Text by Alexandra Nino 

Photo by Adam Devine

On January 18 The Student and Emerging Professional Committee of ASID NY Metro launched the first video in the “Designer’s Way” series featuring Elizabeth Von Lehe of ICRAVE. Watch it here.

This new series, which consists of short interviews followed by a Q&A session, features prominent designers and is intended to provide inspiration and mentorship for up- and-coming design professionals and students.

The inaugural video launch was hosted at the Kravet showroom and featured Elizabeth Von Lehe of ICRAVE, who leads their strategy and concept design department. ICRAVE is an award-winning experiential design, strategy and development firm that takes great pride in their ability to blend physical and digital design solutions and bring consumer experiences to life. This is achieved through a holistic approach to design where every single touchpoint is addressed. From physical spaces to websites, events and brand identities, no stone is left unturned in order to achieve client success.

In fact, this idea was the main takeaway from Von Lehe’s feature. Students and emerging professionals heard her emphasize the importance of taking a 360-degree approach to design that goes way beyond just interiors and built form; she believes a great design should address the bigger picture of what the client is trying to achieve. You have to really understand the core of what the underlying issue is and address every single aspect to create an effective solution.

One of her favorite examples of this strategy at work is the Le District, a one-stop food market and dining destination at Brookfield Place in Lower Manhattan. Walking through the 30,000 square-foot market, it’s easy to see design at work. From the well thought-out menus to amazing lighting design that makes the space warm and inviting, no detail has been ignored. As Von Lehe explains in her feature, the diversity of consumers in the surrounding area needed to be considered for the optimal design solution.

“You have huge residential buildings nearby with residents that need groceries
and are looking for the opportunity to grab a meal on the way home. Then there’s the after work crowd, and also the brunch crowd on weekends. Just one space couldn’t do all of these things, so we had to create a design that flexed and allowed people to flow through easily but also have a diversity of experiences from early morning to night.”