A BRIEF CONVERSATION VIA CHICAGO AND MUNICH. BEN, PHIL OF 1733 BAGS AND ROTENDA CHAT ON THE ANCIENT NATURE OF BAGS, OWNING YOUR MANUFACTURING, WHAT MAKES A GREAT BAG GREAT, MATERIALS, BEING SELF TAUGHT AND MORE.

A BRIEF CONVERSATION VIA CHICAGO AND MUNICH. BEN AND ROTENDA CHAT ON THE SPIRIT, PROCESS, RESULTS, & OVERSATURATION OF COLLABORATION AND MORE. ...WITHOUT ONCE MENTIONING SNEAKERS.

A BRIEF CONVERSATION VIA CHICAGO AND MUNICH. BEN, ROTENDA, AND TREY CHAT ON GRAVITY, SPACE-TIME, QUESTION MARKS, THAT LED THE DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT, AND CREATION OF THE GRAVITATIONAL CUTTING MAT.

A BRIEF CONVERSATION VIA CHICAGO AND MUNICH. BEN AND ROTENDA CHAT ON LOGOS, SYMBOLISM, ARTIST SIGNATURES, FLAGS, CAVE PAINTINGS, THEIR TOP 3 LOGOS, FLYING FISH, AND MORE.

A BRIEF CONVERSATION VIA CHICAGO AND MUNICH. ROTENDA AND BEN CHAT ON THE CONCEPT OF REFERENCES, QUESTIONING IF ANY IDEA IS TRULY ORIGINAL, AN INDUSTRIAL DESIGN APPROACH TO GRAPHIC DESIGN, THE EMBOSSED SOCKS, THE HOTEL CUP, AND HOW MANY YEARS (MANY) WE'VE MAINTAINED AN INSPIRATION IMAGE FOLDER.

A BRIEF CONVERSATION VIA CHICAGO AND MUNICH. BENJAMIN, ROTENDA, AND CHRIS BAIN CHAT ON THE MAGIC OF PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY, CHRIS' PROCESS, BEN BEING EMBARRASSED ABOUT INITIALLY SEEING IT AS AN AFTERTHOUGHT, STUDIO SETUPS, LIGHTING, HOW IMPORTANT THE RIGHT GEAR IS, RENDERS VS. REAL PHOTOS, AND HOW CULTURE IS SHAPED BY GREAT PHOTOS.

A BRIEF CONVERSATION VIA CHICAGO AND MUNICH. BENJAMIN AND ROTENDA LOOK BACK ON 2024, WHICH RELEASES WE ENJOYED THE MOST, THE KNOCK WALLET, THE SELF PORTRAIT VASE, WHY WE MAKE OBJECTS, A PIECE OF FURNITURE WE MADE BUT NEVER RELEASED, WHAT THE NEXT YEAR HOLDS, AND A LOOK BACK ON THE LAUNCH OF THE EXTENDED EXCHANGE SERIES.

SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT APPROACH IN THIS ONE. RATHER THAN FOCUSING ON A SPECIFIC OBJECT/PRODUCT, THE IDEA WAS TO GIVE A BIT MORE INSIGHT INTO ROTENDA HIMSELF. A CRITICAL CONTRIBUTOR TO BENJAMIN EDGAR FOR THE PAST 4 YEARS, A RENOWNED INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER - CURRENTLY AT ROLLS ROYCE, AN INCREDIBLE THINKER, AND ONE OF THE RARE TALENTS THAT SPENDS AS MUCH EFFORT ON THE TECHNICAL SIDE OF DESIGN AS THEY DO THE EMOTIONAL SIDE OF DESIGN. IT'S BEEN A TRUE HONOR TO WORK ALONGSIDE AND DEVELOP A DEEP FRIENDSHIP WITH ROTENDA OVER THE PAST 4 YEARS. THIS INTERVIEW SERVES AS A SMALL PEEK INTO HIS WORLD, APPROACH TO DESIGN, AND LIFE. - BEN

A BRIEF CONVERSATION VIA CHICAGO AND MUNICH. BENJAMIN AND ROTENDA CHAT ON THE RELEASE OF THE RUBBER I-BEAMS, QUESTION IF IT'S KEYCHAIN OR A SCULPTURE, I-BEAMS BEING THE LOGO OF THE ACT OF BUILDING/CREATING, THE PHILOSOPHICAL NATURE OF SOUVENIRS, WORKING WITH NEW MATERIALS,THIS BEING OUR FIRST MOLDED PRODUCT, AND MIES VAN DER ROHE.

THE FIRST EXTENDED EXCHANGE. A BRIEF CONVERSATION VIA CHICAGO AND MUNICH. BENJAMIN AND ROTENDA CHAT ON THE LAUNCH OF THE KNOCK CARDHOLDER, FUNCTION VS. ART,  USING THE SENSATION OF WEIGHT AS AN EMOTIONAL DESIGN ELEMENT, EXAGGERATION VS IRONY, NAMING A PRODUCT, CARRYING CASH, AND EMOTIONAL PURCHASES.