MADE TalentLAB: Get to know the future of product design

MADE started its crowdsourcing and crowdfunding platform TalentLAB at the end of 2017, asking young and emerging designers to submit projects that they would like to see realized. Designers upload their proposals to the website. MADE then curates collections from these designs and the products that prove most popular and will get funding, will be put into production.  We sat down with three designers, who participate in the first TalentLAB collection, and talked with them about their products, their background and much more.

Leliana Desk by Naomi Cheney

FM: Please introduce yourself. How did your find your way to MADE’s Talent LAB?

My name is Naomi Cheney. I studied Interior Design at Sheffield Hallam and since then, I’ve mainly been working in retail design for homeware. I currently work for a bathroom company called soak.com and I get to do a bit of furniture design and influence with the buyers for the product range. I’m really excited about doing more, especially as I’m in the process of buying a house. I can’t wait to start creating my own furniture! I have a passion for interior and furniture design, and while I personally prefer mid-century, Scandi and industrial design (a bit eclectic I know!) I just love to see any style of design done well. This is why I’m thrilled to be part of MADE’s TalentLAB.

FM: What makes your piece of furniture „Leliana Desk“ special?

When I designed the Leliana dressing table, my intention was to create something beautiful, compact and flexible to suit the needs of people. The design allows people to utilise whatever storage they need in adaptable spaces created with moveable dividers. The closable lid means that when it’s in use, everything is in reach quickly, but when it’s closed it’s all hidden away. The sliding tray on top allows for everyday items to be accessible straight away.

FM: What makes design unique for you?

I love design that is useful and accessible for many people but still elegant. I like to think about how people really live. I love an uncluttered space, but it’s not always achievable, so storage which allows you to be messy and then hide it all is great. I like something which almost forces me to be organised by being so well designed that I want to make sure the beauty of the design is shown.

Elliday Lamp by Elitsa Boneva

FM: Please introduce yourself. How did your find your way to MADE’s Talent LAB?

Hello my name is Elitsa Boneva and I am from Bulgaria. I am a product designer, and I have recently graduated from Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne. Currently I am doing my product development internship in London. With my university projects I have demonstrated my ambition to innovate in various directions through effective use of materials and processes, forms, and showing the ability to problem solve. Talented and organised, with an inner flame for constant upskilling and professional development within the design world.

FM: What makes your piece of furniture „Ellieday“ special?

Ellieday task light has been influenced from common mechanical engineering parts combined with traditional manufacturing processes. Its functionality allows the consumer to interact freely and to perform routine tasks within the workplace.

The ball and socket joint permits a multidirectional, precise movement and rotation in relation to the lighting source. Positioned with respect to the fixed ‘stem’ of the Ellieday light, a custom brass component has been designed to hold and support the slide linear movement of the lampshade. The interaction with a beautiful brass thumb screw enable us to perform this slide linear motion, changing the height of the light. Fitted with a bearing inside of the base, the Ellieday light can be rotated with as little friction as possible. A 180 degree yaw movement of the base prevents the cable of twisting inside of the brass tube. With its absolute versatility of movement and modern approach to interaction design, the Ellieday light can also be characterized as a modular object.
The Ellieday light refers to a person’s total interaction experience and is designed in order to optimize human overall performance within the urban workplaces.

FM: What makes design unique for you?

For me this must be a very well thoughtful design, which means that there should be a purpose and a necessity of the product. We need to design our lives with care and not much of a chaos should be included in the design.

Swappi Cart by Omayra Maymó

FM: Please introduce yourself. How did your find your way to MADE’s Talent LAB?

My name is Omayra Maymó I am a Spanish architect and designer based in Copenhagen, where I set up my studio in 2016. I work in the fields of furniture, lighting and home accessories design, and I am currently designing full time for Ferm Living.

Regarding my philosophy as a designer, I never start by thinking about the object itself, but instead I think about the relationship that will be created between that object and its user in more emotional aspects. As I always say, I see myself as a storyteller. I conceive the object is a form of expression and my aim is to explore its narrative and expressive potential on different levels. My designs are the language of an intention, an idea that wants to be transmitted beyond the object’s functionality, in order to provoke emotions and move people, turning them from spectators to actors.

FM: What makes your piece of furniture „Swappi Cart“ special?

The Swappi Cart finds its inspiration in the old sewing box/toolbox typology. It revolves around the concepts of decomposition, expansion, instability and multiplicity, and its most distinctive feature lies on its level of interaction with the user: the drawers can be moved horizontally, “unstructuring” the overall shape and hence creating free shelving surfaces. It enables the user to customize his cart, adapting it to the needs of each particular situation. This playful adaptability ensures that the Swappi Cart will remain with its user for a lifetime and adapt to his changes and evolution. The clean and simple-lines of the design enhance the timelessness and make it a suitable piece for different types of spaces.

FM: What makes design unique for you?

Design is personal. It is a connection between object and user. A design can´t be unique in itself, but come across as unique to some people who experience it in a certain manner. I see unique designs as those who succeed in transmitting new ideas, feelings or emotions to me and manage to stimulate or provoke me in some kind of way. We should surround ourselves with objects that carry some meaning for us and have the ability to enrich our everyday experiences. Ultimately, design is humanism.

Did you get inspired by the products from Omayra, Elitsa and Naomi? Do you want your design to be featured in a future TalentLAB collection? Head over to the TalentLAB website and upload your proposal.