Designers and companies intending on entering the 2021 Design Guild Mark now have another month to do so as the award’s committee today announced that it was extending the application deadline and postponing the online judging days.
The final submission deadline for this year’s Design Guild Mark is now Friday 26 February 2021.
The judging days, which are taking place virtually this year, are to be moved to the following dates:
- Furniture – Tuesday 20 April 2021
- Textiles, Wall Coverings, Surfaces, Carpets and Floor Coverings – Wednesday 21 April 2021
- Lighting Design – Thursday 22 April 2021
Shortlisted designers will be asked to create a three-minute film of their design, exploring its features and explaining how it meets the award criteria. The film will be watched by the jury ahead of the judging day where the designers will have to present online to the judges, answering any questions they may have about the piece.
Successful designers whose pieces are awarded a Mark will be invited to attend an awards ceremony at a date to be determined.
Rodney McMahon, Design Guild Mark chairman, said: “Last month we took necessary precautions to adapt the 2021 judging days to purely online affairs so we could ensure the safety of everyone involved. However, with the situation having worsened since then and a stay-at-home order in place as part of the third national lockdown, we have decided to postpone the judging days to enable shortlisted entrants more time to be able to film their designs – many of which may not be easily accessible. We still very much look forward to seeing and reviewing this year’s submissions at the new judging days and encourage anyone who hasn’t entered yet to take advantage of the deadline extension.”
The Design Guild Mark, awarded by The Furniture Makers’ Company, has been distinguishing the excellent from the ordinary in the design of furnishings intended for volume production for more than 10 years.
Designs awarded a Mark benefit from increased industry and consumer awareness, press and social media coverage, with the designers and companies behind them also receiving enhanced brand recognition.
The piece from each of the three categories deemed to be the most outstanding by the judges will also win the Jonathan Hindle Prize for Excellence – a £1,000 cash prize.
For more information, please go to www.designguildmark.org.uk.
The Design Guild Mark judging panels for 2021 will be:
Furniture
Joanna Biggs – GA Design
Sarah Bryan – ID:SR
Elliott Koehler – Layer Design
Jeremy Myerson – Royal College of Art
Tom Pearce – Farrah & Pearce
Campbell Thompson – The Conran Shop
Terence Woodgate – Terence Woodgate Design
Lighting Design
Simon Alderson – twentytwentyone
Tim Rundle – Tim Rundle Design Studio
Simon Terry – Anglepoise
John Tree – Jasper Morrison
Sebastian Wrong – Established & Sons
Textiles, Wall Coverings, Surfaces, Carpets and Floor Coverings
Linzi Coppick – Forme UK
Daniel Hopwood – Hopwood Design Studios
Professor Clare Johnson – Royal College Of Art
Natasha Marshall – Natasha Marshall
Corinne Pringle – TP Bennett
Peter Thwaites – Rapture & Wright
