In my first ‘real’ job where I was encouraged to drink at
lunchtime and learned more in the first 6 months than my entire 6 years at university,
I worked on this retail park right here.
Just taking me back....
Friday 8 June 2018
Tuesday 20 March 2018
Morning Out if the Office
In a welcome break from scheduled programming, I attended the Leesman ‘Measuring the World’s Workplaces - How the Best Beat the Rest’ event this morning. This part yearly report launch, mostly networking opportunity was held at the lovely Goldsmith Centre in sunny Farringdon.
While they have great hard analytical data, collected and packaged beautifully, I have to admit that the lack of soft influences is apparent in their reporting.
Now, I understand that the influences of existing company cultures is maybe a bit difficult to pin down, but employees mental and emotional state is as integral to to workplace as the ergonomic chairs. Unfortunately, like appropriate seating, workplace wellness is taking ages to catch on.
The requirement for fit for purpose office furniture is easy to measure. The psychological comfort of a productive employee is quite a bit harder.
Hatch Anylitics is trail blazing great work in a different vein from Leesman, championing the local over the global and the soft influence over the hard data.
There’s room for both but where do they meet together?
Friday 2 February 2018
Meh just before Milan Design Week
Tom Dixon has unveil some authorised hacks for their IKEA furniture just last week.
It’s was only a few years ago that IKEA seamed to hate hacks and went about shutting down websites but here they’re apparently celebrating hacks?
The Delaktig was released last year at the Milan Design Fair with bleatings of further future invitation. I felt it went by with a bit of a whatever until Space 10 Innovation Lab teamed with open-source manufacturing platform Opendesk to take Tom Dixon at their word and created workspace hacks for the sofa bed to become much more.
Created by a team of designers, the attachments turn the sofa bed into work furniture, potentially extending its product cycle. Space 10 and Opendesk's open-source designs were unveiled at Made In Space, in June 2017, a festival that explores alternative futures through a series of talks, workshops and seminars.
It's all a bit sad and appropriated because I suppose they’re not really hacks if you can buy it off the shelf, cost the earth and have someone else to install it for you... Anyway, it's all a bit lukewarm, but the pictures are nice.
It’s was only a few years ago that IKEA seamed to hate hacks and went about shutting down websites but here they’re apparently celebrating hacks?
The Delaktig was released last year at the Milan Design Fair with bleatings of further future invitation. I felt it went by with a bit of a whatever until Space 10 Innovation Lab teamed with open-source manufacturing platform Opendesk to take Tom Dixon at their word and created workspace hacks for the sofa bed to become much more.
It's all a bit sad and appropriated because I suppose they’re not really hacks if you can buy it off the shelf, cost the earth and have someone else to install it for you... Anyway, it's all a bit lukewarm, but the pictures are nice.
Thursday 11 January 2018
2018 Calendar
So, this Monday at work I booked all my holidays for the
year. 25 days gone in a flash! The downer of being with a company for such
little time is that I’ve gone down to basic holiday allowance. Urgh...
Aside from my snowboarding, festivals and summer holidays, there’s plenty going on closer to home that interests me. Here’s a few of the
highlights from London’s 2018 events
calendar.
Architect@Work
Wednesday 24 – Thursday 25 January, Olympia
Hall, KennsingtonThis is new on my radar and this will be my first year attending. This two-day Architect@Work trade fair is aimed at architects, designers and specifiers and the theme this year is ‘light’. With wellness in the workplace talks from the usual suspects Arup, AHMM and Hassell it could be a mixed bag.
Surface Design Show
Tuesday 6 – Thursday 8
February, Business Design Centre, Islington
This is exactly what it says on the tin. A showcase of
surfaces. Fabric, plastic wrap, felt panelling, anything that can be out on top
of something is here. It’s a good chance to see what’s new while updating your
contacts and planning some future supplier lunch meetings.
Workplace Trends: Cutting Edge Research Summit
Thursday 8 March, the Royal Society, St James
Self
confessed source of the best and latest research into the workplace at a
totally prohibitive price of £270 for a day of Pret-A-Manger pastries and, slightly
more useful, power point slides for your next pitch. Hopefully they’ll blog
about it?
WORK 2.0
Tuesday 24 –Thursday
25 April, Business Design Centre, Islington
New this year, I wonder how an event with such massive giant
heads will fit in to this space but more power to them!
Clerkenwell
Design Week
Tuesday 22 – Thursday 24 May, Various Venues, Clerkenwell
The talk of the steamy and easily one of the most popular grassroots events in the design calendar. It’s the marker of the start of the summer in London. This area of town has one of the greatest concentration of suppliers and showrooms and essentially hosts its own open doors week every May. Go on design walks, learn new skills, eat and drink for free and don’t forget your business cards. I’ll see you at the street party, just outside the Desso showroom.
www.clerkenwelldesignweek.com
Tuesday 22 – Thursday 24 May, Various Venues, Clerkenwell
The talk of the steamy and easily one of the most popular grassroots events in the design calendar. It’s the marker of the start of the summer in London. This area of town has one of the greatest concentration of suppliers and showrooms and essentially hosts its own open doors week every May. Go on design walks, learn new skills, eat and drink for free and don’t forget your business cards. I’ll see you at the street party, just outside the Desso showroom.
www.clerkenwelldesignweek.com
London Festival of Architecture
Friday 1 – Saturday 30 June, Various Venues, London
This month-long, city-wide celebration of architectural experimentation. Identity is the central theme for 2018. What I love about this is the super local events going on throughout the wider city, not just in the center. Find something near you and be delighted with your city.
Friday 1 – Saturday 30 June, Various Venues, London
This month-long, city-wide celebration of architectural experimentation. Identity is the central theme for 2018. What I love about this is the super local events going on throughout the wider city, not just in the center. Find something near you and be delighted with your city.
New Designers Part I & II
Wednesday 27 June – Saturday 7 July, Business Design Centre, Islington
After the slew of degree shows the best graduates are collected within the New Designers Exhibition. The first part of the exhibition includes textiles and fashion, costume design, jewelry and metalwork, the second includes architecture, interiors, furniture, product design, graphics and illustration. With awards, big sponsors and massive coverage it’s a good time to be a student.
www.newdesigners.com
Wednesday 27 June – Saturday 7 July, Business Design Centre, Islington
After the slew of degree shows the best graduates are collected within the New Designers Exhibition. The first part of the exhibition includes textiles and fashion, costume design, jewelry and metalwork, the second includes architecture, interiors, furniture, product design, graphics and illustration. With awards, big sponsors and massive coverage it’s a good time to be a student.
www.newdesigners.com
Mostly everyone’s
on holiday in August...
London Design Biennale
Tuesday 4 – Sunday 23 September, Somerset House, Strand
The 2018 London Design Biennale this year is devoted to the theme Emotional States and will see international designers respond with installations spread across the Splendid Somerset House. Even if it’s not September, just go hang out there, it’s splendid.
www.londondesignbiennale.com
Tuesday 4 – Sunday 23 September, Somerset House, Strand
The 2018 London Design Biennale this year is devoted to the theme Emotional States and will see international designers respond with installations spread across the Splendid Somerset House. Even if it’s not September, just go hang out there, it’s splendid.
www.londondesignbiennale.com
London
Design Festival
Saturday 15 – Sunday 23 September, Various Venues, London
London Design Festival, taking place all over town includes installations, pop ups, design shows, all vying for attention across London Design Fair and 100% Design. Not for the FOMO.
www.londondesignfestival.com
Saturday 15 – Sunday 23 September, Various Venues, London
London Design Festival, taking place all over town includes installations, pop ups, design shows, all vying for attention across London Design Fair and 100% Design. Not for the FOMO.
www.londondesignfestival.com
Open House London
September, Various Venues, London
For about a week the public can get free access to London’s
most iconic buildings. This year could be my year to get a ticket for my
favourite building complex of all time on the Southbank. Get in quick for the
best buildings.
WorkTech London
November, Here East,
Hackney Wick
Usually the last event before the winter holidays, an event
I watch closely from the internet but have no hope of ever being able to afford
to attend.
Also, not forgetting the staple of workplace events throughout
the year: The HermanMiller Knowledge and Insight Group Events. http://www.hminsightgroup.com/events.html
See you there!
Friday 13 October 2017
IKEA Doggo!
O My Days!
You know, I'd just be happy with pictures of dogs but here IKEA excels with it's lovely pictures of lovely dogs on it new range of lovely miniature furniture.
The Lurvig collection was designed by Inma Bermudéz, who felt there was a gap in the market for reasonably priced but nice-looking pet products.
You know, I'd just be happy with pictures of dogs but here IKEA excels with it's lovely pictures of lovely dogs on it new range of lovely miniature furniture.
The Lurvig collection was designed by Inma Bermudéz, who felt there was a gap in the market for reasonably priced but nice-looking pet products.
O yeah, there's some cats as well...
x
Monday 25 September 2017
Design Junction 2017
designjunction2017 from designjunction on Vimeo.
Design Junction
was the talk of London Design Festival this year, with more stand out
installations, leading brands and enticing pop-up shops than ever before. The
show attracted a whopping 28,000
visitors to King's Cross over four days, firmly reinforcing this year's
campaign #wheredesignmeets. See y'all next year!
https://thedesignjunction.co.uk/
Wednesday 9 August 2017
Motivational Patches
I've been doing some recon around the local co working spaces recently.
I think that maybe these new ways of working that are coming through could really work for me if I were ever to go freelance. Then I remember that the reality is that I would just be playing Zelda in my pants with my dog in my lap surrounded by half drunk cups of tea.
People running their own gig have a drive I do not posses but everyone needs a cheer along some times. That's why these stickers, designed by Jeremy Nguyen for The New Yorker, are designed to pep the freelancer work day with a motivational boost, or a celebratory pat-on-the-back.
Check them out here.
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