Design Event at designjunction 2014 - in pictures

Design Event at the London Design Festival 2014

In September Design Event exhibited at designjunction during the London Design Festival with ten designers from the North of England. 

It's a Great Opportunity...

Michael Armstrong established AFID Design in 2005, designing and producing original handcrafted furniture, as well as developing pieces for manufacture.

Michael worked within industry for several years before joining a product/furniture design consultancy where he developed his knowledge and understanding of design. He then went into full time education and graduated from the University of Northumbria with a First Class BA (hons) in Furniture Design and an MA in Design. After graduating he worked freelance for a number of years for a London based design agency before establishing Afid Design

Michael has exhibited with Design Event on several occasions and has taken part in both London Design Festival based collective exhibitions at 100% Design (2010) and Tent London (2012). 

Here are his thoughts on why it’s a good thing…

“Financially exhibiting as a collective under an umbrella brand is really beneficial especially to a designer who works alone.  The physical build, design of the stand and transporting the products to the show are all elements that are taken care of.  The camaraderie with the other designers is also something I enjoy, it’s a great opportunity to exchange experiences and get to know other people working in a similar field.

The mentoring and professional development programme that Design Event organise for the designers involved in the lead up to the show is really useful.  The main thing I’ve really taken on board is the importance of marketing and publicity and I keep in contact with customers via social media platforms and online marketing.

At the show the stand has real appeal to visitors because the collection of work is diverse and high quality, it draws people in and there is another dynamic to the conversations you can have with people about the wider collective, not just your work in particular.  It peaks people’s interest and appreciation of the products on show.

I’ve really benefitted from exhibiting at both 100% Design and Tent London with Design Event because it has raised the profile on my business and the work I produce.  Exhibiting at these trade shows has also resulted in sales and commissions from the public and initiated conversations with retailers and buyers from big brand organisations.

The experience I’ve gained from exhibiting at these shows has given me the confidence to explore the idea of showing my work on an individual basis. The main barrier to doing so rat the moment is the limited time I have available for planning, marketing and, ultimately, final production of the stand itself, which I would have to undertake personally while still fulfilling ongoing commissions and orders.  

I love doing what I’m doing, it’s a hard industry but I enjoy my work and want to keep doing it!”

Michael Armstrong, Afid Design

Psalt Design: Exhibiting as Part of a Collective

Sheffield based furniture and product design studio Psalt Design was formed in 2010 by Richard Bell, Tom McKeown and David Powell. The trio of designers wanted to take advantage of the wealth of industrial and creative opportunities the city has to offer to conceive, design and manufacture furniture and interior products.

Psalt Design has worked with Design Event over the last few years, first exhibiting at the 2011 Design Event MART at BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art.  In 2012 Psalt were part of a collective of Northern designers that Design Event showcased at TENT London during the London Design Festival (LDF).

We had a chat with Richard Bell to find out more about their experience of exhibiting as part of a collective and how that has impacted on their activity.

Showing as a collective with Design Event at Tent London 2012 was hugely beneficial to us. It was our first experience showcasing at the London Design Festival and having business and product development, marketing and public relations advice and support in the run up to the event from both Design Event and the other exhibitors meant we were a lot more prepared than what we would have been.

Showcasing as a Northern collective provided a great platform to generate press interest and coverage and we were featured in a number of publications we may have missed out on if we had been showing by ourselves. Also the marketing, PR and design of the stand was very professional, meaning we could focus purely on our products and press kits prior to the show. 

I think the selection process (through and open call) was very important to the success of the stand and there was a wide variety of great products on display. This definitely helped attract more potential customers to the stand as people saw something that intrigued them, whether it be furniture, product etc., and then were more likely to browse the other work on display. The stand was a huge success for us and played a big part in helping to take our company to the next level.

The footfall at Tent London has been very strong for a number of years now and it attracts a wide audience. We met people ranging from students, design enthusiasts and boutique shop owners right through to head buyers for companies such as Habitat, Heals and Conran. This varied audience means there are endless opportunities to speak to people interested in your range of products. We tried to be quite pro-active in the run up to the event by initiating conversations with a number of people who we invited to the stand. We also organised a competition sponsored by RIBA Journal where visitors could win one of our 'Bubble Tanks'. This was a great conversation starter and through publicising the competition we generated a lot of interest. In the weeks and early months directly after the show we had a definite spike in sales from people who had seen the product on the Design Event stand. 

In terms of the location, the stand was in Hall T1, which I felt was the best hall to be in. I also think that TENT is considered one of the best locations nowadays along with Design Junction as an exhibition space.

After exhibiting at the show we received emails from people 12 months later saying they had seen our products at LDF and some went on to buy our products. These were mainly individuals purchasing for their home. The main benefit post-show was from press, which we met through the event. Many of these people have gone on to help showcase our work, which has, without doubt, led to indirect sales. 

Exhibiting as a collective has played a big part in giving us the confidence to showcase individually and in 2013 we exhibited at the same event along with Daniel Schofield (another designer who featured on the Design Event stand in 2012). Having experienced how well run Design Event’s 2012 stand was, we were able to apply what we learnt to our stand. Having to publicise the event ourselves took a lot of time but proved very beneficial for us and we managed to attract a lot of interested parties when we unveiled our full collection at the event. We owe a lot of this to the team at Design Event and I personally learnt a lot in terms of ways of getting the most out of the event. We also showed earlier in the year at 'Home London' as part of a shared stand which was a great experience and plan to do several more in the near future.

image by Colin Davison @rosellastudios.com

I think the most important thing we took from exhibiting at TENT was the importance of generating a buzz prior to the event. This was something we tried to replicate the following year and again it proved hugely beneficial. This came from various methods, many of which, I had seen from Design Events organisation of the collective stand. Some of these were, strong press releases, publicising the products and event prior to the show and inviting the right people to come see the stand.

Both exhibiting with Design Event and the mentoring provided in the run up to the show has enhanced the day to day running of our company and post-show we took the direction to market the products to a much higher level and really push negotiations with retailers and stockists. This has led to Psalt Design becoming a more successful and streamlined company.

  

In the last 3 years it has been astounding to see how far our company has moved forward. I think the unveiling of the full range last year initially at the 'MADE North' gallery in Sheffield and then at 'TENT London' 2013 was huge and it became clear exactly how far we have come as a brand.

We now have a range of products, which consistently sell, which has given us the opportunity to continue to develop new products.  

www.psaltdesign.co.uk

The open call for submissions for Northern designers to exhibit with Design Event at Design Junction during 2014's London Design Festival is now open.  Deadline is 10 March 2014. More information on how to apply here.

Design Event MART Award Winners

The Design Event MART awards were presented to three designers on the opening night of the Northern Design Festival, which took place at the Globe Gallery with over 200 people in attendance.

The three categories were sponsored by businesses that then provided a prize to the winner of their category.

Design for Good sponsored by Confessions of a Design Geek

Winner: Laura McKay
Product: Slope Desk

Taking inspiration from drafting tables and old school desks, Laura has created a simple desk with an angle that physically dissuades clutter and promotes productivity. The routed grooves on the surface stops pencils and pens from rolling away. Laura’s bespoke DeskTidy blocks can also be fitted to store larger tools and can be purchased separately to personalise your own workspace.

Contemporary Twist on a Classic sponsored by Formica

Winner: Jade Crompton
Product: Digital vessels

As a Ceramicist and Digital Designer, Jade's work is both fresh and futuristic, finding inspiration in natural rock, lava and ice formations.

Best Gift Product sponsored by British by Design

Winner: Wonder Stuff Studio

Product: BK Ends

These concrete book ends are an unusual and unique gift under the £50 mark which make them the ideal present for just about anyone with a few books to keep in place!

Predicting future trends - Borrowing techniques from big business

Joanna Feeley, Trend Bible 

Imagine you could predict the future. You'd know what products or services your customers want from you and how they want you to market them to them. There'd be no costly mistakes or dark alleyways in your business journey; it would all be mapped out.

That's exactly what Joanna Feeley does for some of the world's biggest retailers. She predicts the future. Although she says candidly a lot of trend forecasting is instinct, but this instinct she clarifies is simply well-honed experience.

Joanna is one of the UK's few trend spotters. Her business Trend Bible started in 2007 and employs just five people full time with around seven freelancers but is the only trend-forecasting agency in the North, one of 12 in UK, and globally one in 700. It's a small and secretive industry she says, and even acknowledges that can be understandable. But Trend Bible likes to share its secrets with small businesses and design conscious individuals; that’s why she supports the Northern Design Festival.

In her talk she shared her strategies and principles to spot trends so we can behave as future thinkers in our own business – because as she points out, if you Google trend forecasting, you won’t find much information to go on.

Sounds like a dark art – but Joanna makes it so clear and simple – and its entirely relevant whatever business you are in.

Joanna helps her clients know what to do with the trends they spot. Even if a future trend may not be good news for her customer, she explains they need to know what lies ahead so they can respond in some way. They need to adapt and align their product range with what the future customer may feel, think or want.

Why do trends matter? Joanna told us that quite simply insight instigates powerful change. It helps you see beyond the horizon, make informed decisions, increase profits and elevate your brand.

But she points out not every trend might be right for your business. This is the clever bit – she explains that you need to tie in the trend with your “brand handwriting”. You need to decide if it is a game changer for your product or service, or something that your customers will bypass. So spotting a trend and deciding if it's right for you are not one in the same thing.

  

Trends are not always about change, sometimes it's about things that stay the same. For example our passion for ‘British Nostalgia’ in interiors has evolved over last eight years but is still here - we still hark to the past in our homes - and Cath Kidson cushions still sell well.

How does Trend Bible predict the future of the home interiors market? What’s their secret?

They start by collating data. A trend panel of lots of different types of people gets together for a day of horizon scanning, looking at big events, films, literature, social policy change, cultural events – anything on the horizon that might change society.

Then they cluster – pulling together common themes and threads into macro-trends.

Finally there’s analysis. Interpreting those trends is an important stage, and one where you pressure test if the trend is something important for your business. “Know what you would never do as a brand” says Joanna.

Trend Bible look not just at interiors, but trends in food, entertainment, culture, education, family life, environment, health, personal economics and so on. A global, national, regional or local lens is then overlaid to see what it means.

So why should we be trend aware in business?

Knowing how your customer thinks, feels and shops tis vital to sell them the appropriate product, at the right time, in the right manner.

In the economic downturn, predicting trends is more in demand than ever – people want a sense of security, to know what lies ahead and to avoid costly mistakes.

Joanna’s talk was relevant for everyone from the ambitious growing business to the start up or the student.

She encouraged us to look at our audiences and their behaviours, understand where trends begin and when they stop being niche and start becoming epidemics. The tipping point is where mass sales sit – the holy grail of trend spotting Is knowing when the point will tip, well in advance.

She explained about “black swan events”. Moments in time like 9/11 when the world tips on an axis and peoples’ behaviour changes overnight. This terrible act of terrorism understandably led to fear as an emotional reaction, but interestingly behavioural responses to this included a NYC baby boom and champagne sales soaring by 300%. Sometimes predicting trends is about spotting the unpredictable.

Finally Joanna concluded, the more you look at trends the better you get at it – and it can be addictive. But what better way to run a business than to know what’s around the corner?

Kari Owers from OPR

Michele Gauler

Digital Remains Project  - featuring at create:digital exhibition

What motivated you to develop the Digital Remains project? 

I was intrigued by the rise of meaningful personal data and the role it will play when we die.

After death these digital memories gain soul and I felt that they are not different from old love letters or photo albums from our grandparents that we find in the attic.

The one thing these memories could use are a vessel, something they live in, visibly and tangibly in our homes which represent the digital legacy of a loved one. Preferably more beautiful and worthy than the temporary, ugly and random hard drive we usually use to store our data on.

What is your favourite thing about working on the project?

Interviewing people about how they remember their loved ones and through that building up an understanding of how we use time, place and objects as markers for our mourning. This is a timeless behaviour and it also applies to the digital age. It is exciting to try and apply these kinds of universal or archetypical behaviours to phenomena in the present which haven't fully evolved yet.

As a designer, what is your least favourite thing about digital technology?

That it's intangible.

What excites you most about working as a designer?

Walking the line between uncertainty and certainty.

What are you working on at the moment?

Something completely different: a series of foldable illustrations that unfold the same story in different ways.

What do you have on your desk?

Chaos, while I work during the day and nothing at the end of the day. I have found that clearing my desk is really important for ending and starting work.

What’s the soundtrack to your studio?

Beautiful silence :)

What would be your ideal project?

A project where I can let go and step out of the way of its natural flow... meaning that there is a lot of time. Time to research, get hooked, experiment, fail, pause and discuss and exchange with people. I think this kind of process happens while at the same time working on other, more linear and focused things.

Michele's digital remain project is currently being exhibited at the National Glass Centre in Sunderland as part of the Northern Design Festival.

D&AD Creative Briefing

The recent Northern Design Festival D&AD creative brief-in event saw presentations from key advertising and marketing players Ben Quigley, Don Smith and Stephen Drummond.

The event held at Newcastle College on 18 October held a captivated audience of students from surrounding establishments, keen to open their eyes and ears and hear all about the prestigious annual D&AD New Blood Competition. The 16 individually themed briefs are to be released and readily downloadable at the end of the month.

Introduced and organised by D&AD's own Ella Schofield, Ben Quigley quickly took to the stage to discuss the future of marketing. He said: "The future of marketing services belongs as much to mad men and women as it does maths men and women." Ben spoke about the importance of truly engaging and understanding the consumer whilst exercising the advancements in both technology and science. He went on to discuss big data, following up with the familiar Cadbury's Gorilla Advert and then speaking of the innovations of Natwest's Get Cash app.

The intertwining of science with technology and the importance of a sustained relationship with the customer became even more apparent in the discussion from Realise's Don Smith.

Starting with an inspiring Arthur Clarke quote; "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic," Don spoke of the vast advancements in technology's historical capabilities, highlighting Realise's own augmented reality app 'Beam Me Up,' in conjunction with the London Star Trek convention, which has been endorsed by CBS.

Technology was further discussed in relation to Leap Motion, subvocal recognition, interactive holograms and virtual reality. He ended aptly on his own interpretation of the previous quote, challenging the enraptured audience; "your work will need to be indistinguishable from magic."

Last up was Stephen Drummond, creative director at Drummond Central. Stephen spoke with humour, giving an insight into one of Drummond’s most successful campaigns with client bet365. Drummond managed to change bet365’s face of advertising through the means of television and Internet portals. He discussed the methods used and their unstoppable determination, which made the impossible possible, ending the whole briefing with the inspired "someone's got to do it, why shouldn't it be me?"

We spoke with D&AD’s event organizer Ella Schofield who told us about the New Blood Awards and about the company’s involvement with Northern Design Festival.

How do you feel about being part of the Northern Design Festival?

We do these kind of events every year and we’re making more of a conscious effort to latch onto things that are happening, we’re here as part of the Northern Design Festival, our Manchester event is part of Design Manchester and an event in Cardiff as part of Cardiff Design Festival. It’s really nice to be part of something big.

How is to be in Newcastle?

Great. It seems to all have gone really well so far; the speakers were fantastic, a really nice range of presentations. We have a workshop this afternoon that will be an opportunity for people to get their hands dirty and get into the brief.

What are D&AD hoping for from students this year?

For us, it’s about getting an amazing crop of talent through. The exciting thing for us now that the briefs are launched is seeing the responses come in and we get a real sense of quality of the next generation of talent. We sometimes come across real gems and then seeing their journey as they go into industry.

by Melissa Smith

Northern Design Festival - ONE OFFS 18-20 October.

The Northern Design Festival is on from 10-20 October, so there's still a few more days to get your fix of all things create:digital. There are over 35 activities and events taking place in venues across Newcastle, Gateshead & Sunderland. 

Here are some exhibitions and one off talks and workshops taking place from the 18-20 October.

Shipley Late: Craft Digital  - TALK & ACTIVITIES

18 Oct 18.00 – 21.30

Shipley Art Gallery, Prince Consort Road, Gateshead NE8 4JB

Michael Eden (photo: Adrian Sassoon)

Art meets digital at the next evening event at the Shipley Art Gallery, when visitors will be able to hear from designers who are working with the very latest digital technology. The Shipley Late: Craft Digital event on 18 October will include the chance to hear from two leading artists who are working in digital art today, plus the opportunity for visitors to work with new technology design and make their own 3D objects with the help of visiting experts. Talks from Michael Eden and Drummond Masterton. Tickets for the event cost £5.95 and are available here or on the night at the Shipley Art Gallery.

Set of Drawers: DiSrUpTiOn – DRAWING & FUN!

19 October 1300 – 1700

City Library, Newcastle NE1 8AX

Set of drawers have decided to celebrate the disruptive nature of digital at their annual Big draw event. These regional doodlers are inviting little and big kids alike to join them in having some drawing fun; amongst lots of silly disruptive activities there will be an elaborate game of Exquisite Corpses. We all know that children need no encouragement to get drawing but they will be rewarded with squash and cake.

Maker Events – Intro to Programming Mobile Devices - WORKSHOP
19 October 1000 - 1600
Centre for Life, Newcastle NE1 4EP
Tickets £20, call to book  0191 232 8210

The Centre for Life is joining forces with Sjoanda Creative for a series of exciting hands-on sessions designed for anyone (aged 12+) with an interest in making cool stuff. 'Make a digital musical instrument' gives participants the chance to construct their own electronic musical instrument whilst 'Introduction to Programming Mobile Devices' will take participants through the basics of coding for mobile devices.

The White Walls

10 – 20 October 10.00 – 18.00 (closed Sunday) - EXHIBITION

Unit 44, Hoults Yard, Newcastle NE6 2HL

Unit 44 will be stepping up to showcase their space for Northern Design Festival. Calling upon their roster of artists, the gallery will be filled with visually enthralling pieces and installations. The focus will be as always on the contemporary art movement in which we exist, however with some added elements for the theme of create:digital including projections, 3D mappings and moving images will feature, alongside more traditional hanging pieces.

MAKLAB

19 October 10.00 - 18.00 & 
20 October 11.00 - 16.00 – TALK & WORKSHOP

Globe Gallery, Blandford Square, Newcastle NE1 4HZ

MAKLAB make extraordinary technology accessible to ordinary people, allowing anyone to be creative and make almost anything. MAKLAB will be running a popup version of their Glasgow studio, come along, learn more about creative technologies and see them in action. More importantly you can have a go designing something small and make it in a couple of hours using their 3D printer and Laser Engraver.


FOR A FULL PROGRAMME VISIT OUT WEBSITE

Northern Design Festival – ONE OFFS 16 & 17 October

Here are just a few of the one off events, activities and workshops taking place over the next couple of days 16 – 20 October, not to be missed!

EX25 Digital – PREVIEW & EXHIBITION

16 October (preview) 1800 - 2100

17, 21 - 24 October 0900 – 1700

Madela Gallery, Newcastle College, Newcastle NE4 7SA

Newcastle College's School of Creative Industries has a national reputation for producing some of the best talent in the UK and across the Globe. This exhibition celebrates the work of alumni from the past 25 years. It will showcase a range of design disciplines including animation, advertising, graphic communication, fashion, photography and 3D. It explores the use of digital design and the influence that modern technological advances continues to have on the creative process; with a showcase of exciting outcomes produced by ex graduates who are leading in their current field of design.

MakerSpace - WORKSHOPS

16 & 17 October from 18.00

Makes Space, 18 New Bridge Street West, Newcastle

Makerspace is a community owned workshop. An eclectic group of makers, creatives, programmers, scientists and engineers designing and making cool things because they love to learn and create.  Think of it as a communal garden shed full of mad inventors!

Join us for Welcome Wednesday, a night of meeting fellow makers, exchange knowledge, show off creations, and even use the workshop facilities. Then come down to 3D Thursday to learn about 3D printing. Our discussions have a range of themes from how to design objects for printing to how to build a printer.

Dreamland - EXHIBITION

17 October 17.30 – 20.30

26-31 Back Goldspink Lane, Newcastle NE2 1NU

Dreamland is a series of images, which create a curve in reality. A collaborative work between photographer Sasa Savic and digital artist Graham Taylor, Dreamland is a vision of many different fantasy worlds. The reality is photographed, taken apart and reassembled in order to be presented as an entirely new form of realism. PLEASE REGISTER FOR YOUR FREE DREAMLAND EXHIBITION TICKET

A Cup of Attaya - WORKSHOP & EXHIBITION

17 October  - WORKSHOP

10 – 20 October - EXHIBITION

B&D Studios, Commercial Union House, 3rd Floor, Pilgrim Street, Newcastle NE1 6QE

A showcase of the work and expertise of Attaya projects, a Newcastle-based digital media arts company specialising in interactive art installations, consulting in physical interaction design and workshops on creative technologies. Attaya Projects will inhabit the living space of B&D Studios, redecorate it with interactive installations and a chill-out salon area, propose creative workshop activities and welcome visitors with a nice cup of West-African Attaya tea. Creative Uses of Mobile Phones In the Arts and Social Sector - 17 October: drop in at B&D Studios and play a game of 100 Things (there is a delicious prize for anyone who can’t take part), have a cup of tea and a chat with Andrew Wilson about using all sorts of personal mobile technology in the arts and social sector, and in all sorts of contexts from mental health to Augmented Reality games for family groups. Andrew has been using mobile technology creatively since 2000, and he’s learned from a lot of mistakes along the way. The previous record for 100 Things is 35, set in London. Can Newcastle beat that? Come along and take part!

Daisy de Villeneuve: Run Colour Run - TALK & EXHIBITION

17 Oct 18.00 – 21.00 – TALK at Northumbria University

Design Building Northumbria University, Campus East, Newcastle, NE1 8ST

14 Oct– 3 Nov  - EXHIBITION at Laing Art Gallery

Best known for her eye-catching designs for the likes of the V&A, Nike, MOËT, Chandon and Topshop, designer and illustrator Daisy de Villeneuve is creating a series of portraits in her distinctive colourful style for Great North Run Culture 2013 featuring at the Laing Art Gallery.  

On 17 October Christopher Hodge, Senior Lecturer in Fashion Communication at Northumbria University, chats to Daisy about Run Colour Run at the Northumbria University. Free but you must register online here.

The Craft of Computational Design 

– EXHIBITION

14 - 18 October 9.00 – 17.00 

Design Centre Gallery, University of Sunderland SR1 3DS

Andrew Richardson, Carl Gregg and the design work of Roger Thomas examines the use of computation within the context of creative practice, exploring the process of using computer code as a way of making artifacts using the 'raw material' of programming language and digital interaction.

FOR A FULL PROGRAMME VISIT OUT WEBSITE