MINIMAL MAXIMIZES NEW CHICAGO â¨STUDIO HEADQUARTERS
DESIGN AND BRAND INCUBATION FIRM EXPANDS ITS PRESENCE IN CHICAGO'S WEST LOOP
January 22, 2013 (Chicago, IL) -- After a two-year search, Scott Wilson is excited to announce a new home for his design studio and brand incubation firm MINIMAL. Located at 939 West Lake Street in Chicago's Fulton Market District, the multiple bow-truss structure will provide up to 20,000 square feet of disruptive growth for MINIMAL, its clients, various start-ups and incubated brands over the next decade.
Situated at the base of the Morgan Street El stop, the new headquarters will feature a 5,000 square foot design studio, rapid prototyping lab, a massive event and activity space, and a collaborative cafe that Wilson hopes will help facilitate creative cross-pollination amongst local entrepreneurs and organically cultivate new ventures. Plans are also in the works to engage with long-term strategic partners on brand immersion environments, experiences and events in the space.
Wilson has been looking for a new space since 2010 when he kickstarted the crowd funding revolution with his TikTok+LunaTik Watch Kits for the iPod nano. The goal was to find a street-level space that allows he and his team to engage the local community and consumers while accommodating MINIMALâs unique business model, one that balances fee-based consulting, equity-based partnerships and its own self-manufacturing and brand incubation. The new space will provide the flexibility for this organic and dynamic approach to what Wilson calls "design doing."
The maximizing of space does not mean MINIMAL will feel bigger to collaborators and clients. The firm's focus is to remain small and build on their stellar reputation for producing work of exceptional quality and consistency. Instead, the larger space will better support its clients with dedicated project rooms and space for large scale projects such as furniture systems, medical equipment and retail merchandising. It will also allow for continued creation of new brands that Wilson has incubated over the past five years including Ooba, Uncommon, and LUNATIK.
"I am very excited about creating a place for MINIMAL as well as other local creatives to hang out and share ideas which will hopefully foster new opportunities," said Founder Scott Wilson. "I want MINIMALâs 'corner collaborative cafe' to be an intersection of life and work--a place that people look forward to meeting at. And I've always wanted a space that could be used for inspiring installations and events, or even just a batting cage or pick-up game of basketball. I miss the work/life balance I had on the Nike campus."
Opening its doors in March 2013, the new MINIMAL space is in the heart of a neighborhood undergoing an exciting cultural and infrastructural transformation. It is attractively located just steps from some of the best dining Chicago has to offer including Girl and the Goat, Grant Achatzâs Next Restaurant, iNG, and Aviary among others. Â
ABOUT MINIMAL: From game-changing new start-ups to the most recognized companies in the world, MINIMAL creates iconic, disruptive, brand-building products and experiences that connect emotionally with users. Founded by Scott Wilson, the 2012 National Design Award recipient, our work spans a diverse range of industries from technology, interaction, and consumer products to fashion, furniture, and environments.
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