Joss Barton was one of the five designers shortlisted for the confessions of a design geek bursary. He’s a man of few words, so it was lovely to get to know him a little bit during the show, but I was keen to find about more about what makes him tick…
What’s the most important thing to know about you?
I am a maker; always have been, always will be. My favourite place to be is a workshop with lots of machines and materials to play with.
How did you feel when you found out you’d been shortlisted for the confessions of a design geek bursary?
I only found out about the bursary a couple of days before the deadline, so after quickly putting together an application I never expected to be shortlisted. It’s absolutely brilliant to be recognised for the work I do.
What did you get out of being part of Home London?
Apart from the great exposure from being at a big trade event like Home, I secured a project with a very well known furniture store and met a lovely group of people.
What have you got planned as a result?
I am now working on this new project to have it ready for London Design Festival – it feels great to be working on something new.
What inspires your designs?
The properties of a material are central to my designs. I love reading about new materials and the development of pre-existing materials to give them new characteristics and then figuring out a way to use this in a piece of design.
Talk me through your design process from initial idea to final product.
Experimentation with the manipulation of different materials is always my starting point. From this I can develop different forms using a combination of model making and sketching. I find working in this way great for producing sculptural furniture that pushes a material to its boundaries. Once I am happy I adapt the design for batch production so that I can produce for market.
Describe a really good day and really bad day in the life of Joss Barton.
The days I enjoy most are those when I create models and prototypes for a new piece of furniture, the days I hate are when there are numbers to crunch or photos to edit.
What are you most proud of?
Being invited to design and exhibit work at a number of big shows over the past year and a half, including projects with The Cottage Project and Dwell.
What advice would you give to an aspiring designer?
Dedication and determination are key to becoming a designer.
And finally, what’s your favourite colour?!
British Racing Green!
Further reading for the especially geeky:
- interview :: jessica hogarth
- coadg bursary :: win a stand at home london
- interview :: ham
- interview :: mini moderns
These lights are stunning and I love the pattern they make on the ceiling when switched on. It’s also great to see the photos of the making process, I love to find out more about what goes in to making products.