Industrial designer brings a hankering for a sustainable way of life to New York – The Irish Occasions

As a pupil of product design at National College of Art and Design (NCAD) in Dublin, Laurence MacDonald was all the time fascinated by how issues have been made, and at his most snug working in a hands-on method. Those abilities and data proved invaluable when he launched into a journey to New York in 2022 to comply with his dream of working in industrial design.

Having initially secured an internship with Smart Design, the place he labored on main manufacturers, MacDonald is now the commercial designer at Light Phone, a small firm dedicated to offering a consciously stripped-back different to smartphones for these looking for to be much less hooked on their cell gadgets.

The firm launched its first telephone in 2015. Its third technology, the Light Phone 3, launched earlier this 12 months, with MacDonald having a serious enter into its growth alongside the agency’s two co-founders, Joe Hollier and Kaiwei Tang. The Light Phone, which is bought on-line, is suitable with many networks the world over.

Work on this newest mannequin concerned collaboration with groups in Taiwan and China, the place the telephone is manufactured, with MacDonald spending time in Asia because the telephone moved from design and prototype to completed product.

“It’s a small minimalist phone that has no browser, no social media and no email, but all the basics. It has a phone, a camera, a directions function, and can play podcasts. There’s no planned obsolescence, and our phones are designed to have a long life. There are replaceable batteries, which users can change themselves, and repairable components.”

MacDonald says there’s a motion of people that wish to be much less on their telephone, much less on social media, and extra current. “Some people will go all-in and use it as their main phone, while others will use it occasionally, say at weekends, or they might swap their Sim card and go light. Our tagline is, ‘Designed to be used as little as possible’,” he explains.

MacDonald’s first 12 months within the Big Apple was hectic.

[ ‘In New York, everything has to be done yesterday’Opens in new window ]

“The reason I came to New York was to be around people who are smarter than me and who inspire me,” he says.

He immersed himself absolutely in life within the metropolis initially, however now finds the necessity to tempo himself. “I’ve been here three years, and I’ve made it work. There was a lot happening quickly and I was thriving off that – that’s how you make things happen – but I am pretty good at saying ‘no’ now and am aware of the need to recharge my batteries.

“It’s been quite the journey. I moved here on my own and rented a small apartment with very little money, and just made it happen. I live near a park in Williamsburg [Brooklyn], which is good as, living in New York, I find I need to be near nature. I cycle 10 minutes to the company office.

“I’m fortunate to have made a lot of friends and to have immersed myself in the design and engineering world. Much of my friend network is American, whereas a lot of people who come here tend to hang around with Irish people.

“This summer I bought a road bike which is one of the best purchases I’ve ever made. I can get a train from Grand Central to places in upstate New York, get off and do 100km on the bike, and then either get the train or cycle back, which is a great experience.”

[ ‘In New York, it doesn’t matter what you know, it’s who you know’Opens in new window ]

Before he moved to New York, MacDonald began a mission referred to as Coffee & Repair in Dublin. Providing a worthwhile service to locals and a sustainable different to changing damaged objects, he has introduced it to New York too. It’s not a business enterprise, however supplies him with loads of satisfaction.

“It’s basically a pop-up repair shop in cafes and now a cart that I bring to a park. I serve coffee, and repair items, and have conversations about repairing things with the community in New York. It’s all free, and I started it because I was tired of throwing things away that just needed a little attention.”

While MacDonald has settled nicely in New York, there are some things he hankers for. “I do miss my family. I miss a good pint of Guinness and the nature, especially the barren landscapes that you get in the west coast of Ireland, which I think is one of the most beautiful places in the world.”