Designed in China interview: Superise

A new generation of designers are creating quite a stir in China. These independent creators are openly challenging the ‘made in China’ tag by introducing work that challenges old traditions, represents a more contemporary China and is in many cases avant-garde. Together their creativity is helping form a new vernacular for modern Chinese design. Thanks to Bundshop, a platform... Read More

Cars at Salone del Mobile Milan

The world of the automobile is rapidly evolving – no longer is it sufficient to build reliable, well-engineered machines. Now cars need to be thoughtfully designed to express current trends and they have to at least be seen to be relevant. And it helps to be spotted mingling with the creative world. Car designers are forever emphasising their involvement with other design... Read More

Designed in China interview: Sozen

There is a new generation of Chinese designers creating a bit of a stir. These independent creators are openly challenging the cliché ‘made in China’ tag by introducing work that challenges old traditions, represents modern China and is at once avant-garde. Together their work is helping form a new vernacular for modern Chinese design. Thanks to Bundshop, an on-line platforms... Read More

Ordinary objects with extraordinary stories

The Design Museum is running a seemingly simple exhibition of ordinary, mass-produced products. These, though, are not any old objects  – they all have interesting stories to tell and have in one way or another shaped our modern lives. Whereas exhibiting art requires little dialogue from the curator– it almost ruins the sensory experience – here at ‘Extraordinary... Read More

Competition: Heineken Bottle Design Challenge

Drinks giant Heineken is celebrating its 140th anniversary with a second instalment of its Future Bottle Design Challenge. The company has put its years of design and branding online for designers to remix and create the bottle design of the future. Participating designers have complete creative freedom to reuse, re-imagine and remix these images from the brand’s past... Read More

Designed in China

How do you change the perception of ‘made in China’ to ‘designed in China’? Chinese contemporary art is currently the focus of intense interest in western Europe, so why not Chinese design? Two exhibitions in London aim to rectify this. Unfolding Landscape, at Sotheby’s in London, which finished last week, exhibited work for sale by graduates from... Read More

Designs on Chocolate

Five leading designers and chocolatiers have created a range of intriguing sculptures referencing London, and made entirely from chocolate. Designs on Chocolate at The Dock  - up the road from DT headquarters – forms part of London Design Festival which sees a host of designers, showrooms, design organisations and retailers participating in events across the city. The... Read More

London Design Festival 2012

The London Design Festival opened yesterday at its main hub, the V&A. The festival sees a host of designers, showrooms, design organisations and retailers participating in over 200 events across the city. For a dramatic entrance to the V&A, designer Dominic Harris of Cinimod Studio has collaborated with lighting specialist Philips to create a temporary lighting installation... Read More

Digital crystal: The future of memory

An exhibition at the Design Museum in London is challenging contemporary designers to explore – in the medium of crystal – the future of memory in our fast-developing digital age. The premise of Digital Crystal: Swarovski at the Design Museum is to create a debate around the changing nature of our relationship with objects over time. ‘With the demise of the analogue... Read More

Book review: London Portrait of the City

‘When a man is tired of London,’ English author Samuel Johnson famously said in 1777, ‘he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.’ And so begins London Portrait of the City preparing the reader for what is a sensory feast celebrating this city. It is easy to mock London. This giant metropolis can seem unruly at times – the transport system... Read More