An awards programme in any industry or field needs to have a strong, knowledgeable judging panel that commands respect if it is to be successful.
The opinion of someone who has had no success in a subject is worth very little. It is for this reason that the Design Guild Mark is such a respected institution in the design community. Each category – 2D Design, Furniture and Lighting Design –has its own specially selected panel of experts from the design world, each bringing their own distinct opinions and creative insight into the mix.
Furniture category judge Terence Woodgate is an industrial designer specialising in furniture and lighting and in 2014, formed his own eponymous lighting company.
He works from his studio in Mayfield, East Sussex, England. One of the UK’s most respected industrial designers, Woodgate has become known for a stripped-down, elegant modern approach to design with an obsessive attention to detail and manufacture, exemplified in products like the ethereal Surface Table designed with John Barnard for Established & Sons.
He became a Royal Designer for Industry (RDI) in 2003 and has received numerous international design awards, including the Red Dot Best of the Best and the IF ecology award. His current client list includes Established & Sons, Punt Mobles, SCP, Concord Lighting, Case, Objekten, RVB and Habitat International. Examples of his work are held in the permanent collections of the Museu d’Arts Decoratives, Barcelona and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
We caught up with Terence to ask him some questions we ask all our judges.
What first turned you on to a career in the design world?
Seeing a Le Corbusier Grande Comfort with the metal structure outside and celebrated. Modernism.
Can you sum up in a few words what design excellence means to you?
It is where everything is in harmony, right down to the smallest detail, even those unseen.
What do you enjoy most about the Design Guild Mark judging process?
The debates/arguments with people you like and respect. Equally, when we unanimously agree on an excellent design.
What is the hardest part of the process?
Articulating why a design is not worthy, when others think it is!
What is your favourite Design Guild Mark piece of all time and why?
Fred Scott’s Supporto Chair (pictured). I have an original.
What tip would you give a designer coming in to present at the judging day?
Enjoy the moment to show the work. Present the real benefits of the design concisely. Enthusiasm is contagious, so be enthusiastic about your work.
What is the future of design?
The future of design is and always will be exciting. Like any act of creation.
For more information, go to www.studiowoodgate.com
