Experimental Evolution with Adam Goodrum

A luminary of the Australian design world, with a host of international accolades under his belt, Adam Goodrum balances respect for tradition with a playful approach to innovation. Below, he muses about the makeshift designs of his youth, the journey from prototype to production, and his hopes for the next generation of local designers. Visit our Sydney showroom to view Adam's work in person.

What was the first piece of design that mattered to you?

I grew up in Western Australia on the beach, loved the ocean and started surfing quite young. Before I had a fiberglass surfboard, I used a horrible foamy, which was just raw polystyrene that would give the worst rash. I designed and made my first leg rope. I made a plug from a Coca Cola bottle top with a nail through it, glued with Araldite to the styrene board. The leg rope was clothesline cord connected to mother’s pantyhose pulled around really tight, like a donut to pull over your ankle. I started making them for my friends after we realized they worked well. Having a leg rope eliminated the chore of swimming back to shore when you fell off.

A defining moment came about in my third year of Industrial Design when I was tasked with designing a chair. The folding chair I created ignited a passion for furniture design and the joys of articulation. This project sparked an obsession that led me to delve deep into furniture history, significant brands and influential designers. It instilled in me a desire to spend every waking hour focused on designing furniture, setting the course for my professional life.

Tell us a bit about your career path and the people who have mentored you along the way.

I grew up in Perth in a beachside suburb. Perth of the 80’s had a strong backyard-making culture; everyone had a backyard shed and tinkered or fixed things. My childhood was focused on making stuff – cubby houses, billy carts, surfboard trolleys. Parents and grandparents would hand down their incredible making and craft knowledge.

In high school I had a fantastic art teacher and thought I would look at a career as an artist. However, I discovered industrial design, then a little-known discipline. This seemed to unite my love of art, maths and making. I chose to study a Bachelor of Industrial Design at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) and a career in product design followed.

With limited opportunities when I left uni, I was proactive at entering competitions – it gave me a deadline to create work and insight into the industry. I was fortunate to win a trip to the Milan Furniture Fair, which transformed my appreciation for design. In the early days of my career, I had to supplement my income as my studio income wasn’t sustainable. I worked for many years part-time lecturing at UTS.

I couldn’t say I’ve had any specific mentors, which I think is a reality of living in Australia with very few product design studios, although I think that is growing, but I have been very lucky to have many people who have been significant for my career – my art teacher Liz Rankin, lecturer Carl Nielson, Giulio Cappellini, David Clark, Richard Munao, to name a few.

"To stand the test of time, a design must solve real needs while being responsibly produced."

How has your practice evolved over the years?

My design practice has been on an ever-evolving journey of growth and experimentation. Early on, with Australian design still finding its footing, I had to look abroad to established brands and scenes to learn, create exposure and build my portfolio. I feel privileged to work with many great international brands, including Cappellini and Alessi. But as the local industry blossomed, I became increasingly able to focus on collaborating with Australian companies, including wonderful local brands like Tait and Nau. All the while, I've strived to keep an open, multidisciplinary approach, allowing my creative interests to be applied to everything from artistic objects to consumer products. Recently, I have been working on a range of Swiss-made luxury mechanical watches.


Do you give yourself time to experiment and play with ideas and materials?

While I don't make as many physical prototypes myself these days, a hands-on, experimental approach remains core to my process. I still make paper models and basic mock-ups to iterate and explore ideas before committing to digital development. There's an insight you can only achieve through working directly with materials that I find super valuable. I am privileged to work with many amazing makers and craftspeople.

For the past 15 years, our co-founders Jodie and Sally have designed every collection together, so we love hearing other stories of collaboration. Tell us about your partnership with Arthur Seigneur on A&A, and what you’ve learnt from it.

I have always collaborated with companies but never creatively until meeting Arthur, who had moved to Sydney from France and whose studio was nearby. Arthur introduced me to traditional straw marquetry; I was broadly aware of it as a decorative technique, and I knew about parquetry since I love repetition, geometry and the materiality of wood.

We established a studio called Adam and Arthur in 2018. The practice focuses on the creation of collectable objects celebrating the kaleidoscopic visual effects of straw marquetry. A&A pieces are always unique with every detail fully bespoke, representing a synthesis of design innovation and traditional craftsmanship. Our process-driven practice explores the limitless possibilities of color and pattern through an interplay of grain direction and reflection that is brought to life through the singular properties of rye straw.

Arthur’s technical skill is second to none, I feel privileged to be working with him; there are only a small number of craftspeople in the world who devote themselves to straw marquetry. This collaboration has allowed us the freedom to reinvent tradition while capturing something we would have never done individually. We feel very fortunate to have won a number of international design competitions and had our work acquired by public institutions.

Are there any other artists, designers or makers that are iconic to you and serve as inspiration?

Kinetic sculpture pioneer Alexander Calder, for his masterful balance of abstraction, line, form and motion; Danish furniture designer Poul Kjaerholm, for his stunning integration of industrial materials and honest construction; and Italian architect Carlo Scarpa, for his poetic use of material textures and details.


At Armadillo, we are advocates of the slow design movement. What do you think makes a piece stand the test of time?

I totally agree. We must thoroughly question and refine each aspect – the materials, the manufacturing, the functionality the emotional resonance. Too much contemporary design is rushed and under-considered, resulting in pieces that are predictable and disposable in both a physical and conceptual sense. To stand the test of time, a design must solve real needs while being responsibly produced and imbued with layers of substance and meaningful nuance that only reveal themselves through repeated interaction over many years.


What do you need in your surroundings to feel creative and productive?

Natural light, good music, strong coffee, a 2B pencil and sharpener, and [my] Aussie bulldog George.

How do you like to spend your time outside of the studio?

I am very lucky to have a beautiful family with my wife and two boys. Traveling for pleasure and inspiration – I love exploring remote places and discovering new things. Surfing would be how I spend most of my time outside work. Design involves so much thought, it’s nice to have a physical outlet that is so entirely removed from this.


You’ve dedicated a lot of time to teaching and supporting the next generation. What do you hope for the future of Australian design?

I feel the future of Australian design is bright. There are so many young designers and studios doing great things. The pandemic has created renewed focus on locally made products, coinciding with a growing appreciation and appetite for Australian design. Conversely, as large-scale manufacturing has moved offshore, independent makers and artists are exploring innovative directions in craft and small-scale production. This shift is allowing younger designers to find opportunities within Australia rather than seeking work overseas. This passion and creativity has to be nurtured, celebrated and supported. Our next goal is to sell this unique sensibility to the rest of the world.