There were some gems. The talks and debates at the V&A were superb, as always. Such a variety of topics, and they have the pulling power to bring in the big guns. Typographer Alan Kitching shared some stories of old and new in his most inimitable way, proving his continuing passion for his craft. His recent collaboration with Monotype honouring some of the great names of graphic design can be seen at the LCC in Elephant and Castle until 16 October.

There were also, however, some flops. The flagship installation in the V&A – a mirrored ceiling in the Raphael Galleries by design duo Barber Osgerby – was a clear case of the reality crumbling under the weight of the idea. On paper I’m sure it really worked, but in situ it felt clumsy and fell flat.  

100%design proved that it really has lost its way. Once, it was a destination of discovery with top quality designer-makers sitting alongside only a scattering of commercial, contract furniture. Now it’s like walking through a high-end Homebase…with poor lighting. Designjunction has usurped its position –  firmly placing itself on the map as the go-to destination for a good mix of everything.

My most welcome discovery at Designjunction was the beautiful work of illustrator Malika Favre. Represented by Handsome Frank with prints sold through OutlineEditions at DJ, her monochromatic work has such a mesmerising quality to it.

Balconies

Images by Handsome Frank

Another stand-out exhibitor at Designjunction this year was Patternity with its collaboration with the Imperial War Museum, London. Drawing inspiration from the iconic Dazzle camouflage patterns painted to disguise and protect ships during the First World War, they have designed a range of products dressed in striking monochrome geometric pattern.

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‘Endless Stair‘ by dRMM  - this year’s landmark installation for the London Design Festival. Caught here under construction. Very Escher. Very beautiful. Hope it holds up under this terrible weather!

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Australian Jay Watson’s table coated in a thermochromic varnish, leaves a lasting impression

We all know the Argentinians love their meat. It is heartening to see that something useful is being made from the vast quantities of leather scraps generated each year.

 
As always, there is a cornucopia of talks, events, exhibitions, trade shows and parties spread across town – more conservative in the west and a little more daring in the east. This year, 100%design feels much more like a trade show than the healthy mix of established and emerging, as has been customary in recent years.

Striking chairs by Zhang Zhoujie

Zhang Zhoujie. Incredibly smart guy. Hand scored and somehow he works out how he can bend each sheet into shape.

Closed as a square

Fits in to a corner…

One of a number of combinations..! The DTable by DHaus. In 1908 an English mathematician called Henry Ernest Dudeney discovered how to turn a perfect square into an equilateral triangle. Based on this principle, this rotatable dynamic table can change shape from a perfect square to a perfect equilateral triangle with 6 different shapes in between the 2 well recognised shapes.

Hmmm….

Grotesque and weird.

Very nice…

Dog wallpaper anyone? Just nice.

Designersblock, in the incredible Farmiloe Building, Farringdon.

They always know how to pick a good venue!

Sangmyung University. Made painstakingly out of matches…

Very Wim Delvoye

The Seismometable by JAILmake

Both tables by JAILmake, they are controlled by an RSS feed telling when, where and how strong an earthquake is in the world. The table listens for this data and shakes with a relative intensity in real time.

Formed into shape insitu

A hard one to illustrate, but it is wallpaper that looks like concrete. Brilliant. Expensive though 110 euros per sqm!

As I walked around the show with two of the judges from this year’s Blueprint Awards, we couldn’t help but feel that perhaps the present economic situation of the country has had some effect. This is not lost on the Festival’s organisers who are keen to emphasise the importance of design in driving the UK’s economic revival. Chairman of the LDF, Sir John Sorrell said, “This year the key word on everyone’s lips is growth. With a £60bn creative industries sector that employs over 2 million people and produces nearly 6% of GDP, the government has identified our creative industries’ sector as crucial to growth. We all know design is the engine that drives the creative industries, so this year the London Design Festival will promote design not only as absolutely central to society and to culture – but also to the economy, to growth and the future”.

It is heartening to see that the value of design is increasingly taken seriously. In the recent budget statement, Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne said “We want the words: ‘Made in Britain’, ‘Created in Britain’, ‘Designed in Britain’ and ‘Invented in Britain’ to drive our nation forward – a Britain carried aloft by the march of the makers.” If only Australia could take a leaf out of the UK’s book….

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Highlights from yesterday include the 12m Timber Wave designed by Amanda Levete and her team, with Arup. Cascading down the steps of the V&A, this complex form made from America red oak has been made possible through cutting edge digital tools, 3D modelling and precision engineering. It reflects the interest in design and making that is at the heart of London’s creative industries.

Across town, designer Paul Cocksedge has transformed old vinyl LPs into elegant vinyl speakers that amplify sound from smartphones through their shape alone – no need for wires or electricity. For £25 visitors were encouraged to bring their own 12” record and have it transformed right in front of your eyes. Placed in the oven and stretched into shape. Smart and simple!

St Paul’s Cathedral provided a spectacular backdrop for the fifth presentation of the London Design Medal, won this year by my old tutor Ron Arad. A worthy recipient, he consistently does unique work and applies creative thinking to all manner of design challenges.

A lot of talk has been made about John Pawson’s installation ‘Perspectives’ at St Paul’s Cathedral. Aside from the joy of being able to take a peek at Wren’s Geometric Staircase – usually hidden from view - in the South West tower, I couldn’t help but feel a little underwhelmed. Collaborating with Swarovski, he has created a precision-made meniscus – the largest lens possible to manufacture. Located at the bottom of the stairwell, it sits on a much larger reflective hemisphere, with a spherical convex mirror suspended in the tower’s cupola above. Together these optical devices create a composite image of the view up through the tower for visitors gathered around the hemisphere at the base, allowing them, as Pawson says, ‘to see beyond the level of the naked eye’.

It is supposedly less about the physical piece he has created, and much more about what it reveals. The thing is, you really cannot see a lot! A master of simplicity, it seems that Pawson’s work, this time, was just a little too simple for me.

That’s it for today…Keep posted for daily updates!

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FestivalwithAttitude_DQ_Summer2011_JackieHawkins.pdf

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100%Design celebrated its 16th birthday and brought us a varied bunch, including 14 dedicated international pavilions (Australia was conspicuous by its absence). The strength of this year’s offering was undoubtedly those that emphasised risk-taking and possibilities for the future. Tom Cecil’s ‘Rotating Squares Table’ was a favourite, drawing crowds to see this 480mm square table unravel to 1.4 times its size though clever manipulation of geometry and hand-stitching of wood with nylon. Equally engaging, his stretched steel topped 2m long table held in place under 30 tonnes of tensioned force by a single ratchet strap.

The entire novel on one poster. Lovely idea.

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Following on from last year’s success, Norwegian Prototypes returns with a larger group of young and established Norwegian designers. This year’s exhibition showcased fresh and unseen prototypes from 14 Norwegian designers, self-initiated through the determination of Kim Thome and Amy Hunting. This year the participants were all asked to reflect on the size 55 x 40 x 23, a standard hand luggage size when travelling with budget airlines. The exhibition presented an interesting and quirky range of different solutions and approaches.

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BMW’s collaboration with textile artists stood out – a positive, ideas-exploration project for new interiors (below).

The Anti-design Festival. Neville Brody’s brainchild. An un-polished, this-is-what-you-get, fingers-up to the design establishment. A large slice of fun and experimentation. Rummage around barely curated work, bring in your portfolio for an honest critique, have your email spell-checked or simply just come along and have a go….

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Following a pilot effort in 2009, BJDW will launch in 2011 as China’s premier annual design event, a citywide platform comprising a multitude of exhibitions, events, conferences and other activities organised with an array of Chinese and international partners.

The highlight will be an installation in Tiananmen Square during China’s October 1 National Day celebrations. BJDW 2011 is scheduled to run from 28 September to 3 October, 2011. Ben Evans, Festival Director and Sir John Sorrell CBE, LDF Chairman presented a gift to Beijing (above): “This innovative and exciting partnership between our two great cities will demonstrate the importance of design in the world, to the world. We are honoured and delighted to be working with our friends in Beijing.”

Across town, the Design Museum are playing host to, the sublime John Pawson. Often described as minimalist, his work is refined, simplicity at its best. ‘Plain Space’ showcases his work from private houses to monasteries. His latest project will be the new home for the Design Museum itself over in Kensington. Shown here, the exhibition in various states of composition. Opens to the public from 22 Sept, and runs until 30 January 2011.

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