Z-A is a New York studio for design innovation, which is dedicated to exposing the unexpected in the mundane. Z-A explores adaptive materials, structures and infrastructures that can adjust and respond to changing needs, uses, and identities of a project. Through different mediums, the economy of spatial mutations and temporal existence is explored and cultivated into a specific design tool. Guy Zucker is Principal and Founder of Z-A., and holds a Masters of Science in Advanced Architectural Design from Columbia University and a BArch. from the Technion Institute of Technology. In addition to running his practice he currently teaches a graduate design studio at the University of Pensylvania and has previously taught at design studios at Columbia and Parsons.

Armed with an engineering degree from Stanford University, a Master of Fine Arts from the California College of the Arts, and a love for designing and building furniture, Maggie Birmingham founded lab31 in the summer of 2004. Lab31 is located in Oakland, CA, where the cloudless vlue sky, the ripening oranges, lemons, and pears out the office window, and rich red of the mole at our favorite nearby oaxacan restaurant, create a vibrant backdrop for our designs. Our designs are inspired by color, pattern, tradition, and craft. All the pieces are equally suitable in a room full of antiques as they are in a contemporary loft. But no mater where their home is, lab31 furniture makes a statement, and with the variety of color combinations and styles available, reflects the personality of its owner.

The American Design Club—AmDC—was conceived in the spring of 2008. At the time, American relevance in design was in question, and many postulated that US designers would never be as prominent or prolific as European designers. The founders saw that there was plenty of talent and ambition within American designers, but what was ultimately missing was a way for designers to share their work with a broad audience. The AmDC founding members created a platform where designers could launch new ideas and connect with each other. The AmDC began as a community that was submission-based, in which the strongest pieces would be displayed. This method enabled the AmDC to create shows that granted exposure to new designers.