Main: Part 2 of the New designers 2013 at Islington Design Business Centre; Bottom left: A table for two by Daniel Liss
I have visited the New designers shows a few times and it is always a good event to spot new design talents from the U.K. This year, I visited Part two of the show which featured product and furniture design, spatial Design and visual communication by design graduates from universities across the country.
With so much work and not much time, it was hard to cover everything ( I certainly couldn’t), here are just some of the ones that caught my eye at the show:
Furniture:
“A table for two” ( see above) by Daniel Liss is a simple idea that allow users to convert a basic dining table that accommodates six, to a complete workstation with fully retractable drawers and a surface divider for two. It is not a ground-breaking invention but it is a clever solution that is practical for contemporary living.
Right next to this was Tyrone Stoddart‘s “Boxed” ( see below), a piece of multi-functional and adaptable furniture, which can be a coffee table, a desk, two stools and a lamp. These parts can allĀ collapseĀ back down to their most basic form, to be returned to a case that can be carried around. Cool!
Top left: Boxed by Tyrone Stoddart; top middle: Tyrone Chan’s Interactive dab radio; Mihaela Ogarca’s lighting; bottom left: Sean Bunton’s flat-pack bicycle
Lighting:
Mihaela Ogarca‘s ( see above) lighting collection won her the New Designers John Lewis Award for Design Excellence and Innovation. These lampscan be free standing or used as pendants. Through laser cutting, the usually stiff plywood material, used for the lights, becomes springy and curvaceous whilst allowing the light to pass through it. The shades can also be assembled and disassembled by the user and be carried as flat packs.
Top left: The tea manifesto by Shumaiya Khan; top right: Lilian Hipolyte Mushi; Main: Stephanie Jedek; bottom right: Giho Yang’s foldable cylander
Products:
Giho Yang‘s foldable cylander “Water-drop” ( see above) is a long overdue redesign of a kitchen item that often occupies a lot of space in the cupboard. This simple and clever design solves this problem and allows the colander to fold and be stored flat in the cupboard. This is so functional and I would definitely purchase it if it comes out in the market!
Left: Jack Fisher’s 180 series; Right: Egg cup by Michal Mojduszka
Being a stationery lover, I often get excited when I see beautiful stationery still being made these days ( esp. when technology seem to dominate our lives). I love Jack Fisher‘s “180 SERIES”, a set of contemporary stationery made from a unique blend of ceramic and brass. The triangular shape provides a unified identity and is based on its ergonomic advantages.
I also like the simplicity of the “Egg cup” by Michal Mojduszka, which is a basically a ceramic container for an egg. You break the egg shell simply by shaking it, a fun product/ project.
Experimental:
Nick Brennan‘s “Sound pegs” can turn anything into a musical instrument! By attaching the unit to a computer running music software or an electronic instrument, then attach the pegs to different objects. Sounds will be triggered in the software/instrument when drumming on those objects, so even your shoe or pen can create different sounds. Fun stuff!