Anna Gravelle - a textile & furniture collaboration

I was asked many years ago this question - "When you design a piece of furniture is the form influenced by the fabric or does the form influence the selection of fabric?"
Many years on and the answer is either or. At the moment I'm inspired by the fantastic 'tufting work by contemporary textile designer Anna Gravelle. We are exploring the potential to collaborate where i'm in no doubt the fabric will definitely be influencing the form, style and detail of the furniture. One thing we have agreed on - we will introduce a sense and celebration of past design decades in the overall furniture design. Some exciting developments being explored already with some technical boundaries to be pushed!

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Tokujin Yoshioska - a master!

A master of designing with materials and technology that perform and play with light.
Yoshioka has recently designed a mobile phone concept for KDDI iida, that presents a totally fresh approach to the technology within - exposed and not hidden.

This is what Yoshioka says about the design - XRAY:
"Apart from arranging visual appearance, I have pondered a design without a shape. This collaboration project started with an enthusiasm of designing a new mobile phone that infuses a fresh, striking idea into today’s diversified mobile designs. I came to reach an idea of “designing from inside.”
via Dezeen

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World's First Cornstarch Earphones

I love moments like this - when I see something so well designed, so simple that I wished I'd designed it myself........ it's a great source of inspiration!

Credit to Hong Kong based designer, Michael Young for his design - EOps NOISEZERO i+, the world's first cornstarch bio-plastic earphones where the bio plastic enhances even the mid tones in the acoustic chamber.




via Dezeen

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FUTURE OF FURNITURE DESIGN?

Alice Rawthorn has written an article called Furniture Designers Are Shifting Focus for the New York Times focusing on the shift in design-thinking and approach to furniture design in the recession. She poses a simple question - "LONDON — There is one question that everyone should sensibly ask before designing or making something to show at the Milan Furniture Fair. Does the world need another chair?" It's a very interesting article and DO we need another chair? My answer is 'Yes' as long the solution is sustainable, functional/practical, commercially viable, innovative, unique and above all, is needed!
If we can tick all these boxes then let's play with the materials, the aesthetics, the emotional message, the products personality and engineer a distinctive new chair that makes a real positive difference!

This is Yokujin Yoshioka's (one designer I love to watch) design for Moroso called the "Memory Chair" made from aluminium which responds to emotional, sustainable, innovative and distinctive issues in design..... but....!

via New York Times

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