ByDesign, producers of America’s leading collection of design television programming, have launched the inaugural season of their newest primetime series, America ByDesign: Architecture. The show features the work of American architects, giving the audiences a glimpse at how projects come to life.
ByDesign co-founder and executive producer Mike Chapman developed the original concept for the Australian market six years ago. With more than three decades of experience in the television industry, Chapman has conceived everything from travel to reality shows. He envisioned ByDesign to blend his expertise with his personal interest in the creative process. “The ByDesign series is really the culmination of my skills combined with my passion for design.”
Featuring programming that is curated for the growing audience of architecture and design enthusiasts, the mix of high-concept and down-to-earth realism can be described as edu-tainment—fun, always watchable TV that doesn’t take itself too seriously. “Designers and design in general, has often been perceived as elitist, which is a misconception,” Chapman said. “Good design is actually seamless and just fits into our world. With ByDesign, I am taking that viewpoint and presenting it so that it is easy to understand.”
America By Design: Architecture presents a range of commissions, from luxury buildings to private residences in epicenters including New York and Chicago. Yet buildings aren’t the sole focus of the cameras. America ByDesign: Innovations, now in its third season, showcases the products and services. Whether simple or complex, these solutions underscore how design transforms lives. “We need designers and their fresh thinking as we reverse the damage to the environment, and work to solve the other critical problems we are facing today,” Chapman explained.
Photo by Alan Tansey
Brandi Susewitz, CEO and founder of Reseat, the first online marketplace for second-life office furniture, explained that she welcomed the opportunity to be featured. “It speaks directly to our audience, as well as highlights inspiration, disruption, and changing the game through the power of design, which is exactly what Reseat is doing,” she said. Sharing the company’s mission to significantly reduce some of 17 billion (yes, billion) pounds of office furniture that ends up in a landfill each year is imperative for Susewitz. Yet finding the right avenue can be challenging for a fledgling firm without deep pockets.
Chapman said that allowing businesses like Reseat to present their ideas to the largest possible audience has been a goal from the beginning, harnessing the vitality of visual storytelling. “We’ve chosen mainstream platforms to play this out on. That’s purposeful, so that we can have the biggest impact.” Indeed, airing on the CBS broadcast channel, streaming network, and all mobile apps, in addition to the ByDesign YouTube channel, the reach is wide in the United States.
With a steady stream of design-centric programs on cable, and traditional channels, do we really need another? While most options target consumer DIYers, these productions go beyond traditional offerings. “Other shows about design on television tend to focus on kitchen remodeling, decorating, and house-flipping. The ByDesign suite is transforming this historically niche media exposure,” said Scott Henderson, curator and consultant producer, ByDesign.
The series also celebrates the collective’s enthusiasm for going head-to-head in reality TV-style, another unique element that keeps everybody tuned in and guessing the winner, chosen by a panel of industry judges. “By framing it as a competition, people are invested, they want to know who is going to win,” Chapman explained. And of course, there is nothing more democratic than a favorite selected by consensus—viewers can vote for their favorite innovation to receive the American Standard People’s Choice Award.
The shows have generated interest not only from viewers, but the A&D community as well; Ross Lovegrove, Robert A.M. Stern, and Lauren Rottet have made appearances, along with a host of other notable creatives. As presenters and judges, the industry professionals add an authenticity that is too often lacking on screen. “The architects, the designers, they are the cast,” Chapman said.
Jerry Helling, president and creative director of Bernhardt Design, who served as a judge this season, was impressed by the insider’s view given to both longtime practitioners and the everyday audience. “For me, the best part of being a judge on America ByDesign was learning about products and industries that I had never been exposed to. The viewer will also have the same experience of discovery, and will find something that is fascinating to them personally.”
Chapman and his crew are headed abroad, with the Europe ByDesign series slated for a summer 2023 premiere. The team will be filming at Ambiente, the leading consumer goods fair by Messe Frankfurt, bringing international products stateside.
No matter where they head next on the map, Chapman noted that design has a universal appeal. “If we all have a better understanding of what good design is, then we can raise the bar and become better consumers. We are educating and inspiring the public, delivering it in an accessible format.”