What happens when we design for attachment rather than replacement? Research shows that products that evoke strong emotional bonds are more likely to be repaired, maintained and kept—and therefore live longer. Circular economy is about keeping products and materials in use for as long as possible through care, repair and reuse.
From the “Belongings” exhibition at the Design Museum Denmark (January 27 to May 31, 2026)
Merge STEAM and Career Technical Education
MFG offers tuition-free training in repair trades that are underrepresented in the high desert. By leveraging philanthropic and civic funding sources, MFG offers debt-free professional development for local creative workers.
By redirecting products bound for the landfill into the MFG Workshop and ultimately the MFG Store (a boutique for guild members to sell their pieces), MFG fosters a viable circular economy in the high desert by reducing waste and consumption through the (re)creation of aesthetic functional objects.
Through a deeply relational approach, MFG fosters skills and connections through design. Working within a 2,000 sq.ft. hangar in Joshua Tree, MFG displays a commitment to caring for: community through creative workforce cultivation; and ecology through mindful material reuse.
As an antidote to relocation and resignation, MFG fosters professional opportunity and creative community outside of traditional sites. By channeling decades of residential and commercial design experience into dynamic curriculum and retail exposure, MFG bridges the aesthetically-attuned tourism sector with locals keen to pivot professionally. MFG harnesses the upswell of creativity coursing through the Morongo Basin—a site recognized as the most promising creative economy in San Bernardino County. MFG reimagines vo-tech training for resolute desert creatives.
Allen leads each session as an exploration—of the chairs each apprentice brought with them, of the skills required to tackle each piece, of the self-trust inherent in pursuing an artform. The tangible output belies the bonding that has happened between participants and their products. More than a cohort, the apprentices have created a community for themselves, teeming with possibility and empowerment.
“MFG is a safe space that is creative and healing.”
Apprentice testimonialRebuild a 1947 Crosley, restoring original parts and replacing unsalvagable elements with high-efficiency models; reupholster interior.
Target skills: Upholstery, electrical, biofuel retrofit, design principles
Eight weeks, 32 Hours
Upcycling In Situ
Revive the well-loved barstools used in the MFG Workshop through reupholstery, refinishing, etc.
Target skills: Upholstery, furniture repair/refinishing.
Eight weeks, 32 hours
Sofa Sessions
Reimagine Scandinavian sofa sets through reupholstery; learn basics of frame repair, padding, fabric considerations, trimming, etc.
Target skills: Upholstery, design principles.
Eight weeks, 32 hours
Lamp Lab
Found object sourcing for base and lampshades, wiring practicum.
Target skills: Woodworking (on a lathe), electrical wiring, critical thinking, design.
Eight weeks, 32 hours