Dizaina Studija. Telpa Forma Laiks

The bath and sink manufacturer “PAA” is truly a pretty picture to hang on the public signboard of Latvian manufacturing: it was created at a time when national industry was in its death throes; today the buyer has already been convinced to choose these products, which are Made in Latvia – and are not cheap. What does the company think about design?

During the recent discussion dedicated to design and state relations “Should there be Design in Latvia” the Minister of Culture praised those few manufacturers who have reached the summit under their own steam, not waiting for national interest and participation. But perhaps it is precisely because of this that there are so few pinnacles of this kind, that up until now the state has not had a clearly defined and strategic view regarding products manufactured in Latvia and design opportunities presented by the national economy and national identity? The media still circulates the same success stories about Made in Latvia producers, which can be counted on one hand. 

The company “PAA” has created a competitive product and has convinced the consumer to purchase Latvian products which are not cheap – baths and sinks (even though the company also manufactures products for the popular Scandinavian brand “Ifo”, this only makes up 5% of the total production by “PAA”). The success story – as sometimes happens – has a romantic beginning, with three young men working for a number of months to hand-build their first two baths in the shed. This was achieved in the first half of the 1990s, when one world was crumbling and another was being built. Latvian industry at this time was characterised by mass bankruptcy and irreversible losses, while “PAA” climbed the mountain. The economic crisis of today also by definition extends to “PAA” as a manufacturer who makes products related to the real estate market and building industry. The business stabilises the conditions in the midst of economic fluctuations by increasing exporting: last year “PAA” exported a third, while this year the company is exporting half of its production. Exports are mainly to the subsidiary company of “PAA” in Ukraine, also to Lithuania, Russia, Estonia, Russia, Germany and Sweden.

At the outset of manufacturing – in the 1990s – the main interest of the company was the visual effect of the product, over time also incorporating technical solutions and issues of ergonomics. “PAA” orientates itself towards markets where an emphasis is placed on visual “pretension”. However, the same as a majority of Latvian manufacturers, “PAA” director Pēteris Treicis is also distanced and suspicious of the concepts of “design” and “designer”. At the beginning of the article a discussion was mentioned, in which the state sector tried to establish an agreement with manufacturers and designers regarding mutual benefit, which indicated that these designations have become unclear. It is also difficult to hold a discussion because each is speaking in their own language. For one side, the “added value” of design is its addition of ergonomic and functional factors and aesthetic qualities to the product, while for the other, design is seen as a fashionable superficial detail, which, by sticking on the relevant label, can be sold for a greater price. It is possible that “total” design theory and global brands have glorified the designer as a personality, paying design a disservice. This is because the designer is not God, who can bless society or some company with brilliant ideas. When a designer works in a company it requires the ability to work in a team and to hone ideas with hard work until they are transformed into complete products on the market. 

Pēteris Treicis admits that the first bath made by the young company was a copy of a product, which was followed later by original products. Copies and forgeries are a part of the historical process that is indivisible from the beginnings of industrialisation and will continue to exist; it is not only the odd designer and manufacturer who are convinced that in Latvian conditions at least, the patenting of a product is a meaningless waste of money. Although the director of the company is actively involved in the creation of new products, “PAA” has overstepped the typical Latvian system in manufacturing, of “I saw it and improved it” – Pēteris Treicis emphasises the participation of authors who have professional or artistic education. Dace Garleja works at “PAA” permanently, painter Jānis Titāns has worked in the company, and the business has also collaborated with the architect Gundars Vērpe. Additionally “PAA” has gained a positive image because of its openness to emerging designers and public shares in the style of developed democratic countries, and the fact that they are not afraid to waste time and resources: the bath design competition organised a few years ago was a bright and uplifting event in Latvia’s design world and also ended with a real result. Although most of the attractive competition entries were not viable for industrial duplication, the winning design by Edgars Ameriks has been successfully manufactured. Aleksandrs Beznosiks, student of the Academy of Art, has through his own initiative continued to work on his competition design in collaboration with the company, and progressed his idea to a result. “Organic” is perhaps one of the most pretentious, but also the most stylish of the “PAA” baths, which harks back to the “free form” fashion trend; this collaboration is continuing. Under the framework of course assessment, the environmental art students of the Latvian Academy of Art led by lecturer Ingūna Elere created a number of interesting design possibilities for the bathroom of the “PAA” showroom, although none of these have been realised. 

The Scandinavians often tend to attach the name of the author to even small industrially manufactured trinkets, increasing the responsibility of the designer and raising the value of the item. In Latvia this kind of practice does not exist - the products in the “PAA” catalogue are also currently anonymous – the Latvian designer has not yet earned the status for their name to be a bonus. Pēteris Treicis is considering collaboration with an Italian, so that the ending of the melodic surname would serve as the “added value” to items manufactured by “PAA” both in the Eastern market and in conservative Western Europe. And at this moment I want to call loudly and pathetically, but nevertheless hopefully: “Latvian manufacturers, give them a chance – give a name to Latvian design!” and “Latvian designer, don’t disappoint us!” But the state must stand alongside this with a strategic plan.