The Butterfly Stool

Sori Yanagi's amazing Butterfly Stool designed in 1954, followed by the Capeli Stool, designed by Carol Catalano in 1994, followed by my interpretation, embrace2 - 2008. My version is just a bit of mess about, taking the iconic form of the butterfly stool and adding the simple cross halving feature of embrace.

Just a mess about, but as it will be so easy to make, keep yourself posted for the results of a prototype..................which will probably snap!

Toast

A sample of the cut sheet for the new rockingstool prototype. Stronger and more robust is the plan, although I think its beginning to look a little bit like a few pieces of toast.......anyway..........keep posted for more development of the rockingstool over the next few weeks.

Back to Work - YSJU Originate Residency

My first day in my 12 month residency program at YSJU. I'm very pleased to have been selected for the residency (although I am the guinea pig). My plans are to spend some time refining and developing some of the more popular (award winning) university products that I designed, so that they are ready for the shops. This means that all of you that have been nagging to own your embrace, your dream will shortly be within your reach :).

In the new year I will then be taking advantage of everything that has been given to me and I will be getting stuck in and developing some new products as well as working on various collaborations, one of which is currently underway with snowhome and I'm very excited about.

Snowhome collaboration

This week I began working on a collaboration with Angus of Snowhome, things are at an early stage at the moment but I will be sure to keep you posted!

watch this space.

YSJSU Best In Show 2008 - £1000

I think Best in Show kind of explains its self really. The cheque came through this morning for the £1000 start4art award. This money will all be going towards developing the rockingstool so that it is ready for sale, I will be running some official safety tests, and refining the manufacturing process. More information will follow as soon as development gets underway. Stay tuned guys.

New Designers 2008 - Part 2

I was selected by uni to show at this years New Designers in London. An eventful week in the big smoke living off tuna and pasta, yet again!

New Designers really did open my eyes in terms of how many people were actually interested in my works. The above image shows the 3 pieces that I got to show. The exhibition went really well, and it was great to see people’s reactions to my products and receive so much positive interest.

Thanks Guys!

The Daily Telegraph - Designers to look out for.

After an unexpected phone call with David from the daily telegraph, it was great to see the final print. Being selected by David as one of the designers that stood out from the 4000+ other exhibitors due to exhibit at New Designers, helped gain great publicity for me at the event. With many visitors coming to view my exhibition due to seeing and reading about it in the saturdays telegraph.

I would like to thank David for the feature

The article reads:

Northern Design Competition 2008

I know, I know, sack the photographer. Cheers for this Rich. Embrace was shortlisted for the Northern Design Competition 2008. It was a great show and a good day.

Embrace in Corian

Due to the current state of the CSD winning plywood embrace, I had a busy week between the workshops and exhibiting at the YSJU Art & Design Show. Anyway here's the result a nice DuPont Corian version of embrace fresh and ready to exhibit at the Northern Design Competition next week.

YSJSU Art & Design Show - 2008

Finally everything finished! The final year degree show went down well on VIP night, and things certainly went well for me winning best in show. Although we were supposed to be exhibiting all week I had a busy week laid ahead of me having to get embrace made from Corian for the first time ready for the Northern Designers Competition.

I will keep you posted on how the Corian Embrace comes together.

layout is key

yesterdays sandwich, pre-ham. (cucumber and tomato)

Design Show Liverpool - 2008

No wayne I will not shake your hand, were taking a picture here. Above shows my entry for the competition, a range of furniture designed to compliment embrace.

The Stable

Here's a video from Interior Surfaces in Sheffield, where I thermoformed 2 sheets of Corian in order to make the stable.

designing with waste

Today I began to layout the cut sheet for the rockingstool and realised how much waste was about to come. So my immediate reaction was to "design with waste". As I only had about half an hour before my place on the CNC was up I had to quickly create some designs that would fit within the wasted material sections. Not only did I want to save the environment but being a student I couldn't bare to see my own money being wasted. 

The plan was to create a range of everyday user products that have a bit of fun applied to them, I think that I may of been enjoying type today. The hanger is the first of many things to come, as the development for the rockingstool is still underway.

Stay tuned to see some more products to come from "designing with waste". 

New Design Magazine - Issue 60

I was in borders today checking out which degree shows to visit this summer to help get an idea of the competition for this years new designers. The new design magazine had a degree show listing, which also featured some degree show news. And guess what? there I was! A feature on me winning the CSD award for product design.

A great surprise, and thanks for letting me know guys!

The Local Paper

The Brighouse ECHO decided to come and interview me about my success of winning the CSD award. The joys of the local press and having phone calls from al your mates back home, hahaha you should see you in the echo its funny. I don’t know if this gained some great exposure in terms of design, however it was certainly entertaining to see me on the center spread smiling for the camera again.

York ‘talk’

Uni's little celebratory press release for me winning the CSD award. Yet again there I was with the cheesy grin holding embrace.