normal studio

Designers Jean-François Dingjian and Eloi Chafaï founded Normal Studio in 2006. Driven by their enthusiasm for industrial manufacturing processes and large collections, the pair set out to explore how existing tools could form a basis for their project.


An object, whatever it may be, is first and foremost the result of industrial history, not from a sketch with no context. The memory of its creation is contained inside the object. Designing new products means rigorously questioning industrial tools and taking stock of the shapes it can produce.

Commendable simplicity can only be achieved when every element of complexity has been explored. First, analyse each element in the project; then assess how necessary it is. Finally, make the project as legible as possible.


We love experimenting. We are driven by our desire to understand the randomness of a texture or the imperfection of a mould, testing the limits of a material, an industrial process or an artisanal technique.

Research also means working for galleries or within national research structures. Through these various elements, the goal is to find porosity between a more limited mass-produced design and the freedom of artisanship in a truly exceptional piece.

Innovation can also come from a shift in use or a change of technique, the simplification of a manufacturing method, or even the transfer of technology.

Since 2008, Normal Studio has been there to support companies as they grow. Its support consists of working with them to develop a strategic vision based on what shapes their identity: their history, know-how, manufacturing processes, production policy, even their favourite materials.

We start out by seeking the right tool rather than deciding to create a specific object. You can value know-how and break with tradition.

Our goal is to revisit the shapes that were produced in the past and transpose them using our contemporary vocabulary. Existing tools do not limit us, they are assets: crucibles where the objects of the future are created, and new developments made possible.

The company’s know-how shapes its image, and its image reflects its values. Working with what we already have allows us to think not only in terms of industry but also of economics, to steer the company towards a sustainable future. We express our vision of a brand on a global scale, through the company’s visual identity and its communication tools.