We sent Leanne Buchan over to Liverpool in search of the answer to all our technological ponderings at Made North.
The conference was arguably one of the best she’s ever attended with a focus on digital in the morning and product design for the afternoon sessions. Held at FACT in Liverpool, this is the first of the ‘Made’ conferences with a graphic design one earmarked for London this time next year.
Made North blended artists, makers, doers and thinkers to give a picture of modern manufacturing from rapid proto-typing to digital art installations year’s in the making. Rather than feel lofty and a touch unrealistic, the conference brought modern studios and artists together to showcase live projects where art was commissioned by serious players from the business community, and digital design was used to enhance public realm.
This year’s conference (the organisers hope it won’t be the last), also highlighted those just starting out. People who have a passion for design but no business acumen or manufacturing knowledge who are learning the harsh realities of a modern design industry by doing.
But as with most of the work featured at Made North action and visuals speak louder than words so here’s our top 5 picks from an inspiring day where analogue manufacturing met digital design.
1. High Arctic – United Visual Artists
When invited to the Arctic Circle to experience and document climate change the artists could have, and did, take stunning and emotive photographs depicting the earth’s demise. However creative director Matt Clark then took it one step further and created a series of abstract light displays, digitally programmed to change and move to reflect the shifting climate. When set to Nick Drake’s poem ‘The Farewell Glacier’ they have a much starker effect than your average photography exhibition focusing on climate change.
2. Cloud – Troika
One of our most anticipated speakers, Eva Rucki from London design studio Troika did not disappoint presenting a plethora of digital art commissions from falling pools of light for Swarowski to spinning thixotropes at Selfridges. Each commission was built and tested in their studio with a time lapse piece to prove it. The most remarkable piece was The Cloud for Heathrow Terminal 5 . This was for many reasons from the electro-magnetic parts recycled from transport screens to give the sound of travel, to the testing and the stumbling blocks to overcome. The thing that makes this stand out above all their other commissions was the reaction of the client. Someone who is genuinely excited by and appreciative of the craftmanship, not someone who is paying lip service to arts and culture.
3. More 4 – Jason Bruges Studio
Studio Manager at Jason Bruges Studio, Sam Hoey was for us the best speaker of the day. Not only for his humility, he’s just a guy working on ace commissions, doing great work, with an awesome team – aren’t we all? But more importantly for the way his studio applied digital technology to real life situations and made it relevant for everyone. From a subway station in Sunderland that can sense movement and record it in a permanent light installation, to a giant shimmering waterfall of mirrors the work showcased was playful and inviting. The most impressive was the work for the recent re-brand of More 4, taking a brand creation from another studio and finding an interpretative way to showcase the brand without being an obvious billboard. Genius.
More 4 Idents – Jason Bruges Studio
4. Corin Mellor
A Sheffield lad, born into the design and manufacturing industry in his father’s company David Mellor Design, this guy was having no messing about. He had a straight forward way of describing what he does (design, then make, then sell things) and an obvious disdain for anything cool and quirky. Corin Mellor was like the Jarvis Cocker of design refusing to make his own designs once he saw the slight hint of a copy by Ikea, until they stopped producing it when he immediately put it back into production. He’s also annoyed by design suddenly becoming popular when “it’s been around for centuries”. From anyone else this would have been petulance but he carried it off as British eccentricity. There are no flash videos and no beautiful images here, just good solid design. Well thought out, carefully crafted and beautifully executed cutlery, tables, stools and other household items. Oh yeah, and his dad designed Traffic Lights.
5. Alexandra Deschamps-Sonsimo
Having a tough slot being the first up after lunch, she showed no signs of post-food fatigue. One of the most informative presentation for aspiring makers and manufacturers of the future, Alexandra (@iotwatch on twitter) took us on a whistle stop tour of rapid prototyping and crafting at 3am in your pyjamas. Highlighting new routes to funding including crowd funding and specialist financers willing to take a punt on the next Terence Conran or Charles Eames, we were told in no uncertain terms that we had a nostalgic view of manufacturing. Yes the big factories employing thousands of workers have gone, but manufacturing and production is alive, well and leading the way in the UK with international players like Ponoko and Shapeways putting the ball back in your court.
The day was filled with interesting speakers sharing their knowledge, expertise, experiences and in some cases being honest an frank about hard lessons learned and how to find more where they came from. If this top five doesn’t give you a taste of the day’s goings on then maybe Monica Tailor’s amazing hand drawn infographics will. They were made on the day in the spirit of manufacturing and design.
You can find more digital goings on documented on the Kilo 75 Flickr feed.
Image Top: Simon Wilson