Drop-dead Gorgeous

Industrial design showcasing at London-exhibition

New Simplicityshowcases the work of both established and emerging international product designers, all unified by a shared belief in the pursuit of simplicity. Featuring celebrated designers such as Jasper Morrison and Sam Hecht, alongside a new generation, the exhibition presents classic simple design combined with many new objects which exploit the latest Rapid Manufacturing technologies.

The designers in the show are: Alex Hulme, David Sutton, Industrial Facility (Sam Hecht and Kim Colin), Jasper Morrison, Jochem Faudet, Jon Harrison, Luka Stepan, Mathias Hahn, Min-Kyu Choi, Oscar Diaz and Thomas Wagner. The exhibition is curated by design critic and curator Nuno Coelho.

Simple and practical design has a long tradition; from a pencil, smoke alarm or coat stand to an elegant lamp held together by magnets, the work of a new generation of designers readdresses the ordinary by producing products that are simple, practical and affordable yet visually striking. The digital age has offered new opportunities to designers, and this show highlights the advances brought by Rapid Manufacturing (RM), which allows designers to create functional objects that can be used on a regular basis; everyday items made from the minimum number of pieces as possible.

The exhibition features current examples of simple design, alongside some new products and prototypes. They include: Luka Stepan’s elegant single part ball pen; David Sutton’s minimal wallet formed in one piece, with no moving parts; Alex Hulme’s self-assembly torch, Jochem Faudet’s cable organiser and Min-Kyu Choi’s remarkable award winning folding plug. Industrial Facility will be showing their new Lacie bubble bags – protective bags which look like bubble wrap, but are in fact made from synthetic rubber and neoprene, and a new alarm watch called Analarm.

Many of the designers in the exhibition respond to a current trend towards frugality and a return to basics in a climate of economic uncertainty. Where the one-off limited edition once prevailed, designers and consumers are now searching for simplicity with quality, a desire to create and own products that are enduring, functional and simple.

Combining specially commissioned pieces alongside films and drawings, the exhibition also features an enhanced webcast and website which will be launched simultaneously. The design concept for the exhibition is inspired by the way that we interact with the everyday stuff of life, and as utilitarian complement to the products on show. A black strip runs the length of the exhibition space, made from unsophisticated materials applied directly to the raw surfaces of the gallery, and forms a backdrop and shield to the carefully-made products on display.

Everything has its place, and conscious that we anthropomorphise objects (things ‘sit’ and ‘stand’ on floors and tables, and ‘rest’ against walls), the products are placed or delicately suspended against a series of datums, at the height at which we would expect to interact with them. The exhibition is generously supported by 3D Systems Corporation, a leading provider of 3D Printing, Direct Rapid Prototyping and Direct Rapid Manufacturing solutions and by South Kensington Estates as part of the Brompton Design District cultural programme.

For more photos please visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/newsimplicity/

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