Simplicity.
At ME+YOU we are focused on contemporary designs, based on modern-inspired concepts, pushing the boundaries of ideas and leanings. We believe simplicity in design isn’t just about subtracting things from a scheme, it has to improve the design’s overall impact and uniqueness. We are looking to create minimalist, non-complex, contemporary styles but keeping the needed elements necessary for a design to function without interfering with the purpose of the design.
Collaborative Design.
New perspectives lead to fresh ideas. We believe that our design performance is better as a team, than as individuals. We work with designers and people from differing backgrounds and perspectives, and are always looking for new ideas and inspiration to introduce into our design DNA. Our fundamental belief is that the design process is better as a collaborative effort and work with both in-house and guest designers in a curatorial, consulting capacity as part of our creative process. More and more we are entering the new realm of pro-social design, and with today’s digital and instant communications technologies, we are able to work with designers both in our building, and across the planet.
Space + Balance + Scale.
Much of our fabric is used by Quilters, so we are cognizant that designs should use space and scale that is conducive to the Quilter’s best purposes. As contemporary designers, we typically look to create smaller scale groupings and simple shapes that can be effectively incorporated into modern quilt patterns. We have also designed for multiple products such as designer bags, shoes, clothing, hats and other licensed products, using a clean, current, balanced look.
Human Experience.
It is our goal to create personal experience and impact with our fabric design. We are committed to unsurpassed design and cognizant that great design should create an emotion, and make us feel, think, or learn. We are increasingly designing for the right brain by focusing on the emotional aspects of design and by asking “How will it make people feel? We believe design is impactful and deeply valued by humans, and that great design is instantly recognizable in a world of underwhelming creativity. Our role is to create a positive human response to the creativity we make for the world, and to push the boundaries of design, taking inspiration from many arenas.
Our Design Philosophy
Inspiration.
Inspiration comes from many realms, and our role as a design organization is to bring our valued customers inspired designs. We look at many, many arenas from life and planet. We look at different cultures and histories, both ancient and current, we look at forms and textures, shapes and nature, color and space, trends, pop culture and serendipity. We work to balance originality and imagination with attention to detail and an obsession with unique design and true quality.
Light + Texture.
Fabric is a truly unique platform as a creative medium. We all wear clothes daily and use fabrics of all kinds extensively in our lives for protection and decoration. Textures are the touch sense that create a three-dimensional effect. Light reflects unevenly based on refractive qualities, so light must be consciously considered and incorporated in our design process and applied across all manufacturing and printing technologies, including batik, screen and digital techniques to create a truly immersive human experience.
Color + Shape.
For 91 years, Hoffman Fabrics, and now ME+YOU, has been known for distinctive colors and rich jewel tones. Color is a pervasive part of everything we visually encounter, so we take a strong emphasis on incorporating complimentary but unique color groupings, and view color harmony, and the context of how colors are combined to create a compelling structure for color as a visual human experience. Color harmony delivers visual interest and a sense of order, and when effectively incorporated with complimentary design shapes, creates an inner sense of order, a balance in the visual experience – ultimately compelling design.
Dominance + Emphasis.
We focus on creating design excellence using the emphasis of specific colors, values, shapes, or other creative elements to achieve focal points with the greatest visual weight. In our design process, we look at light and dark value contrasts to determine strongest elements, and develop tjaps and complimentary fabric designs to provide complimentary contrasts of design elements, including shape and form.
Sustainability.
We look to work within sustainable realms, preferring to base our design methodologies on manufacturing processes and materials that are good for the planet. ME+YOU encourages its designers to consider the impact their creations will have on the environment and people, and our Planet Positive sustainability initiatives.