Another test of the email system

Hi all - dull I know - but have just tweaked the system. Please let me know that you have received an email with this post in it.
Thanks.

Andrew

Message from BGB

( I have copied this message from James at BGB from a comment to a post so everybody gets it as an emaila as well)

From james @BGB

Hi everybody.I have just signed up to the blog so if any body has any questions they would like to ask please post them on here and I will answer them as soon as possible.If somebody posts a question and they need an instant response please e-mail me james.wood@bgbinnovation.com and I shall reply on the blog so that everybody can share the information.Cheers

James @BGB

:-)P.S.As I have just signed up I can not confirm receiving an e-mail notice.

weapons of mass destruction

I was reading a book this weekend of transcripts to discussions held at Frieze Art Fair, and this struck me;

“Like the recent search for weapons of mass destruction, I fear that our quest might prove elusive, but I hope that we’ll learn something along the way.”

It's the learning along the way which is the important bit I guess?

Testing the email system

This is to test that when someone post we all receive an email!

Q_01 Ursula Lavrencic

A lot have been said and written and many things I can only agree with. I think as well that both companies need marketing / branding / communication advice. I believe that they could use some kind of strategic guidance/plan to help them with their extension to the new markets. I think we can only fill a part of this role.

After reading all the writings and feeling I don't have much to add I though it would be good to get an overview of the "Quest" again.

I think this project is as much about articulating questions as it is about formulating answers so I have begun with questions. I made two diagrams of possible process scenarios. I tried to map where we as designers could give input.

In short:

BGB - a complete new product range and marketing of an existing product, many gaps to fill

Smith of Derby - I have a feeling we could think of some nice creative marketing tricks for them and try to get spotlight on them. It doesn't seem like a one day process, a lot about building relationships with their clients.

michael marriott's thoughts;

Smiths of Derby
It seems that Smiths, do have a very strong heritage and maybe its something they could (or should ?) draw on more.
However, if as they say, most clients don't want their name on the clocks, that is one problem. The other problems seem to be a limit size to their current operations (which they seem to be doing very well. + I think we all agreed that the analogue / digital crossover technology should be made more of. ). So I can see why they are thinking of making more of their other operations. I think there is potentially a lot of business out there waiting for them, and the main issue for them is how to publicise themselves, what to call the new division, and how to reach new audiences. It seems like they don't have or even really want a 'product' line, and their great strength, (which I think is quite rare in Britain) is that they have a very strong 'can do' culture. I think this is illustrated very well by their grp work. The clock towers, which are a conceptual anathema (fake nostalgia) to all of us as designers, I think. But actually forgetting conceptual clarity and taste, they do their job very well (convincing, and quite possible better conceived and made than the buildings they are destined for?) But the fact that they can knock them out very efficiently, next to a ridiculous big one-off curvy grp roof, alongside all the more purist clock activities, proves their willingness to take on a job, whatever its type and find a means to making it, and making it extremely well.
This is exactly what is needed by artists, designers, and (particularly) architects, wanting to realise ideas, but lacking technical and specific manufacturing expertise.
My feeling is that they should find appropriate trade fairs to advertise their skills and willingness to co-operate etc, whilst settling on the right name and identity. (maybe 100% Detail is worth considering, off the top of my head?)

BGB
BGB seem also to be unusual for a British company, in that they also have a very 'can do' attitude. Also I feel the main issue for them is more about how they present themselves and their products. It seems that there may be possibilities for designing new products, for the Dubai marina type of market in particular. Perhaps they need to be sure first what exactly it is they aspire to be making, and where it sits in the market. (along with an understanding of who is buying the products and how.)
One thought that occured, was to do with that external light sources above the water line were not discussed, and that maybe this is a potential and rich territory, in that the light source is optimised by reflection instead of diffused my the mud? (+ also much more energy efficient). There is something magical about river side or sea front areas that have just regular GSL festoon lighting, which is not to say underwater lighting can't also be magical, but that maybe more can be made of the concept of lights specifically designed to play with reflection on the surface of the water. (I guess LED's would be very good for this too.)

sorry folks for the delay in posting... i have been working away from my studio, and have been unable to access blog... interesting to see what has been published so far...

BGB

Necessity is the Mother of Invention...

Quality engineering. flexible production capabilities catering for varying batch sizes. Willingness to develop innovative and cost-effective solutions in collaboration with clientele. A clear identity as producers of practical, functional reliable products accompanied by quality after-sales / spares service.

Thus far they have specialised in areas where aesthetics of product are irrelevant, resulting in an unselfconsciously functional product range. These have developed in response to the practical needs of their clientele. e.g the aquaculture product range - underwater lighting / sensors / cameras/ cabling remote access....

I feel they should maintain this approach in regards to their underwater lighting products. The marine market is far larger than Dubai; it is a global market with marina's both coastal and inland seeking to provide secure efficient and safe environments for their moorers.Development of such products is totally in tune with BGB's approach - successful marine products sell on reliability, solid engineering, practicality and safety.
However, i think they could widen their quest to investigate further marina's needs
lighting both under and above water for safety and security, below water lights that guide boats in, out and around marinas, sensors, cabling/ power supply to pontoons and boats, flexible pontoon systems, ethernet solutions etc. Make use where appropriate of alternative energy supplies ( draw on expertise with slip rings ).
This practical approach may seem rather boring... Its not "Las Vegas underwater"... but there is an inherent emotive quality, a magic, associated with both water and light that can be simply exploited; think of the sense of safe harbour, of a welcome in from the lonely seas, that light and water could accentuate... a pool of light that waltzs you around the marina...the reflective qualities of light and moving water - the visual excitement is there...

Smiths of Derby

Time is such a fascinating and seductive subject.
Initially i was disappointed at the lack of clock making in evidence... That said,the area I was attracted to was the repair workshop... the hospital ward with its time doctors... a little Frankensteinesque maybe... the way the modern technology clings to the ancient time pieces is almost parasitic... is it sinister intervention or life support? Here one witnesses Smith's ' confidence and expertise at marrying old and new technology. It also illustrates the notion of care and service of which they are rightfully proud.

The GRP clocks / building products are not so interesting. They represent the homogenisation of our towns and cities; off-the-shelf architectural features that ignore the vernacular.

Smiths' willingness and ability to work on one-off projects is impressive. Primarily they want to be seen as a service provider... the boys who can make it happen... but they are unable currently to reach their intended market.

My instinct would be a high profile pr campaign through one-off installation(s) designed to boost their profile with this market... a showcase for their skills. It could investigate various notions of time and other measurements, and our interpretions of such. interactive, human, relevant to our lives...

Observations and Directions- Carl Silvester

It was good to see an open and honest attitude from both companies to the quest project.Both companies are at a point of developing new markets. Their existing products perform well and new technologies are being questioned. Smiths of Derby with GPS and BGB with L.E.D.

Smiths of Derby
Large scale time solutions that marry historical analogue expression with satelite global positioning systems for accuracy of measurement.
In house fabrication,production, instillation and maintenance means the product is all under one roof.
Interests- Regeneration, Olympic 2012,Global coverage.

Potential- Designs which offer flexibility in different environment and applications
The semantic of measurement offers potential to measure Traffic,Carbon emissions the green of your space.

Key thoughts Focusing the community
Social activity- meeting points
Informers and listeners.


BGB
Successful products from BGB rely on quality, functionality and reliability, Design is driven by these factors + cost to manufacture.
New developing markets for BGB Marine see the potential for using L.E.D. technology and broader use of their existng lighting solutions.
Primary research centres on marina and yacht lighting, but in discussion there seemed possible safety application.

Key issues- Lighting large expanses
Lighting concentrated areas/ pools
Creating Drama
Safety

Potential
Explore performance, lighting to offer petit, gathering and expressive forms.

Is rolls royce a car maker or an engine maker?

Communication is everything

Both companies have communication problems. They both have amazing capabilities but do not know how to show this off and benefit from it. SOD should communicate that they are able to manufacture oustanding time telling machines, and BGB needs to know how and to whom to sell their underwater lighting systems and what they should look like.

SOD

What struck me most at SOD was the comatose clock. An 18th century mechanism kept artificially alive by 21st century technology. A wonderful marriage between predictable movements and obscure electronics. A good metaphor for what is going on at SOD, and a starting point for this Quest in my regard.

Further subjects could be:
- SOD’s lack of self esteem; illustrated by the lack of names on the clocks.
- The discarding of their history as clockmakers. Why do they want to do what everybody can (work with artists, have an rgp shop) instead of focus on their special skills, and find contemporary ways to implement them?
- I would like to know what they think they are best in. (Is Rolls Royce a car maker or an eningine maker?)
- having no clear vision on who their clients are (and could be) and how they are to be convinced to work with SOD.

BGB

BGB has not yet been working with the end user market. This is an area where communication through advertisement, mouth to mouth and the design of the product is very important. They shift from pull to push market where demand is not created by necessity but by desire. And desire has to be aroused by seductive imagery and examples. Because the products are used underwater but sold above water. So if BGB wants to continue with the yacht and harbour lighting systems they need to have some very sexy examples. I think that would be my quest for BGB; to provide them with (proposals for) some very seductive material…. Boats that seem to sail on a wave of light, a swimming pool of light in the middle of the sea, underwater illuminated parks, underwater runways that guide boats in the harbour etc.

First reactions sebastiaan

hi all here are my first reactions

First reactions BGB:" To find new methods to illuminate underwater areas....."

Words: underwater-world, space-life, Toy world, Lego, play-mobile, space oddicy, James bond, Jacques Cousteau, plastic, colors, stainless steal, easy cleanable system, robotic, units, Add on boat, dock, underwater market lights, underwater beam, one standard; varies lights, magnetic klik-on's, reflection mirrors, screwable, baken, underwater balloon, submarine, Russian space machines, simple solutions, see what you get, smart simplistic plug and play lights.

One basic system for underwater-lights, to Add on boats, docks etc. within this system there should be different light units. strong standard elements building the custom light you want.


First reactions Smith of Derby: "the future of time......."

Words: The clock doctors, surgeons, hospital, laboratory, white coats, diagnosis of a clock, old-new, hightech - lowtech, analog- digital, visible- hidden, romanic past, hard correctness of time, running on time in modern world minute by minute. new and old time carries. to fly over the specialist team of clock surgeons unic in the world, custom solutions for time trouble. Being on time; a new dimension.

Small smart old melted with new high-tech GPRS guided controlled time trackers...... small time products to show specialism and to strength company image. Research old (tik/tak) from pocket, wrist to public church clocks. materials, looks, colors, places of time in the old days. Research new digital, GPRS, satellite systems, materials, looks and new places and usages of time. Mix to new product, gadget, gift, show-off image builder.

sebastiaan

ill

Dear all,
I'm going through some problems with my health, I hope I will be back on my feet soon to catch up.

Ursula
ps. my favourite thing is my phone. especially on the days like these.

Hello everybody,

Hereby my long writings. At least i got a bit more clear image of writing all this down..

BGB
The company and website is very well organized and has clear subdivisions and visions.
It sets a serious, quality, highly reliable image.

It’s a company that is very much focused on industry. (While I mostly design thinking of people!)

I believe their products look beautiful in their industrial look, but this has no importance for their clients. It would do great in design world, but to start a “BGB industry products for people” shop won't make a ten percent turnover. ;)

They are mostly serving the industry; making products for practical demands. By creating luxurious show-off yacht lightning they enter a different world, which is not much based on functional needs. If they would like to extend their yacht lightning, it should be a functional collection that is bought by yacht builders, more than yacht owners.

I have trouble with the idea that they want to create lighting that “will set a yacht apart from the rest”. I believe their no-nonsense way of creating products is a strong point of this company. By creating gadgets like ‘impressive fantail of light, creating excellent penetration in clear waters” they break down their functional, reliable image. There for I would combine this underwater lightning with other, less show-off functions. Maybe more combined in safety issues, or in more public products like fountains, swimming pools, ports, etc.
If they do want to create products more for people than industry, than I think of domestic usage like personal bath’s or ponds. This however should always have their strong, high quality image more than flashy.

SMITHS OF DERBY

“See us at the Christian Resources Exhibition”, gives me straight the feeling of a “serving the community company”

The website is a mess right now. They seem to want to make anything. I miss a clear focus on product fields, style, and quality standards.

Some sections show that they have great skills in architectural craftsmanship with high quality materials. They can make anything and are best in making unique, one offs. They seem to work on projects where money and time are not to most important issues. However the section ‘building products’ doesn’t fit to this at all. It shows all the plastic decoration items you can buy super cheap at other companies.

When it comes to design they get lost in time; the attempts to make modern clocks are not so strong, while their classic items are beautiful. Mixing the old style with new industrial ways goes wrong. See their Horncastle sign for example. I wonder why they are so proud of the GRP. I get disappointed when I see a nostalgic clock with unique ‘metal’ figures made out of plastic.

I see why they want to attract more public artwork; they are able to do it. They are good custom made manufacturers. However it’s a different story and I believe the clock part deserves more attention.

I think the community serving purpose of clocks is interesting. Whether as an architectural classic or as a functional thing. Maybe not any more on churches, but more on companies buildings.
I think Smith of Derby should focus on those enterprises that like to distinguish themselves with their own ‘clock’. (It could be wind vanes or any other guiding device). This device alone however is not enough. In the digital clocks of today I miss the stories of the old public clocks, which show their richness and background. Some clocks are not only watched to see the time: You watch when you know the hour; at certain hours they reveal things, entertain you. I mean the cuckoo, the theme clocks, the marching soldiers, the weights going down, etc. I want the magic back in public clocks.

Hi All, Not wanting to be the swat and start the ball rolling but today I decided to allocate as one of those to start things off. So here are my thoughts and reactions to the Quest so far. I may be a million miles away in m thoughts to everyone so please feel free to comment and disagree (and amend spelling!)
Hope all is well
Regards
Andrew T

Smiths of Derby. For me perhaps the most interesting as they seem to be coming from an angle that I work with the most in terms of being a traditional company and wanting to attract a different target audience that perhaps is more design conscious. I am worried about the new identity proposal, however perhaps the most comforting thing about that is that they seem willing to change this and look and other suggestions. I felt that they were almost wanting to be seen as an entirely different entity and almost push aside their past in the creation of the new sub company.

Product Generation?-
I find the Tower Clocks and 'Off the shelf' style of the traditional landmark clock slightly offensive when used in the wrong environment and I think this is the fault of the buyer, architect and end user rather than that of Smiths. For me, Time, and the process of telling time does not need to be an erect structure that battles with presence within an area but instead something that is more subtle and environment conscious. Rather than have a structure above ground level to battle with the skyline of buildings, I think that a design that is interactive in telling 'time' that perhaps is in the pavement and at floor level.
I would like to propose looking at creating an 'Off the shelf' product that Smiths can produce that will be able to be used in many environments that encourage interaction in the process of telling time.
Some of the catch line used at the mission by Smiths of Derby was ' 150 years in the business of time'- and 'where is time going'- for me the appeal to create an interactive clock that doesn't just tell the time of day in numbers is very inspiring.

Telling Time-
A devise that captures time in images through cameras in walls and displayed elsewhere to track a journey of time
A devise that positively tells us of time spent on environment issues
A PH paper devise which tells the amount of aid rain
A new version of a milestone that calculates time from one post to another
The movement of light as a path of time
Nb-
There is a interesting public art in Brighton on the seafront which uses recycled glass bricks t create a path, the idea is that when walked on in bear feet it feels relaxing but also provides a journey to follow (or a trail).

click here to see the pic

Other reactions from Smiths of Derby Visit-
It was discussed with some and thoughts bounced about in our little sub groups that perhaps Smiths should retain their right to have their name in the centre of clocks-
The GRP area would perhaps be a better viable way of working if it was seen as a separate company rather than confuse the onlooker as what exactly it is that Smiths of Derby concentrate on.

BGB Underwater lighting
Does anyone else think that perhaps further research should go into this new market of underwater quay lighting before the company embark on investment? I was worried that perhaps the decision to create a product was based on one enquiry. I know Dubai is an ever expanding market but perhaps something could be designed working alongside the company's ability to mastermind underwater lighting and used in both a commercial and domestic way.

For me, the use of a light at the end of a boat seemed to be something that they could quite easily create themselves, and in fact are already there with some additions of interaction between the boat user and their light.
The interesting design angle for me was to use their ability of creating underwater lighting but move the ability into more aesthetically pleasing products rather than the stay with the submarine functional look of the light. (i know some think this is great and I agree in a kind of Jam design kind of way, but I think there is more scope for creating something that w0uld enter the company into a different area)
I would like to tackle the project to create an idea that would still create underwater lighting but at the same time create an artistic effect above the surface as well which would combine function with design.
Possible ideas to add-
A floating 'buoy' kind of design that illuminated the water but also acted a s a functional, public art piece for quays, but also for more accessible areas of water spaces such as lakes, ponds etc.
A static piece to fix onto the side of swimming pools that creates light under water and above water.
other thoughts so far-
A number of catch titles were used at BGB which I think they wanted us to be inspired by, I was walking round with David Holt the director of BGB and he was saying that he thought the lights looked ugly as they were and are looking for ways to make them more aesthetically pleasing-
'looking for sricking visual effect'
'environmental product'-another reason for using a light source above water from the same light source and not just to illuminate water- Solar?
'To find new methods to illuminate underwater areas'

In addition to that BGB perhaps need more help with moving an image from a machine and material based company to an end product company and make them appear more accessible. I think someone mentioned that there was a picture of their building on the website?

Hello all. This is a plea for information!
I would really appreciate some clarification on how the project wants to proceed. As yet, there is confusion around how we create design teams; are we being left to form our own? I would also welcome some guidance on the distribution of "studio" days. We have nominally 5 of these days, and I suppose I am trying to gauge roughly how much of this time should be used prior to the workshop in Amsterdam, and how much saved for after.
I hope I am not alone in this confusion!!!
I would like to get on with the Quest!

Gossamer Albatross

It's difficult to know what a completely favourite object is, but this is something which I find amazing and inspirational, a man -powered flying machine, using a kind of basic and at the same time highly technological and highly refined set of technologies to realise a kind of ridiculous dream.

I do not have a favourite possession. There are many objects and possessions that i admire for diverse reasons, but it is people and life that truly inspire. So i am posting my dad as my favourite. He died of cancer just before christmas, and as with all our most precious possessions, it is only when we lose them that we truly appreciate their value. Dad was an engineer, an inventor and a true eccentric. He populated my childhood with low-tech solutions to everyday problems; rubber bands, hot-water-bottle-tops and plastic guttering featured regularly in ingenious contraptions that really worked, and kept visitors both amused and perplexed for hours. He wore two watches, one on each wrist. I forgot to ask him why...

My favourite possession

My favourite possession is quite a recent one.It is a wooden pestle and mortar in olive wood. I enjoy cooking for family and friends and this new addition, will I'm sure be well used.

My Favouite possession......

My favorite possession is an old school desk which we stole from my dads old school. It has graffiti on that he wrote when he was a kid. The only problem is that in recent years people had been sticking their old chewing gum under the desk so when I'm working at the desk in the summer, there is still a slight smell of peppermint.

My favourite possession...

...is my Roberts Digital radio. It's a very funky red colour (not like the one pictured here, looks like the one my grandparents had 30 years ago, but is completely state of the art in terms of technology. It only has about four buttons and is really, really easy to use.

About the companies

We are delighted to have two excellent, established East midland's businesses on board for Quest Smith of Derby and BGB Engineering. There are brief profiles of them below, but for more information please visit the company's websites.

Please note: The exact nature of the Quest for each business is not known yet and will evolve at the workshop.


Smith of Derby are one of the oldest and most established clock manufacturers in the UK with a history stretching back over 15o years. Based in Derby, over recent years they have expanded their core business of clock design and maintenance into the realm of high-end architectural features. it targets many markets including public art, transport, shopping centres and urban regeneration. It operates in a crowded global market for architectural features and the company sets itself apart through original and innovative use of design. It needs also to establish itself in new and different networks. For these reasons it believes that the Quest scheme will enable it to tackle challenging issues while allowing it to build a greater presence.


BGB Engineering, is a family owned manufacturing business with a worldwide reputation mainly in the fields of slip-ring technology and marine lighting. Divided into three industry brands (BGB Engineering, BGB Marine & BGB Digilinc) its products are an essential part of both wind farms and fish farms, relying on constant innovation to remain at the cutting edge. BGB Engineering is a high precision electro-mechanical engineering company producing state of the art slip rings. BGB Marine's product portfolio has expanded to include lighting and camera solutions for Aquaculture, motor yachts, swimming pools, fountains, nuclear ponds and water treatment companies The company is renowned for its revolutionary team based work practices and has won many awards in this area. Its interest in Quest is governed by its need to consistently predict what the next big thing will be as well as ensuring that its products appeal to new and expanding markets .

About the designer maker's

QUEST: THE 10 DESIGNER MAKERS


Fiona Davidson (East Midlands)
www.fionadavidson.co.uk
Fiona Davidson says, `My approach to design is concept-led, and therefore not restricted to a single material, process or market; this design ethos allows for diverse responses, often collaborating with manufacturers, to produce innovative, thought-provoking outcomes. I enjoy collaboration, and working outside of my ‘safe’ practical knowledge; where projects demand intuitive and intelligent interpretation of process, empathy for the materials at hand, and sympathetic examination of context. My work is experimental and investigative; although the concepts can vary widely, from questioning cultural and human interaction with objects, through to exploitation of process and material, there is always a clear ideology that drives each project.

Clients include DuPont Corian, the European Council of Vinyl Manufacturers, and creative agency Wieden + Kennedy.

‘Quest presents an opportunity to take the collaborative process to a greater level; a far more fluid and experimental relationship will be encouraged, with designers and manufacturers learning from each other through a genuine exchange of ideas and methodologies. I hope Quest will help to establish design as a valuable commodity to the manufacturing industry, where it is often viewed as a bought-in service, at odds with the commercial context in which manufacturers work, rather than as an integral part of their process.’

Chris Kabel (Netherlands)
www.chriskabel.com
Chris Kabel describes himself as a surgeon. He takes objects apart and dissects their meaning - one of his signature pieces is a parasol where the shadow is the meaning: giving shadow a new form. Rotterdam-based, Kabel's designs leave the consumer to do a bit of extra work, such as finishing the piece, or working out how to use it. His designs are sold by Droog and Moooi and commissioned for projects such as Lille's European Capital of Culture project.

Chris says, `I'm looking forward to the collaboration with foreign designers and manufacturers. This will broaden my network and definitely offer new opportunities for the future. I am eager to contribute to an international design discourse with my fellow colleagues from the UK and The Netherlands, and offer valid solutions for the British manufacturing industry. I hope this will lead to some long lasting design related 'love' affairs.'

Ursula Lavrencic (Netherlands)
www.megla.org
Ursula Lavrencic received her architectural degree from the Faculty of Architecture in Ljubljana, Slovenia and her master of arts from the Design Academy Eindhoven. She worked for number of mainly communication design studios gaining skills in graphic, web and identity design before she founded Megla in early 2003. Her very diverse set of skills enables Megla to offer out of the box thinking and cross disciplinary approach. She strives for socially and environmentally responsible design.

Ursula says, `It is very challenging to participate in a project where creativity gets an open stage to generate fresh and innovative perspectives, and where design gets the room to consider values beyond shape and function. I am a cross-disciplinary designer and I get especially motivated by projects where non-formal layers are addressed: from cultural and social context, future scenarios, consumer behaviour, production process to economic placement. I enjoy working on holistic concepts and I believe that the international set up and the concrete yet open brief of this project will result in a very fruitful collaboration.'

Michael Marriott (London)
www.michaelmarriott.com
Michael Marriott is an award winning, cutting edge and highly respected young-ish designer, working in lots of different areas and at lots of different scales. Born in 1963, Michael Marriott was brought up in Dartford in Kent, spending much of his childhood fixing and making things, including bikes and go-carts. He completed an HND in Furniture at the London College of Furniture in 1985, then took on a range of design jobs that included shop-fitting, lighting, graphics and interiors, but continued to focus on carpentry and furniture-making. He graduated from the RCA in 1993 and set up his own studio, working mainly with furniture and organising the production of his own designs as well as designing for other manufacturers, including Inflate and SCP. In 1999, Michael's growing reputation was established by his winning the first Jerwood Furniture Prize.

Michael's designs focus rigorously on function, an approach that leads to objects, such as his Post Card Light (1994) or Mobile Table (a side table designed in 2002 that can be moved around by picking it up in the same way as a bowling ball, using the three holes in its top), that are deceptively simple solutions to a particular need or problem. This utilitarian aesthetic also translates into Michael's choice of materials, which suggests a resolute celebration of the ordinary. Alongside producing products and furniture, Michael continues to work in other areas, including exhibition design - most recently, 'You Are Here', an exploration of information design at the Design Museum - creating site-specific installations in both galleries and public spaces, and, increasingly, writing.

Michael's involvement in Quest will open up an opportunity of working with real industries and dealing with real everyday issues.

Carl Silvester (East Midlands)

Carl Silvester's low cost, accessible and conceptually critical view for `experimental' products arose from being frustrated with the limitations of conventional roles for the industrial designer in the development of technological artefacts. He also has an interest in combining the new psychological and behavioural possibilities offered through technological products. His overall aim is to improve interaction and create a personal relationship between object and owner.

Carl says, `As a designer I like to interact with people who are coming up with new questions, new viewpoints and new ways to look at things in the context of new product applications. Dutch designers have been the forerunners of working in this way in recent years. The challenge of Quest is to highlight the value of their approach but apply this to a broader international perspective.

`By using design I am able to develop something that makes an essential contribution to society, which resolves everyday problems or reflects or comments upon them: perhaps in the form of a product but sometimes a system or guide to tackling familiar things differently. I have enjoyed collaborations previously with musicians, lenticular manufacturers and the Dutch government - with outcomes including products made using selective laser sintering as well as illustrating a new role for a person in society.'

Sebastiaan Straatsma (Netherlands)
www.researchdesign.nl
Following his education at the Design Academy Eindhoven where he worked on projects with Gijs Bakker (Droog) and Mark Gabbertas (London), Sebatiaan Staatsma has been working solo and in collaboration in various fields such as material-research, concept-, product-, furniture-, light- and interior- design. Clients include Droogdesign, OMA Architects, Essent energy, Rabobank, Gijs Bakker Design, Leolux, Bombay Sapphire, Poulmann, Vasd ontwerpers and Proef Rotterdam. In 2003 during the Milan Furniture Fair, he launched his first self-produced collection `Random Industry Upgrade' about using elements of the industry for upgrading products in an ever-changing environment. This was featured in the New York Times.

Sebastiaan Straatsma's work is part of the Booijmans van Beuningen Collection in Rotterdam and was part of international exhibitions at the V&A museum `Brilliant', SF Moma `Recent Dutch Design' and Museum fur Angewantekunst Koln `Design for Industry'.

Sebastiaan says, `The Quest project will give me a chance to discover and meet British industry. It will be an opportunity to operate in an international partnership, solving design issues for a new global environment. It will develop my view on industrial and consumer needs abroad.'

Andrew Tanner (East Midlands)
www.andrewtannerdesign.co.uk
In June 2005 Andrew Tanner was awarded Young designer of the Year. His collections of sculptural yet functional ceramic collections have seen Tanner's pieces becoming some of the most recognisable products to emerge from a British Designer/Maker.

Andrew Tanner graduated from the University of Brighton in 1997 and started the award winning design collaboration HUB with his business partner in 1998. To continue his journey and to produce bespoke pieces for individual clients, Tanner started his own design studio in 2002 in Brighton where he works and lives today.

Tanner's in-house design collections include the recently launched bone-china range titled `Off the Wall'. This hand produced, bone-china collection, which includes a large vase, a small vase and a centre piece bowl, has been created to combine the sculptural forms associated with Tanner's designs whilst utilising the rich colours and patterns of Cole & Son's widely acclaimed wallpapers from the New Contemporary and Waldorf Collections.

Andrew says, `Quest will offer the chance for me to collaborate with established manufacturers and encourage new developments and outcomes for my practice. Quest will blur the boundaries between traditional manufacture with contemporary design whilst actively encouraging me to challenge my ideals of a process and stretch my imagination in the creation of new approaches, explorations and processes.'

Jason Taylor (East Midlands)
www.jasontaylor.co.uk
‘I began my working life as a fitter and turner in a shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. After my apprenticeship I went back to college and this resulted in a Degree in 3D Design, 1st Class Honours. This led me to set a business as a Designer and sell a range of interior products through the web, galleries and exhibitions such as 100% design.

‘I have worked to commissions from clients such as Siemens and project managed events for Liverpool and Manchester Design Initiative. Since 2000 I have lectured on Art and Design courses at Liverpool and Manchester. I recently attained a Masters Degree in Enterprise in Art & Design.

‘My work has centred on the familiar and challenging preconceptions of objects and their function. I have carried on the tradition reuse and misuse of mundane products to the extent of giving them a new life as contemporary products. I try to strike a balance between humour, interaction and style. I also consider the impact during the design process that my products have on the environment, which has led me to set up a social enterprise, called Junkstop.’

Marjet Wessels Boer (Netherlands)
www.studiowesselsboer.nl
Marjet Wessels Boer graduated in 2001 at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Product Design. Since then, she started her own studio working with trainees and freelancers on various projects. Next to her own collection, which varies from warm lab-lamps of homemade felt, porcelain or silver t-spoons, stainless steel clothes hangers to thick doors with hidden spaces, Marjet works on commission. She developed concepts for Fiat en Rijkswaterstaat, furniture for Hajenius, restaurant Segugio and several private people, and designed products for Fair trade shops, Royal Delft and Spiridon.

The balance between the rational and emotional aspects of design intrigues Marjet. Her designs are not only functional; they play with their background. She investigates the peculiarities of materials, products and companies and our association to them. She wonders what meaning a specific object has for people now and what her context was in the past. She analyses why some objects tell more than others. She tries to find out what defines the soul of an object. This research leads to worth full inspiration for new designs. By using the history of objects from several cultures and our association with them, products get rooted. The products relate to their environment and the user. They are less anonymous and more poetic. The work sets in this way a strong identity in details, meaning and material use. “Products” are given a soul.

Marjet says, `Quest attracts me for several reasons. The work I have seen by British designers is very interesting and I would like to discover more. To work together with an unknown person for an unknown company, yet in a serious setting, puts me in a position, which asks for a professional approach. This challenges me. It gives me an opportunity to work for companies which are mostly quite hard to reach as a young designer and I will have the possibility to show that I am good at it!'

Philip Worthington (London)
www.worthersoriginal.com
Philip Worthington completed his Masters in Interaction Design at the Royal College of Art. Philip has a strong design background, having studied Graphic & Media Design and Typographic Design at London College of Printing. Having worked on graphic, product and interior design projects, his work now is focussed on large scale and tactile interactive experiences, both for exhibition and retail space. His work has been selected for exhibition, most notably at the V&A and Design Museum in London, as well as overseas design festivals, and features in industry publications, including Icon, Creative Review and Design Week.

In 2002 he co-founded Az2 Lab, a graphic/interactive design studio focussing on experimental on-screen work/branding/live events (Diesel, VentureThree). He has consulted for Sony Computer Entertainment to examine the future of various product lines, including PSP and Eye Toy. Philip also works as a visiting lecturer on the Graphic & Media Design degree at London College of Printing and has run short courses at Central St. Martins College of Art & Design. As well as a predominantly design orientated career, he has spent time working with IBM in their Collaborative User Experience research group in Boston, looking into new ways to visualise information. Worthington's designs inject spirit and humanity into our increasingly technologically driven society.

Philip says, `It's important to keep growing as a designer. The quest project is an opportunity for me to widen my experience and apply myself to a new and interesting problem. I hope that my approach will inspire the organisation I work with and spawn some interesting ideas with the potential for being taken forward.'

Hello and welcome

Hi everyone,

This is the Quest blog. The purpose of this site is that it becomes a place where we can all post comments, pictures, designs and thoughts and anything else that Quest turns up. We will also be using it to post boring admin type things like schedules, but more importantly we want it to be an online notebook and a free space where designers and businesses discuss, argue (politely, of course), inspire and generally interact.

If you have any problems using the site let me - Andrew (aka the blogmaster) know.

Here's to the cyber-Quest!

Andrew