Puzzle [building blocks] by Comittee
Designer: Comittee
Material: cutting board (supplied by Makro Netherlands), wood veneer
Rather than creating new products, Droog’s UP initiative focuses on giving new life to what already exists. Launched in 2011, the project introduces an alternative approach to dealing with unsold goods, or “dead stock,” by treating them not as waste but as valuable materials for design.
The idea behind UP is simple: products lose value when they remain unsold, but through creative redesign, this value can be restored and even increased. Working with companies such as Makro, Vlisco, van Gansewinkel, and Mediq, designers were invited to transform surplus items into new, functional objects. These redesigned pieces are then brought back into circulation, offering a sustainable alternative to disposal or recycling.
More than just a design project, UP represents a broader shift in how we think about production and consumption. By focusing on reuse and reinterpretation, it highlights the role of design in building more sustainable systems, showing that innovation can come from reworking what is already there rather than creating something entirely new.
