May Design Series announces finalists for New Design Britain 2015 awards
Dezeen promotion: the thirty finalists shortlisted for the 2015 New Design Britain competition will exhibit their work at this year's May Design Series.
The three-day trade show will take place at the ExCel exhibition centre in London from 17 to 19 May.
The New Design Britain awards give recognition to young designers in the fields of furniture, accessories, surfaces, fabrics, architecture and interior design.
The finalists have been narrowed down by a panel of judges including British Institute of Interior Design president Daniel Hopwood, MAKE Architects director Katy Ghahremani and furniture brand DeadGood co-founder Dan Ziglam.
One winner will be chosen in each category and announced at the event on Monday 18 May – see the full shortlist.
To find out more about the May Design Series and to register to attend for free, visit the event's website. Read on for more information and the shortlist of New Design Britain finalists from the May Design Series organisers:
May Design Series 2015: New Design Britain competition reveals the design stars of tomorrow For the past 12 years, the New Design Britain Awards has been a magnet for bright, innovative students and recent graduates from British design schools. The competition is also a springboard for the winners' careers, some of whom have gone on to become leading talents in the design industry; past participants like Daniel Schofield and Cristiana Ionescu have had their work stocked in Heal's, made.com and Habitat.
The thirty finalists have been invited to exhibit and sell their products at the May Design Series, an exhibition and conference which in 2015 takes on the theme "Curated for Business". This is in response to extensive research into the needs of retail, residential, commercial and hospitality design communities. Returning to ExCeL London on 17-19 May, the show offers visitors the chance to be amongst the first to purchase stylish pieces from these young stars of tomorrow and, on Monday 18 May, learn who has won top honours.
Strengthening the spotlight for the contenders this year is the awards programme's new partnership with online retailer ACHICA. The entrants have been shortlisted across six categories – Furniture, Accessories (in partnership with ACHICA), Surfaces, Fabrics, Architecture and Interior Design. Hundreds of entries were whittled down by an expert panel of judges including Daniel Hopwood (President, BIID), Katy Ghahremani (MAKE Architects) and Dan Ziglam (DeadGood), to leave five finalists in each category.
In order to bridge the gap between design and industry, the entrants were judged on the commercial viability of their concepts, as well as aesthetics, functionality, and product development. Each of the six winners will receive a coveted industry placement, as well as career coaching and a complimentary stand at May Design Series 2016.
Finalists in the Furniture category are Charles Parford-Plant from Kingston University, for Tension; Daniel Lau of Nottingham Trent University with his entry, Kai; Heena Patel, also from Kingston University, for Transforma; Joe McAlonan, also of Nottingham Trent University, for his Jake Chair; and Simon Taylor of Camberwell College of Arts (UAL), with his Randonneur Chair.
In the Accessories category, Alison Smith from Nottingham Trent has been shortlisted with her Geometric Pendants concept; Camilla Lee Lambert of the University of Brighton for her Organic iPhone Amplifiers; Joseph Kennedy from Plymouth University with 3888.7; Samuel Bellamy of Nottingham Trent University for his Moroccan Lamps and Wael Seaiby from the University of Edinburgh with his entry entitled PLAG.
The Surfaces category sees Alicia Cox of Staffordshire University shortlisted for her Perfectly Imperfect concept; Sophie Rowley, from Central Saint Martins/UAL, for Material Illusions; Olly Mason, University of Leeds, with an entry entitled Concrete; Jenna Brown from Duncan of Jordanstone (DJCAD), with Botanical Allure; plus Amy Bartlett of Leeds College of Art, with her Form and Structure entry.
In the Fabrics category, Hannah Lois Sangwin of Birmingham City University has been shortlisted for Monochromatic Modifications; Ailsa Lishman from Manchester Metropolitan University with her Nature Abstracts designs; Zohreh Adle-Ghadjar from University of Brighton for her Exploration of the Loom: From Past to Present; Catherine MacGruer of The Glasgow School of Art with Tiles Collection; and Anastazia Hadjiyiakoumi of Loughborough University with an entry named Eden.
The shortlist for the Architecture category includes Catherine Sparkes from Nottingham Trent University with A New Era of Defence; Georgi Diliyanov Arnaudov of The University of Greenwich for Homogeneous Architectural & Landscape Organisms (HALO2) Arena; Amelia Hunter of The Royal College of Art with her entry entitled Nuntius de Navibus; Eva Ciocyte from the University of Westminster for her Re-arrangeable Wall System; and Phil Parkin of Nottingham Trent University with Off the Radar.
Interior Design finalists include Marinella Vronti from De Montfort University with The Social Hub: The Community Library of Limassol; Karina Fisun of KLC with Fashion Boutique Caramello; Laura-Anne Robinson from Sheffield Hallam University with Collaborative Care Centre; Cathrine Dal from Inchbald School Of Design with her entry named Bathyal; and Emily Davies from Falmouth University for Life Stream. "The standard of work was extremely competitive and we genuinely found that there were many more winners than we had space to select," said Giles Miller, Director of Giles Miller Studio and judge in the Surfaces category.
Liam Butler, ACHICA Brand Director and Accessories category judge, said: "The final five finalists demonstrated a strong industry and commercial awareness and their products covered a broad range of materials from natural stone to plastic, recycled elements to wood - all on trend elements for 2015."
The May Design Series showcases 500 of the best international and British brands across five sectors: Furniture, KBB, Lighting, Decor and DX, a pavilion focused upon the use of new technologies and materials. High-level thought leadership seminars from industry authorities and tastemakers will explore the purchasing and development implications of changing technologies, demographics and concern for wellbeing.