At the time of writing, a staggering 2,503 people have already voted for their favourite shortlisted designer in the confessions of a design geek bursary. It’s too close to call at the moment, and voting is open until 23.59 on Wednesday 27th November 2013, so I thought I would hand over to the shortlisted designers, so you can find out a bit more about them and see some more pictures of their fabulous products too! If you haven’t voted yet, hopefully this will help you to make up your mind….
Annabel Perrin says, “I was utterly thrilled when I found out I’d made the shortlist, I even did a dance around the room! This has been the absolute highlight of my first year of business.”
“I think people should vote for me because I offer a vibrant range of well designed and high quality homeware products,” says Annabel. “I hope my enthusiasm for design, exceptional colour palettes and intelligent pattern shines through in my collection. I strive to create products that offer something different from the norm, brighten up homes and make people smile.”
“What would winning mean to me?” she says. “I really value this rare opportunity and the fact it will make me the best that I can be. I work hard on my collections and love every minute of it. The bursary would boost my business confidence and introduce my products to a wider market. I know I would relish and make the very most of every opportunity offered to me through this privileged experience. It would be such an honour to learn from industry experts who are willing to share their knowledge with emerging designers. Please vote for me!”
Keith Varney says, “I have to admit to being completely stunned by the news that I’d been shortlisted. It was one of those moments when I had to look twice, as I couldn’t believe my eyes. I’m always thankful for any successes and the good things that have happened to me, often when I least expect them!”
“People should vote for me because my fine bone china vases have a simple and unique design, which is both elegant and contemporary,” he says. “I’m busy working on increasing the range at the moment and many new designs are planned for the coming months. I aim to make beautiful objects, which are a pleasure to live with and satisfy both the eye and the hand. Showing my work at Home London would be the ideal place to have my work seen by a much wider audience. Currently all of the work is made by my own hands, but I’m really interested in the possibility of licensing my products and working with British ceramics manufacturers.”
Keith says, “Winning the vote would be a big step in the right direction. One of the things that I have learned in my first few years of business, is that to be successful requires a considerable number of skills and we need all the help, advice and guidance we can get. It can be very difficult on your own and the support that the bursary offers would be invaluable in taking my business forward. This is such a great opportunity, the possibility of winning gives me real excitement for the future. It takes lots of hard work and determination to succeed.”
Fanny Shorter says, “I was absolutely thrilled and extremely flattered when I heard I’d been shortlisted for the confessions of a design geek bursary. I went home and tidied until two o’clock in the morning because sleep wasn’t really an option! Just applying for the bursary has really fired me up so I was incredibly happy to have been shortlisted.”
“Answering questions like ‘why should people vote for me’ make me nervous!” says Fanny “It’s a bit obvious, but it would have to be because they like my work and identify with what I’m doing and how I’ve come to where I am. I am a huge advocate of the handmade, but aesthetic is just as important and I try to stay faithful to both. This is true of all the makers on the shortlist though, so I imagine the choice will be a hard one.”
“Winning would mean a lot of different things. It would be an amazing opportunity to show my products to a wider audience. Having the benefit of all the advice the bursary provides would prove invaluable. It would help me to really make the most of my first trade show. On a more specific note, the bursary would further enable me to communicate the processes involved in making my products. Screen printing is so satisfying and a lovely process to watch but hard to describe and the photo shoot and film could provide a great ‘behind the scenes’ experience,” says Fanny.
Taz Pollard says, “How did I feel when I found out I’d been shortlisted? Well, I did a little dance around the house in my PJs but I am not sure everyone wants to know that! I was really excited, surprised, overwhelmed and very happy!”
“Why should people vote for me?” she says. “This is a really hard one to answer, perhaps because I am trying to do something that is different and innovative. Combining plastic and ceramic is rarely done and by doing so I am hoping to produce work that is both contemporary and pushes the boundaries of what is acceptable in ceramic design.”
“Winning would be huge for me, coming from a rural area I have less access to the kind if mentoring that is part of the bursary. I have made a great start to my career, but there are areas where I now need input to help my business grow and move forward. This is such an exciting opportunity which I am very grateful to be a part of,” says Taz.
Nancy Straughan says, “I was absolutely thrilled when I discovered I’d made the shortlist! When I entered the competition my thought process was ‘Well, I should give it a shot.’ I never expected to make it to the final five! Of course, I had all my fingers crossed and hoped to be shortlisted but it was definitely a very pleasant surprise!
“What makes all the hard work and late nights worthwhile is all the support I have received from my friends and family. They are all so proud of me, and that is so important as a designer. I think as a creative person, you really need that love and support from people. I’ll admit I’ve even been close to tears from all the amazing things friends and strangers have done for me over the past few days. I am so grateful for all the support and help that many of you have given me already.”
“People should vote for me because my work has a focus on sustainability,” she says. “I don’t design for trends as I want my products to look amazing for years and years – that is the most important thing for me to address as a designer. My print designs are classics and are based on 1950s and Scandinavian design – patterns like that really stand the test of time.
“People should vote for me to help support sustainable design. All the materials I use are as ethical and environmentally friendly as possible, my fabrics are printed onto organic base cloths and my paper products are made from recycled paper and printed with vegetable inks. Each stage of producing my products has an environmentally friendly focus. From cushions to notebooks, everything is designed by me and produced using ethically sourced materials in the UK.”
Nancy says: “Winning the confessions of a design geek bursary would change my life. The prize will turn my career aspiration into a career reality. I hope that people can recognise that I really care about what I make – I love creating things for people that are ethical as well as being well designed. I want to make beautiful things that people will love and cherish without compromising on quality.
“I am really lucky just to be able to work at what I love. I can’t imagine being anything else other than a textile designer. Getting this far, and being recognised by a panel of professionals as a talented designer is a prize in itself.
Voting for me means recognising all my hard work and love that I put into all of my products. Your support means the absolute world to me and I appreciate that more than I can express. It may sound cheesy but winning the bursary really would change everything for me.”
Don’t forget to VOTE HERE before 23.59 on Wednesday 27th November 2013!
With thanks to confessions of a design geek bursary partners: Home London, the Southbank Centre Shop, wallunica, Yeshen Venema, R&A Collaborations, Seen PR, Mini Moderns, HAM, Decorum, October Communications, The Design Trust and Jessica Hogarth.
