Inside the studio's working process
More than 300 models, prototypes and experiments make up the Mexico City edition, according to JDE's October 12, 2026, announcement. Sketches and scale models appear alongside working prototypes, material tests and concepts that never reached the market.
Five methodological phases and 15 operational design principles structure the displays. Physical mockups are presented as tools for testing designs and reducing errors, with abandoned concepts and unreleased prototypes helping illustrate that process.
Curator Roble Vargas expanded the exhibition from an earlier presentation at Monterrey's Centro Cultural Plaza Fátima. The Mexico City show also inaugurates two museum spaces, the Sala de Diseño y procesos and the Biblioteca Viva de Diseño, according to Museo Franz Mayer.
From an aluminum pen holder to restaurant tableware
The projects range from furniture and tableware to public-space and urban infrastructure design. Etienne's early "Choose Your Bullets" pen holder, made from machined aluminum, is among the featured objects, along with pieces from the Galeana collectible series. The exhibition also includes work associated with JDE's partnerships with TANE, Libbey, Coca-Cola, Tupperware and Cemex.
Custom tableware for the Michelin-starred Pangea restaurant offers another example of the studio's work. JDE dates Etienne's Pangea Tableware design to 2018 and credits Cerámica Suro with production, in close collaboration with chef Guillermo González for his restaurant. Its graphics abstract Monterrey's emblematic topography, according to the studio's project page.
A book and a digital archive
A monograph edited by Designaholic Books accompanies the exhibition. In its October 23, 2026, report, a! Diseño said the forthcoming book would bring together previously unpublished photographs with reflections and lessons about prototyping, manual work and iteration in contemporary design.
The project also includes a digital platform intended to serve as a living archive, a! Diseño reported. It is designed to hold content, news, documentation and downloadable files.
