During this year’s WantedDesign Manhattan, Design Milk was proud to be the Launch Pad sponsor. Launch Pad is a special area in the space dedicated to independent designers and small companies who are looking for a manufacturer or launching new products. Each year, one lucky winner receives a free Launch Pad participation at WantedDesign 2016 and at WestEdge Design Fair in Los Angeles in October 2015.
This year, the judges included myself; Marva Griffin Wilshire, Salone del Mobile, Milano, Founder and Curator SaloneSatellite, International Press Director; Giulio Cappellini, Creative Director, Cappellini; Greg Keffer, Rockwell Group Principal; Noah Schwarz, Director of Merchandising, Design Within Reach; and Paul Makovsky, Editorial and Brand Director, Metropolis Magazine. After talking with 24 exhibitors, we had a difficult decision to make but we ended up awarding the prize to Icelandic designer and RISD grad Kjartan Oskarsson for his unique lighting. Not surprisingly, he also happened to be the public’s voted favorite!
He showed two main lighting concepts: HALO, an interactive light (two options) where the user turns the light itself to dim or turn on/off. Forester was an LED lighting group in copper inspired by a forest of trees. The pipes are linked to the base by a bearing ball mounted in the base so that the user can move the arms around to play or arrange the light.
This year, we also really loved the work of Morocco-based designer Sara Ouhaddou. Her work, made by craftspeople in Morocco, aims to marry traditional craft and modern society in order to enhance these crafts’ chances of survival in modern Moroccan society. She will be back to Launch Pad next year! We can’t wait to see what she brings.
Congrats to the two winners and to everyone involved in Launch Pad this year – such a great group! For more on all the Launch Pad designers, check out our Launch Pad roundup.