Not-so-new designers

It’s rare when you’re as seasoned as us in the old furniture game, that a product stops you in your tracks. But with a top made from interlocking dyed elements all with a different tonal hue, Winter and Kurth’s Escher-like side table did just that, as we puzzled how the Manchester duo ever created it. It must have had a similar affect on the judges at New Designers, the UK’s biggest exhibition of emerging talent set to run between 27 June and 7 July 2018 at Business Design Centre in London. Last year this esteemed panel of industry experts awarded the talented pair The One Year On 2017 award, which provided Winter and Kurth with a year’s tutelage from The Design Trust and Design Nation. 

This year with a slight name-tweak, One Year In is a showcase and celebration of the 100 most promising emerging designers, studios and new creative businesses. It’s part of annual showcase New Designers, an exhibition of more than 3,000 of the most promising graduate designers from disciplines as broad as glassmaking, gaming, photography and fashion. Carefully curated by jewellery designer and entrepreneur Rheanna Lingham, One Year In is the perfect place to spot new talent to hire or commission that, like Winter and Kurth, have a range of viable products ready to go. 

Having studied at Teesside University and Glasgow School of Art, David Winter and Natasha Kurth met while studying for an MA in Product Design at the Manchester School of Art. Before long they were collaborating, mixing their different skills (David’s in industrial design for furniture, interiors and super yachts and Natasha’s in graphic design) to develop a cross-disciplinary approach to object making. 

One Year In 2018 is fast approaching, so we watched to touch base with David and Natasha to discover just how winning the prize has affected the past 12 months and what their tips are for this year’s exhibitors. 

Tells us about the moment you realised you should work together?

Ever since we met we took an interest in each other’s work and often imagined how one day we might work together. It’s hard to pinpoint a specific moment, it has evolved gradually over time. In the summer before starting our MAs we spent a month’s residency at The Cyprus College of Art and this was the first time we worked alongside each other in the same creative space.

How would you describe your approach and the type of projects that interest you?

At the start of a project, it is important that we respond individually before coming together to share and develop our ideas. We both have our own ways of working and we feel it is important that we continue to nurture our independent creative processes whilst developing ways of working together. It is still a work in progress which will continue to challenge us depending on the scope of the project that we are working on. We are particularly interested in working with archives and exploring historical precedent.

What were your favourite elements of studying at Manchester School of Art?

Studying at the Manchester School of Art helped us build a professional network here in the UK as well as links overseas. As part-time students we valued having extra time to develop our thinking and making skills. The multidisciplinary nature of the MA programme encouraged us to work together to produce our first collection of work as Winter and Kurth.

How did you feel when you first arrived at New Designers?

In all honesty, we were exhausted. We were extremely ambitious with the vision for our stand and were still finishing the work the night before the install. On arrival, we were really excited to get there and to bring the show to life after all the planning and hard work. It was great to finally meet all of the other exhibitors and to see how everyone’s work came together as whole.

You were the winners of the One Year On 2017 award last year. How has that experience affected the past twelve months?

Winning One Year On gave us a real confidence boost and validated our ambitions for the future. As part of the award, we were invited to become a member of Design Nation who in turn offered us our first solo show at The National Centre for Craft and Design. Thanks to the award we have also benefitted from expert business advice from The Design Trust. The experience has taught us that while we have the requisite skills to design and produce award-winning products, we must also work on strengthening our foundations and networks for our practice to be sustainable. This is what the last 12 months have been about for us.

What’s the most unexpected or useful thing to come out of exhibiting at New Designers?

Firstly, it was an honour to share the week with such a talented bunch of designers and makers. Throughout the show everybody helped, shared and looked out for one and other, it was a really special experience and we made some wonderful friends that we hope to work with in the future. Through exhibiting at New Designers we experienced a range of audiences, from college students to industry professionals. We had some really engaging conversations. While taking on board helpful feedback we also helped inspire others. It was a place for exchange, a testing ground for new ideas and an opportunity to reflect on where we had come from and where we were heading. It was through conversation and networking that enabled us to get the most out of the show and opened up some exciting opportunities. 

What advice would you give to this year’s exhibitors?

Be prepared. Prepare to get making the work as early as possible, prepare for things to go wrong but at the same time prepare to push the boundaries of what you think you can achieve. If you want to make the most of your experience at One Year On, take risks and surprise yourself – it all makes for a good story.

We have 24 hours in Manchester, what should we do?

Firstly remember to pack a raincoat! You can easily spend a morning browsing the Northern Quarter where you will find a mix of independent cafes, bars and shops including the Manchester Craft and Design Centre. Stop by arts and crafts suppliers Fred Aldous for an obligatory photo booth snap to remember your trip. If you want to stay within the city centre make sure to check out Manchester Art Gallery but we also recommend taking a trip to The Whitworth, especially on a sunny day. Many new and exciting art spaces are opening up in and around Manchester. It's definitely worth checking out what's on at alternative venues such as HOME, Islington Mill, Paradise Works and Plant Noma. For an evening meal at a beautiful venue, we'd choose The Refuge in the Palace Hotel – you won't be disappointed.