Scroll to top

What did the Furniture category judges say?


Design Guild Mark - July 10, 2019 - 0 comments

It goes without saying that we do not take the matter of who judges the Design Guild Mark lightly.

In fact, we scour the UK design community to ensure the authority and credibility of the panel is without question.

Once again, we were delighted to welcome a group of design and interiors experts – all of whom are passionate about what the Design Guild Mark represents – to judge the Furniture category in 2019.

Every year, following the judging day, we find out from the panel what they thought of the day as a whole, the pieces they reviewed and whether they could spot any emerging trends.

Here’s what the Furniture category judges said:

'The shortlist for the 2019 Design Guild Mark provided a diverse approach to materials, process and form. Creativity was consistent throughout and it was inspiring to hear from the designers directly. There were several clear winners and those that warranted healthy debate amongst the judges to gain consensus. Such is the strength of the Design Guild Mark; to ensure a wealth of design excellence is recognised.'

— Simon Alderson

Co-founder of twentytwentyone

‘The diversity of entrants shone through, with a wonderful eclecticism in craft, materials and manufacturing processes on show as well as approach to ecological responsibility. As the world of work, life and play blurs, so did the ideas of the entrants, with many pieces adaptable enough to be useful in many different contexts without compromising their purposefulness, design quality, or indeed their commitment to pushing the wellness agenda forward.’

— Helen Berresford RIBA

Head of ID:SR

‘This year’s winners provided a refreshing mix of clever ideas, beautifully crafted details and creative solutions on how to live, work and relax. It’s always a pleasure to be involved in the process and I hope the results will inspire more unique and innovative entries next year.’

— Joanna Biggs

Director at GA Design

‘The diversity of the projects was refreshing and the crafted skills of the selected work really sparked some good discussions within the judging panel. The Design Guild Mark is an honour to win and the selected designs will really live it to this highly regarded award and will no doubt stand the test of time as design classics. It was a real privilege to be part of the Design Guild Mark judging day.’

— Elliott Koehler

Designer at Layer Design

‘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.’

— Jeremy Myerson

Professor of design at the Royal College of Art

‘Celebrating and awarding British design talent is a pleasure but made even more rewarding when so many of this year’s entries have made a considered effort to reduce their impact on our environment. From the use of sustainable organic material to carefully sourced non-toxic wood glues – it’s an inspiring time for change and fascinating to see a more ecological approach to furniture design.’

— Tom Pearce

Co-founder of Farrah & Pearce

‘The submissions this year were of a really high calibre and it was pleasing to see innovative thinking and skill of manufacture in all of the winning entries. The Design Guild Mark is a great way to recognise the talent and hard work of designers working in the UK and it was a pleasure to see designers and manufacturers present the concepts and processes involved in their work.’

— Campbell Thompson

Head of furniture and lighting at The Conran Shop

‘The designs were a pleasure to judge with the work presented being diverse in form and function. There were some exceptional designs, well considered and executed. Design for me is a mix of art and technology and we certainly experienced designs at both ends of the spectrum.’

— Terence Woodgate

Founder of Terence Woodgate

Keep checking back as over the next month we’ll be posting what the 2D judges said.

Related posts

Post a Comment