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New Tech and Old Materials at designjunction London 2015

By Sam Dunne - October 7, 2015

designjunction Returning to LDF this year across two new locations Sam Dunne 1 of 43

Luum Dangling light installation inside the venues Victorian deep stairwells Sam Dunne 2 of 43

Yves Behar supported start-up aiming to make home products and furnishing highly cutomizable with the help of VR technology. Sam Dunne 3 of 43

Tylko App Users can customize colors, shapes and sizes for everything from peppermills to furniture using an app, mobile phone or tablet and augmented reality tools. Sam Dunne 4 of 43

Tylko app Yves Behar demonstrates Tylko augmented reality apps Sam Dunne 5 of 43

Tylko App Yves Behar supported start-up aiming to make home products and furnishing highly cutomizable with the help of technology—augmented reality and a mobile phone or tablet. Sam Dunne 6 of 43

Artcoustic Speaker blocks that can be fitted with custom printed panels Sam Dunne 7 of 43

Pion lights by Bertjan Pot Minimal stitched paper lights from the Wrong For Hay collection Sam Dunne 8 of 43

Tree Trunk vase by Richard Woods Nature inspired ceramics from Wrong For Hay collection Sam Dunne 9 of 43

Leaf by Haberdashery Decorative light scultpure made from delicate bone china and gold. Sam Dunne 10 of 43

Moltair Watch for Nomad by Samuel Wilkinson Minimal timepieces launches at designjunction Sam Dunne 11 of 43

Knit by Curver Leading plastic manufacturer takes over designjunction showing off their knitted effect wares produced with a new method of deep-texture injection. Sam Dunne 12 of 43

Knit by Curver Leading plastic manufacturer takes over designjunction showing off their knitted effect wares produced with a new method of deep-texture injection. Here, ottomans and sidetables manufactured to look like textile poufs. Sam Dunne 13 of 43

Knit by Curver Leading plastic manufacturer takes over designjunction showing off their knitted effect wares produced with a new method of deep-texture injection. Sam Dunne 14 of 43

Keyway Ruler by Will Baugh for Tools for Everyday Life Objects exploring the roles and relevancy of materials and process knowledge in product design and use. A collection of Keyway Rulers. Sam Dunne 15 of 43

Tools for Everyday Life Objects exploring the roles and relevancy of materials and process knowledge in product design and use. Objects from the collection. Sam Dunne 16 of 43

Square by Areti On-grid lightpiece by Atelier Areti. Sam Dunne 17 of 43

Vilda collection by Gemla Beautifully crafted bent birch and leather chairs by Swedish brand Gemla. Sam Dunne 18 of 43

Vilda Collection by Gemla Beautifully crafted bent birch and leather chairs by Swedish brand Gemla. Sam Dunne 19 of 43

Vilda Collection by Gemla Beautifully crafted bent birch and leather chairs by Swedish brand Gemla. Sam Dunne 20 of 43

Vilda Collection by Gemla Beautifully crafted bent birch and leather chairs by Swedish brand Gemla. Sam Dunne 21 of 43

Signage at designjunction Wayfinding through the show's two packed venues. Sam Dunne 22 of 43

Bolt stool by Note Design Studio for La Chance Beautifully simple contruction Sam Dunne 23 of 43

Rocky sideboard by Charles Kalpakian for La Chance Optical illusionary shelving Sam Dunne 24 of 43

Vulcain lamp by Pool for La Chance Perforated lampshade and satisfying key switch. Sam Dunne 25 of 43

Tembo stool by Note Design Studio for La Chance Postmodern marvel fashioned from stacked wood, metal and cork Sam Dunne 26 of 43

Kirkby Design x Jon Burgeman The fabric producer teams up with NYC 'doodle' artist to create a wacky new collection Sam Dunne 27 of 43

Windsor Rocker by Katie Walker A contemporary take on the traditional rocking chair for Sitting Firm Sam Dunne 28 of 43

A Changebox by Layer British designer Benjamin Hubert demonstrates some new and recent work — Maggie's Changebox rethinks the charity box. Sam Dunne 29 of 43

Worldbeing for The Carbon Trust by Layer British designer Benjamin Hubert demonstrates some new and recent work — an app and wristband tracks consumer carbon usage in real time. Sam Dunne 30 of 43

Sculptures by Kunuki Maeda Unusual sculptures assembled from slices of coloured neoprene from Minale Maeda. Sam Dunne 31 of 43

Jardin d'Hiver by Geraldine Biard Bedside table with handy integrated night lamp Sam Dunne 32 of 43

Yutu Segawa Ceramics Incredible miniature ceramic creations Sam Dunne 33 of 43

Pren collection by Louise Tucker Intricate woven lampshades using traditional techniques and sustainable wood sources Sam Dunne 34 of 43

Aninag chair by Evangaline Pesigan Traditional Phillipine craft techniques meet with contempory western form. Sam Dunne 35 of 43

Elastic Lights by Marta Bordes Geometic ceramic forms juxtaposed with fluoroscent elastic string. Sam Dunne 36 of 43

Watura Goto Unusual hook on the back of a hand crafted wooden chair Sam Dunne 37 of 43

Goat Story coffee mug by Desnahemisfera Design Studio Modern take on drinking horn Sam Dunne 38 of 43

Paper vases by Octaevo Colourful water holding origami objects Sam Dunne 39 of 43

The Pen by Ajoto Deconstructed pen display Sam Dunne 40 of 43

Clic Wooden iPhone cases by Native Union Bright plastics meet dark woods Sam Dunne 41 of 43

Concrete Candleholders by Korridor Design Geometric forms in soft pastel hues Sam Dunne 42 of 43

Eggpot and Shovel by Lahla Studio Quintessetentially British novelty breakfast eating ensemble Sam Dunne 43 of 43

With over 180 brands spread over two venues, this year's presentation at designjunction was a diverse celebration of design. With the main event taking place at the former Central Saint Martin's building in Bloomsbury, visitors had a unique experience of inhabiting the hallways and studio spaces that incubated the ideas and dreams of young designers, some who were now showing their products on a professional stage.

A return to natural materials like wood and cane contrasted with designs enabled by technology. Tylko, a new Polish company backed by Yves Behar, demonstrated the power of augmented reality for furniture and product customization. Consumers can build and "place" customized furniture through an app on their mobile tablet or phone. British designer Benjamin Hubert rebranded his studio as Layer, presenting a collection of recent work—including an app and wearable that tracks the user's carbon footprint. Plastics manufacturer Curver debuted a new collection of products with a knit-like surface produced through a method of "deep-texture injection."

Overall, the mix of new products and ideas coupled with the design shopping experience at the Victoria House showed that design can be democratic, aspirational and inspirational.

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Ana Azevedo

8 years ago

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Designjuction this year was a very good surprise! I also wrote about the most innovative highlights, find them on my blog: http://blog.openplanliving.net/london-design-festival-2015-highlights-designjunction/.

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Sam Dunne

Sam Dunne is a designer, strategist and writer based in London. Sam is founder of design strategy agency Cohere and Contributing Editor at Core77—reporting broadly on design, technology, food and object culture.