Quebec), Jamie Wolfond of Good Thing (New York and Toronto), and Alisa Wronski (Toronto) will share their personal design pedagogies, examine successes and failures, and provide insight into their methods as contemporary Canadian designers.

This talk is organized by DesignTO in collaboration with Winnipeg-based designer and manufacturer EQ3. EQ3 is excited to partner with DesignTO for this important event, showcasing the process of modern design with a focus on what makes Canadian designers unique in the global landscape.

The talk begins at 7pm.

ANONY is a lighting and product design studio founded by Christian Lo and David Ryan. Their interest in utilizing the technology and manufacturing processes is combined with an honest and timeless approach to a product’s life cycle, judicious use of materials, minimal manufacturing, and ease of use. Through this philosophy, ANONY hopes to create products that produce an emotional response similar to the appreciation felt for the utilitarian yet well-designed objects of decades past.

Simon Johns is a fine arts–trained designer working in the woods of southern Quebec. Illustrating a conversation between the fabricated and the elemental, Simon creates one-off and limited-edition pieces of sculptural furniture and lighting, as well as a refined ready-to-order line, all handmade in Canada.

Jamie Wolfond is a NY-based designer originally from Toronto. He is curious about materials, patterns, colours, simple physics and manufacturing systems. He believes that the relationship between a designer, manufacturer and consumer needs to be evolving constantly. He founded Good Thing in 2014.

Alisa Maria Wronski is an Italian born designer and exhibition curator working in Toronto. Her works include both fabricated components as well as handmade elements, which creates a strong connection to the materials and involvement in the process up to the last step. This past year she exhibited in a solo show focusing on mirror works, which won a DesignTO Festival Favourite award.

Thom Fougere studied architecture at the University of Manitoba before working in furniture and product design. In 2011, he was appointed Creative Director of Canadian furniture design house EQ3 at the age of 24. There he initiated a rebranding of the company including a transformation of the product line, graphic design, photography, interiors and the architectural design of stores. Thom continues to investigate how we live and interact with objects in our homes, creating pieces that are both subtle and archetypal in form. His works have been shown internationally at the design fairs in Milan, Stockholm, New York, and Toronto.

Image Credit: Horizon by ANONY | Photo by Joel Esposito