out and about :: pulse

As part of my role as official blogger for Pulse, I had the very tricky task of selecting my top ten Launchpad exhibitors. Not easy, given how much talent there was, but I tried to make my selection based on originality and make sure a range of disciplines were represented. Those of you who visited the show will have to tell me if you agree with my choices! In no particular order…

Farmer’s daughter and Ruskin graduate Joanna is the brains behind HAM, a homeware brand inspired by her childhood pet pig Primrose. Her deceptively simple black on white designs all feature pigs, horses and rabbits living life to the full. I loved their innocence, simplicity and gentle humour.

There were a lot of soft furnishings at Pulse, so this one had to really stand out. I liked Lindsey Lang‘s muted, mid-century colour palate and the quiet confidence of her designs.

I couldn’t resist these little ‘Post Carden’s by Another Studio for Design – on receiving one, you fold up the house, pop the seeds into the lawn, water… and one week later your garden grows. Adorable.

Launchpad is dedicated to new designers, and right at the heart of Launchpad was the University of the Arts London stand. Over a hundred students and graduates applied to be on this stand, so those that made it through were the cream of the crop. I love meeting students and recent graduates, so it was a real treat to interview some of them live on my stand. This is me (in desperate need of a haircut!) chatting to Finchittida Finch.

And I was very pleased to be able to award two students my little top ten tags…

Dan McMahon‘s Captain Hook Lamp remains switched off when it’s hung up, and turns itself on when you bring it down to shine it on something.

It’s rare to see something with new functionality these days – and something that looks this gorgeous.

And I also loved this multi-functional Shuffle Tidy by Ralli Design made from earthenware and ash.

I’d seen Victoria Delaney‘s perforated bowls at London Design Festival and loved them. Developing them into lights is a stroke of genius – I love the shadows they throw.

I don’t know if any of you watched Design for Life. Presented by Philippe Starck, it was X-Factor for design geeks and I was hooked. My favourite contestant and the eventual winner was Ilsa Parry, so you can imagine how star struck I was when I met her at Pulse, with the product that she won with – Flo.

Flo is a walking and standing aid, which helps people not only to get about, but to stand up from a seated position while maintaining their dignity and independence.  It couldn’t not have a tag.

Jill Shaddock uses slipcasting techniques to create these beautiful layered pots. Again, its great to see a new technique executed this well. I’m a big fan.

I’m a sucker for a bit of letterpress, so Marby & Elm had me at “Thank you”…

I also love screenprinting, and there was a lot of it at Pulse. There is a real trend at the moment for screenprinting pictures of buildings onto anything flat, so it was really nice to see Auberginette taking this trend and really making it her own. Inspired by Polaroid photographs, her work really stood out as original in this crowded space.

So that’s my top ten from Pulse’s Launchpad. Do you agree? Any you think I’ve missed? Tell me which your favourites were in the comments section below.

Further reading for the especially geeky:

• creative spaces :: chase and wonder
• interview :: sian zeng
• creative spaces :: linda bloomfield
• here’s one I made earlier :: pigeometry by lovely pigeon