Design Thinking: Ben-Amun

(Image courtesy of Ben-Amun.)

In Graduate School, one of the buzzwords professors love to discuss is “Design Thinking.” Design Thinking is an iterative process in which we seek to understand the user, challenge assumptions, and redefine problems to identify alternative strategies and solutions that might not be instantly apparent with our initial level of understanding (Dam and Siang). Design Thinking enables companies to understand consumer needs to serve their audience better. For this project, I contacted different companies to learn how organizations applied Design Thinking and spoke to Ben Amun's PR & Social Media Coordinator, Katarina Graves, to learn how the company incorporates its mission and vision into its products.

1. What makes Ben-Amun different from other companies?

One of the most special aspects of Ben-Amun is the handcrafted quality of our pieces. All of our jewelry is made in our studio location in the garment district of New York City, where we have been for ~40 years. Our team of skilled artisans creates every piece you find on our website and in major stores around the world, which is a level of detail not found in most modern jewelry.

Because all of our jewelry is made in-house, our designer and founder, Isaac Manevitz, can be more creative with his collections, creating pieces of all different styles, inspirations, and metals. We typically release new collections every 6-8 weeks, each very different. For example, our last three collections have been inspired by the pastel hues of the Greek islands, rich Egyptian jewel tones, and, most recently, the fun, playful quality of aperitivo drinks with friends. It is very easy to say that there is something for everyone here, which is why so many of our pieces become treasured family heirlooms that mothers pass down to their daughters and so on.

(Image courtesy of Ben-Amun.)

2. Where does Ben-Amun find inspiration from during its design process?

Isaac Manevitz is the lead designer here at Ben-Amun and has been designing and creating jewelry for almost 50 years while creating abstract sculptures from found objects in his spare time (see isaacmanevitz.com). Like any true artist, Isaac finds his inspiration everywhere: Famous artworks, museums, travels, cultural movements, historical time periods, etc. For example, earlier this May, as the fashion world was preparing for the Met Gala, Isaac was inspired to create pieces he felt reflected the elegance and style of Karl Lagerfeld (think long black ribbons and strings of ivory pearls). Many of his pieces are never released to the public, as he is constantly working on new ideas and finding new inspirations, but we have several exciting collections planned for the coming year that are waiting for their public debut.

(Image courtesy of Ben-Amun.)

3. How does Ben-Amun incorporate its mission and vision into its products?

The main mission of our brand is to create jewelry that women can feel confident in, whether it is a pair of statement earrings or a simple broach, knowing that what they are wearing was made just for them. Our team intentionally creates stories through our digital presence that feel natural and appeal to the everyday, modern woman. Our models are often seen smiling, dancing, and performing normal, everyday tasks that we know resonate with our audience.

We also want every piece to feel special to our customers because we know many of them will become treasured family heirlooms that are passed down for years to come. All of our pieces are made to order, meaning we do not begin creating pieces until our customers place the order, and we are happy to adjust the sizing or design should a customer have a special request.

(Image courtesy of Ben-Amun.)

4. What is the future of the company?

Ben-Amun is constantly finding new ways to serve our customers better and be more creative. In the last few months, our jewelry has been featured in several major publications worn by celebrities like Rihanna, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Brooke Shields. We are currently working on creating even more opportunities to view new collections through livestreams, pop-up events, and collaborations. In the coming year, we have many exciting things planned, and we love seeing our customers' reactions to new releases. We can't wait to share everything we have in store!

(Image courtesy of Ben-Amun.)