The Herbarium Constitution
Konstitutionen publiceras på engelska i original.
How we make decisions
When principles conflict, use this order:
- 1SafetyHealth before ideology
- 2HonestyTell the truth
- 3FunctionMake it work
- 4SimplicityLess, but better
- 5Material integrityMaterials matter
- 6Environmental responsibilityConsider the whole
- 7BeautyBeauty should endure
- 8Commercial efficiencyProfit is a means
Higher principles should generally take precedence over lower ones.
Cost matters, but it should not quietly overrule everything else.
Purpose
Herbarium exists to make ordinary things exceptionally well.
We begin with nature, use as little as necessary, and create things worth using, keeping and returning to.
Nature is our starting point — not our ideology.
Safety
Health before ideology
The wellbeing of the person using a Herbarium product comes first.
Natural does not automatically mean safe. Synthetic does not automatically mean harmful.
We respect nature and traditional knowledge, but follow the best available evidence.
When evidence changes, we change.
Honesty
Tell the truth
Never require the customer to misunderstand something in order to buy it.
Do not exaggerate benefits, hide meaningful compromises or present uncertainty as certainty.
Say what we know, what we believe and what remains uncertain.
Trust is more valuable than conversion.
Function
Make it work
A Herbarium product must perform its purpose well.
Natural, traditional, beautiful or sustainable are not excuses for poor performance.
We seek the simplest solution that works exceptionally well.
Simplicity
Less, but better
Complexity requires justification.
Every ingredient, component, variant and product must earn its place.
Prefer fewer things, made better.
Simplicity should reduce what is unnecessary — never what is useful.
Material integrity
Materials matter
Materials are part of the product, not merely its packaging.
Choose them for suitability, quality, durability and how they age.
Prefer honest, enduring materials where they perform the task well.
Know what things are made from and why they were chosen.
Environmental responsibility
Consider the whole
Responsibility is measured by real consequences, not appearances.
Consider sourcing, production, transport, durability, reuse and disposal.
Avoid unnecessary waste and disposability.
A material is not responsible simply because it looks natural.
Beauty
Beauty should endure
Beauty has value.
We prefer proportion over decoration, character over branding and timelessness over trends.
A Herbarium object should become more familiar with time, not more dated.
Beauty should encourage things to be used, cared for and kept.
Commercial efficiency
Profit is a means
Herbarium must be commercially viable.
Profit allows us to make better products, improve materials and remain independent.
But commercial convenience is not the highest principle.
We should not become a worse company in order to become a larger one.
The Herbarium Test
For important decisions, ask:
Is it safe?
Is it honest?
Does it work?
Is it necessary?
Are the materials right?
Have we considered the whole?
Will it age well?
Does the economics strengthen Herbarium without compromising the principles above?
And finally:
Would we make the same decision if the customer could see our reasoning?
Would we want this decision to become a precedent for Herbarium?
If not, reconsider.
Utforska sortimentet