2015 New Designers London: Part Two
More standouts from the July portion of the graduate showcase
While Part One of London’s New Designers exhibition focused heavily on textiles, Part Two (on now through 9 July) particularly rewarded anyone interested in furniture and product design. Students from all over the UK gathered under one roof to show their graduate collections in categories including furniture, product and industrial design, graphic design and illustration. With plenty of exciting and practical ideas on display, the event makes a strong case for the future of British design. At this edition, a lot of the focus was on ease of production, with many of the emerging talents creating pieces that could easily be mass-produced.
Hannah Woollard studied Furniture and Product Design at Nottingham Trent University and showed her “Ulla” workspace and shelf at New Designers. The combined study space and shelving unit offers a smart solution for small workspaces, and the clean lines—inspired by Danish design—make it a perfect piece for stylish compact living.
At Kingston University’s stand, a lot of the products really stood out. Chloe Q Fan’s 50/50 Mirror uses panes of two-way mirror to make sure the products stored behind the glass aren’t hidden from view, but just subtly disguised. It’s a clever way of making sure the bathroom space remains uncluttered, while still providing quick access to products.
For anyone who’s ever had something stolen from a bar, Christa Tjong’s +1 bar stool is a welcome innovation. The stool was inspired by birdcages, which lets you see the bird but not touch it, and features a cage-like back and low shelf to store bags on. Its design allows the user to easily reach his or her belongings—but makes it difficult for someone else to make off with them.
Northumbria University student Jake Barker’s innovative LUX Table combines a table light and the table itself. The LED light can be placed in a number of locations: on the edge of the table using magnets, or on top of the table lying down or standing up. Featuring three different brightness settings, the lamp can be changed from a functional beam to a softer, ambient light, simply by touching its polished steel plate-control.
Rebecca McClave, from the same university, also experimented with light. Her “Standing Lamp” is both a lamp stand and a sculpture, and was designed to complement the design of the Plumen bulb at its centre. The resulting piece looks like an oversized lightbulb and is a fun, playful update on a regular floor lamp.
Images courtesy of respective designers
