Designersblock

Designersblock have people and products to help.

Designersblock are curating an area within Thinking Space that mixes cutting edge product with people – all with the overarching theme of doing better business
It will address the four key questions that retailers, designers and buyers have uppermost in their minds – how to do better business in a difficult climate, sustainability, taking advantage of the net and sourcing innovative products.

Understanding sustainability
How can you incorporate sustainability into your business? Find new and interesting ideas for sustainable products, customer marketing and ways of running your business. Check out Hendzel and Hunt, Eluna, Lost Values and Sarah Turner.

Sourcing new products
Catch a glimpse of the future from the products of today from new designers and new design businesses. For example, Tortie Hoare – New Designer of the Year 2010 – with her collection of unique boiled leather furniture. You’ll also find Claire Anne O’Brien, Cristiana Ionescu, CultureLabel.com, Daniel Heath, Graphic Relief, Jo Angell, Hulger, Laura Perryman, Lazerian, Marita Szkutnik, Puff & Flock, Rosemary Anrude, Show and Tell design, Smths lab, Studio 801, Bouncepad, Chris Eckersley, Penelope Jordan, Sitting Firm, Wallpapered.com and more.

You’ll find great designs in Designersblock area that you may want to purchase immediately. Or you could talk with designers about a future production run – if you’re a retailer there could be the exclusive opportunity at interiors 2011 to make a new range your own.

Taking advantage of the net – meet and talk with the people who can help
What the best way to promote yourself online? Trying to implement an   ecommerce website or just looking to increase your visibility online? Speak to the experts who can advise on navigating the opportunities and pitfalls .

SUNDAY 23
Suzanne Trocme, FRSA, furniture designer, author, editor-at-large Wallpaper magazine	After four years as an art director at Conde Nast Publications followed by 12 years of editiorial art directorship at IPC Magazines, Susanne established the Inchoots partnership in 1998. Her company has recently celebrated ten years of working with compaines that include British Home Stores; Reuters and Capital Radio; interior designer Kelly Hoppen and retailers Dower & Hall.
Susanne Pinter, Creative Director, Incahoots	A successful and award-winning designer since 2006, Suzanne worked for Benetton and Paul Smith during their expansion years and later for Ralph Lauren Polo Store Development, Europe. An expert in architecture and design, she has written for a variety of publications including The New York Times Magazine, Architectural Digest, and Wallpaper.
MONDAY 24TH
Peter Tullin, Simon Cronshaw, Co-founders, CultureLabel	Cultural entrepreneurs and co-founders Simon Cronshaw and Peter Tullin quit their day jobs in 2007 to prove that arts organisations can create new commercial income. CultureLabel.com is the result - a website where art, product, design, history, fashion and culture collide, with art galleries and museums centre-stage as the stars of the show.
TUESDAY 25
Nick Roope, Founder, Partner , Poke	Nicolas Roope is currently Co-chair at Internet Week Europe; UK Webby Ambassador at Webby Awards;Founder/Owner at HULGER/Pokia; Executive Creative Director/Partner/ Founder/Owner at Poke - a creative company based in London and New York. Hulger has now launched the Plumen 001, the world's first designer low energy light bulb.
WEDNESDAY 26TH
Theo Williams, Creative Director, Habitat	Theo Williams graduated in industrial design at Bristol and Manchester and moved to Milan in 1991. From 2004 he spent three years in Amsterdam as Creative Director for product licencing and brand direction for Mexx (Liz Claibourne, USA). Since November 2007 he has been based in London as Design Director for Habitat.
Charles O’ Neil, Digital Strategy Director, Lloyd Northover Twentysix	Twentysix is a full service digital marketing agency that creates award-winning digital experiences for some of the world’s biggest brands. You can also hear all these experts speaking in the Seminar Theatre – don’t miss them. See the seminar programme for details of times

N.B. Mark Dale, an expert on technology commercialisation from Conceptability, will also be around for one-to-one advice on building better businesses.

		Lazerian Lazerian is a creative practice started in 2006 by Liam Hopkins, a Manchester born designer of contemporary furniture and objects for the home. You can view and buy Lazerian contemporary furniture designs at selected retailers across the region or from their online shop. Designer lighting by Lazerian is unique, constructed from modular components and finishished by hand in the Lazerian studio in manchest. Each of their unique lightshades can become a striking centerpiece of any room.

		Hendzel and Hunt Hendzel and Hunt is a newly established London based design studio, specialising in the manufacture and design of bespoke cabinets and furniture. Designed and built with sustainability in mind the MADE IN PECKHAM range is constructed from reclaimed and waste materials sourced from the streets. These rough materials are up-cycled, transforming them into elegant and highly desirable furniture. The Range uses traditional cabinetmakers jointing techniques without the use of metal fixings of any kind.

		Tortie Hoare Tortie Hoare designs and makes furniture that is ergonomic, durable and aesthetically pleasing. Her collection comes from creating structural 3d shapes that are an environmentally conscious alternative to using plastics or resin. Through her research she came across the french medieval process of boiling leather. All the pieces in the collection are handmade and designed by Tortie. The pieces are comfortable to use and beautifuly unique, right down to marks where the cow has scratched against a bush.

		Show and Tell design An independent UK based manufacturer/design company of high quality furniture, lighting and interior products for both the domestic and contract markets. At their London studio and workshop, prior to manufacturing, concepts are developed, reworked and simplified, into their basic essential form, creating long lasting quality. Show & Tell Design aim to provide designer products and bespoke furniture to the highest quality.

		eluna eluna brings creative innovation and environmental sustainability to the building industry. Using glass bottles and float glass from the domestic and industrial waste stream, eluna provides ethical alternatives to natural stone, such as marble and granite, and man-made materials i.e. resin. eluna products are extremely versatile and can be applied in the built environment; interiors, exteriors, building and landscape projects. Clients include: Local Authorities, Property Developers, Housing Associations, Interior Designers, Architects, Artists as well as Private Clients.

		Hulger Hulger will be showing Plumen at Designersblock. Plumen is the antithesis of low energy light bulbs as we know them. Rather than hide the unappealing traditional compact fluorescent light behind boring utility, Plumen 001 is a bulb you’ll want on show. The Plumen 001 is the world’s first designer energy saving light bulb and uses 80% less energy and lasts 8 times longer than incandescent bulbs, giving you the opportunity to purchase an ecological product with style. It works just like any low energy bulb but it has a lot more presence.