Today we’re sitting down with Sallyann Corn and Joe Kent of FRUITSUPER, a Product Design Firm. In addition to all of the consulting and expertise their company offers, they have also developed lines of products, including their silicon SBiR rings which are new to our site. They truly are So Big it’s Ridiculous, and that is, of course, why we love ‘em so much!

How did you come up with your company’s name?

Ahhh,that is always everyone’s first question! And the hardest one to figure out, apparently, since no one ever guesses the correct answer! But I suppose we can finally divulge the secret…Corn is Sallyann’s last name, and corn is technically a fruit (since it bears seeds). Joe’s last name is Kent, which is Superman’s last name. Smash those two together, and you’ve got fruitsuper design!

I never would have guessed that, as I had no idea that corn was a fruit. Anyway, how did you two meet?

We met in 2004 while both studying Industrial Design at The Art Institute of Seattle. We gravitated toward each other, because we had opposing skill sets, which made us perfect partners to work together. We also both have the same sarcastic sense of humor, obsession for all things design, and a ridiculous love of food and travel. Starting our own company had always been one of our goals early on, knowing how well our skill sets complemented each other. After working for other companies, we both decided to go back to school (Pratt Institute) to round out our education experience and Pratt has always been known for cultivating entrepreneurs.

What inspired your geodesic-ish rings? What gave you the guts to go so large scale?

Sallyann is a huge lover of giant jewelry (no pun intended). Her philosophy when it comes to jewelry selection is that if no one comments on the jewelry she’s wearing, it’s not big enough. And after extensive research, we realized she wasn’t the only women that felt this way. A great big piece of jewelry can be the perfect conversation starter, and the right piece to pull a perfect ensemble together. This line of geometric inspired rings was born out of the exploration of materials. We both have quite a bit of experience working with Silicone, so were familiar with all of the properties it has to offer. No one is currently capitalizing on these properties in the jewelry arena. That’s why we chose it for this line- we were able to create these chiseled geometric gemlike shapes that are juxtaposed by this soft, squishy material. The stretch properties in Silicone make them comfortable, lightweight, and easy to wear, which are uncommon features in large jewelry.

What does SBiR mean?

SBiR stands for So Big it’s Ridiculous. These rings most definitely fall into the category of ‘statement jewelry,’ and we intended them to be that way. They are not for the faint at heart, they’re big, they’re bold, and they’re equal parts of ridiculous and awesomeness!

O.K. I should have figured that one out! Love it! How long have you been in business? What inspired you to start your own creative business?

We founded fruitsuper design in 2008, to create not only our own objects, but to take on other challenges as well. We’re one half a product consultancy company, and one half design producers of our own products. This adds multiple levels of challenges as well as a firm understanding of the entire design process. Taking on projects for outside clients keeps us grounded, provides fresh approaches, as well as inspires us to do more of our own work! So it’s a great balance!

Where do you look for inspiration?

We are both museum junkies, and will escape the office and studio any chance we can! We’re also obsessive travelers, and firmly believe that contrast and context are the keys to great design thinking. Traveling opens our eyes to new foods, new ways of thinking, new colors, patterns, and entire worlds of opportunity. Just talking about traveling is making us feel the need to book a trip somewhere and fill the reservoir!

What’s your workspace like?

Our workspace is constantly evolving. Since we’re always juggling between our own product development, as well as client projects, our space has to be extremely flexible. It’s held together by paperclips and masking tape, as we’re always rotating drawings, sketches, and models to focus on the project at hand. And tucked away in every possible nook and cranny are objects of inspiration, TONS and tons of books (as we’re both bibliophiles), our pear collection, and Sallyann’s millions of post-it note lists.

Thanks so much to Sallyann and Joe for sitting down with us today. See all of the SBiR rings here.

Today’s favorite Flickr pick was added very recently, by blogger Pink Friday, a.k.a. Lisa from Sweden. So glad you added this to our Fresh New Spaces Group Lisa, because it led me over to your blog! This picture makes me want to take a dive into those fabulous pillows and look up at the wonderfully arranged wall of artwork in wonder:

See the rest of Pink Friday’s photostream.

Kudos to one of our very first vendors, Blu Dot, and the accolades they recently received from Slate. It’s been fun to watch them come up with so many intelligent designs over the years, and I especially enjoyed the How To Make Good Furniture Slideshow, especially this image of sketches:

New at DesignPublic.com this week: Thomas Paul – fruitsuper design – Pop & Lolli. Enjoy!