2007 Holiday Issue

Lamin-Art has been the benficiary of the unique talents and insights of our Design Director, Hans Mutzke, for 3 decades.  But it's not fair of us to keep this original thinker all to ourselves.  As a special gift to our readers this holiday season, we'd like to share some of his thoughts on the world of design with you.  We hope you enjoy the highlights from this intimate conversation with a leading innovator in the decorative surfacing industry.

A Conversation with Lamin-Art Design Director Hans Mutzke

It's been over 40 years since Lamin-Art Design Director Hans Mutzke gave up dreams of becoming a golf pro and focused his career goals on industrial design.  For 30 of those years, he has been the driving force behind the colors, patterns and textures that constitute the Lamin-Art line of high-pressure decorative laminates.  In honor of his 30^th year in the laminate industry, the editorial staff of The Source sat down with Hans to gain perspective on his accomplishments, find out what inspires and motivates him,  and learn about his vision for the future of design.

When developing new products for Lamin-Art, what inspires you?

I like to expose myself to the breadth of knowledge that is out there.  I am a human visual recorder with interests in art, science, technology, etc.  I travel to a lot of international trade shows with concentrations in the contract wallcoverings, textiles and furniture markets.  I am particularly influenced by European manufacturers and their design processes.  You know, the Europeans develop products and new designs with independent think tanks made up of professionals from a variety of disciplines.  It gives them a unique perspective on design style changes and provides for consultation at both the beginning and the end of the design process.  I'd love to do something like that here.

The manufacturing process for high-pressure decorative laminate hasn't changed much since it was first introduced in the 1950's.  Yet, Lamin-Art is recognized as being an innovator in the HPL market.  How do you manage to bring new ideas to the table for a material that many consider is past its prime?

We're in a very demanding and creative business.  Interior Design is constantly changing, and that forces us, as suppliers to that market, to react to that demand.  I believe product development isn't so much about the creative process as it is about developing relationships.  My job is to push our own raw material vendors and suppliers to try something different.  The only way you can accomplish that is with strong relationships, and in many cases genuine friendships, with everyone from the top executives to the people in the lab and the pressmen.  Those relationships, combined with a little patience and a long memory, have given me the access and the freedom to collaborate with our vendors on projects that have been beneficial to both of us.

Technology has made it possible for rapid communication and increased globalization of our economies and our lives.  How has design been influenced by the new global marketplace?

We are definitely noticing and responding to design trends much quicker than we used to.  There is no longer a distinction between a truly American, European, or Asian design trend.  More and more design firms are working on international projects.  For example, an Italian firm could be doing the design for a department store here in the U.S., while a New York design firm could be working on a project in Dubai.  All of this is very exciting and as a result, produces a higher quality product because people are starting to expect more out of the materials.

I am really interested to see what effect the opening up of China will have on design in the coming decade or so.  For years, art and science have been suppressed, but now China wants to be viewed as a major player in the global economy.  There are over a billion people in China.  If we graduate 100,000 artists each year, imagine how many China graduates.  The sheer numbers alone will have a significant impact on art, culture and design in the very near future.

With 30 years worth of products under your belt, what would you say you are most proud of?

I would have to say that Pearlescence was a great idea...actually it's just a great story.  I was watching my wife put on eye shadow and was inspired to add that sort of reflectivity into a printed color system.  I started developing it in 1980, and at first many of our decorative paper suppliers were hesitant to try it because adding the pearlescent pigments was a difficult process.  The papers also had to be treated in a particular way which placed an added burden on our manufacturing plant.  But ultimately, because we were willing to push, the concept of Pearlescence mushroomed.  Pearlescent colors became an instant hit for Lamin-Art and the methods we utilized to produce Pearlescence have had a tremendous impact in the printing industry.

So what's next?

I hope to keep doing this another 30 years or more!  I can't even think of a reason I would want to stop doing what I'm doing in some sort of capacity.  Right now, I'm working on the next generation of Pearlescence.  I am concerned about the shrinking variety of colors in high-pressure decorative laminate.  We (HPL manufacturers) have a done a great job at producing new interesting abstract designs and authentic replicas of woods and stones, but I think solid colors have suffered as a result.  Paints and coatings have done a much better job staying on top of color trends.  But I am not giving up on solid color laminates.  I believe we can add a new element to color which could revive that product category.  Of course, I am always seeking new wood grains to introduce to the marketplace.  I've always been a proponent of pushing exotic wood species.  I believe we can protect or restore these endangered, or in some cases extinct species, by offering realistic printed interpretations utilizing paper from responsibly managed forests. I'm also interested in traveling the world to see what new and exciting things art students are working on.  That's where you really get a sense of where the future of design is headed.

Happy Holidays from Lamin-Art

The Lamin-Art staff would like to wish you and your family a very happy and healthy holiday season.  We thank you for your interest in our products and look forward to introducing some exciting new ones in 2008.  The Source will return in January with some new features suggested by you in our recent readers survey.  As always, if you have a topic you'd like to see addressed in a future issue of The Source, feel free to e-mail us at newsletter@laminart.com.  Happy holidays!