The Design Guild Mark is now accepting applications for next year’s awards and a new Lighting Design category has been launched for 2020.
The new category, which will reward excellence in the design of table lights, floor lamps, pendants, ceiling and wall lights, outdoor lighting and technical/system lighting, complements the returning categories, Furniture and Textiles, Wall coverings, Surfaces, Carpets and Floor coverings.
Designers and companies have until 28 November 2019 to submit an entry to meet the early bird deadline and until 23 January 2020 for the final deadline.
Designs awarded a Design Guild 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 category deemed to be the most outstanding by the judges will also win the Jonathan Hindle Prize for Excellence – a £1,000 cash prize.
As always, a jury of distinguished names from the design community will independently judge the applications for each category with the guidance of Rodney McMahon, Design Guild Mark chairman.
Rodney McMahon, chairman of the Design Guild Mark, said: “The variety and quality of designs, from both established and aspiring designers, applying for the Design Guild Mark is always stimulating. With the launch of the Lighting Design categories this year, we now have three different design strands that we hope will attract an even broader range of applicants and ensure that the award of a Design Guild Mark continues to be something to which to aspire.”
Furniture category judge Jeremy Myerson, professor of design at the Royal College of Art, added: “The Design Guild Mark remains the gold standard in design excellence for manufactured furniture. This year the accent was on simplicity, authenticity, finesse and fitness for purpose.”
New Lighting Design category judge John Tree, product designer at Jasper Morrison, commented: “I’m super excited that the Design Guild Mark has both added a lighting category and invited me to be one of the judges. Design Guild Mark has filled a noticeable gap in the UK by providing a platform for the recognition of excellence in furniture design.”
The Design Guild Mark judging panels for 2020 will be:
Furniture
Joanna Biggs – GA Design
Sarah Bryan – Sheppard Robson
Elliott Koehler – Layer Design
Jeremy Myerson – Royal College of Art
Tom Pearce – Farrah & Pearce
Campbell Thompson – The Conran Shop
Terence Woodgate – Studio Woodgate
Lighting Design
Simon Alderson – twentytwentyone
Tim Rundle – Tim Rundle 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 – RCA
Natasha Marshall – Natasha Marshall
Corinne Pringle – tp bennett
Peter Thwaites – Rapture & Wright
Find out more about the judges – view their profiles
