A Day In The Capital: London Design Festival
One graphic design student + one solo day trip + one very poor sense of direction... what could possibly go wrong? That’s right, your local hermit crab ventured out into The Big City™, because an entire festival dedicated to design was simply too intriguing to miss. Needless to say I couldn’t squeeze the entire events list into an eight hour itinerary, so here’s the stuff I made a beeline for.
The Design Museum celebrates design in all its forms, with the addition of the Beazley Designs of the Year, an exhibition showcasing new and innovative ideas within product design, architecture, graphics, fashion, digital design and transportation. Whilst each concept is unique, many of this year’s entries focus on sustainability and waste reduction - important themes in the current climate. It was refreshing to see conscious design being celebrated, particularly as mainstream reporting on our ecological future is so doom and gloom.
One of my favourite concepts is the Algae Lab; designed by Studio Klarenbeek & Dros, these 3D printed vessels are made entirely from algae, a natural material that could one day replace non-biodegradable plastics. As well as helping to tackle humanity’s waste crisis, they’re also gorgeous to look at, with sculptural, luminescent forms that make ditching plastic all the more appealing. This project, amongst the many others nominated for their pioneering use of materials, made me realise just how important it is to consider the environmental impact of design in our everyday lives - packaging especially. Dutch supermarket chain Ekoplaza’s plastic-free aisle, for example, demonstrates how we could adapt our shopping habits to cut out non-biodegradable packaging, with glass bottles, tins and even clear bags that are all plastic-free.
The Victoria and Albert Museum
Next on my whistle-stop tour of London’s art spots was the V&A. I was particularly keen to check out the “Dazzle” installation; a typographic mural inspired by a camouflage technique used in the war to confuse enemy U-boats. It's definitely visually disorientating, with overlapping stripes that confuse your depth perception, and layers of geometric shapes reminiscent of art movements such as Cubism and Vorticism. Combined with Wilfred Owen’s poetry, the display is a wonderful example of how functional wartime design can be reworked for a contemporary audience.
Lastly, an Isobel-style trip to London wouldn’t be complete without a visit to a stationery shop. Papersmith’s new Chelsea store is practically a museum in itself, with every meticulously designed ink pen and leather-bound notebook occupying its own sacred bit of shelf space. Naturally I did about a dozen laps of the shop floor before buying anything (shoutout to overdrafts) and now my pencil case game is stronger than ever.
So, approximately an hour later than scheduled, I left London feeling exhausted but inspired. I’d conquered my anxiety, had my daily dose of good design and lived to tell the tale. Going into second year (side note: how did that happen?!) I really want to focus on the wider impact of my work in relation to the environment, not just the audience I’m communicating with. This could encompass many aspects of the design process, from the materials I use to how a project functions in a public or green space.
