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"We believe that asking the right questions is key to providing our clients with a successful outcome within the markets in which they are operating or marketing to. We stretch and probe and constantly question to find the correct solution.” 
 
 
 
 
Martin Darbyshire FCSD celebrates
25 years of Tangerine
 
 
Martin Darbyshire FCSD shares with the designer his thoughts, insights and views over 25 years since founding tangerine in 1989.
 
 




Original word mark by David Baird

Martin, why did you become a designer?
 
“Rather than building or making things, I spent my childhood taking things apart. My father was an engineer at Ford so from an early age I got to frequently visit the Research & Engineering centre of a major manufacturer which was fascinating. I was intrigued by how things worked. I was lucky enough to be good at engineering drawing from an early age and preferred technical drawing to art as it seemed less self-centered.”


Above: rooftop at Hoxton office 1990, Clive Grinyer, Peter Phillips, Martin Darbyshire, Jonathan Ive.

What was your big breakthrough?
 
“Career wise it was going to Central (now CSM) and meeting Hedda Beese who lectured there. Clive Grinyer and I were offered jobs at Moggridge Associates on graduation from CSM - then one of the best industrial design companies in the world - where we both became Senior Designers. I guess the next break was Clive and I deciding that we wanted to do something on our own and so in 1989 we set up tangerine in the front bedroom of my North London. Thinking in terms of tangerine itself our biggest break was winning British Airways as a client in 1998.”





What was your most challenging brief and how did you reach a solution?
 
“Without a doubt the brief that came from British Airways for their Business Class redesign. BA’s Director of Marketing said, “Find us the holy grail of airline travel sprinkled with a bit of pixie-dust – and astound us along the way!” ….. What a brief that was and our response was to create an audacious design solution that would stun the commercial aviation industry, redefine the business market and become the profit engine for British Airways for the next 15 years."
 
"We delivered the World’s first fully lie-flat bed in Business Class designed in such a way as to minimise the loss of seats while enhancing the very special business class experience. Understanding the psychology of the business passenger was paramount to finding the design solution.”
 
What do you find are the differences between working in the UK and overseas - particularly in emerging markets?
 
"It does depend on which clients you work for, but in Asia we have found that our clients understand the importance of design and are ‘early adoptors’. So in this market we have concentrated on building long term relationships with clients based on trust and a deep understanding of their business. We have always been prepared to go that extra mile to produce the best result which is expected in this particular market. With LG, for example, we have worked on over 80 projects over a 24 year period."
 
"However in Europe and the UK I find there is a greater need to persuade the client of the value of design. Over the years we have succeeded in doing this by playing to our strengths and experience in certain industrial sectors such as transport design."
 
"In the UK ‘design’ is a dirty word whereas ‘innovation’ is the buzz word and so it’s important that our achievements in this space are qualified and recognised."

What qualities do you need to be able to thrive for over 25 years in the design sector?

“The short answer is to be very good at what you do and offer a professional service."
 
"We believe that asking the right questions is key to providing our clients with a successful outcome within the markets in which they are operating or marketing to. We stretch and probe and constantly question to find the best solution.” 

“For example when working on the Heathrow Express we had to completely re-define the First Class experience within a 6-month timescale from inception to delivery. The key to success in this project was in identifying all the elements that contributed to a superb First Class customer experience and that were simple and quick to deliver within such a challenging time frame. Heathrow Express commented that we delivered well beyond their expectations and that the First Class carriage had become a commercially viable service to offer to passengers.”





Why the name tangerine?
 
“Everyone asks that! From the very outset in 1989, we knew there were opportunities in the Asian market and so we chose the name with this goal in mind. The word is generic and importantly is easy to understand and translate. In Asia the colour orange is linked to health and prosperity - that we really liked!”

What is your favorite design product of all time and why?
 
“I couldn’t possibly select one! The world is so rich in design in so many different spaces. The designs I have great admiration for are those that were ahead of their time and have stood the test of time like the Eames lounge chair and ottoman.
 
The challenge for the future is in designing for such a complicated world with so many different dimensions.”
 
How do you see design evolving over the next 25 years?
 
“One of the key challenges I feel the industry faces is that people still really don’t understand the value of design. We constantly see large companies buying design in the same way that they would buy nuts and bolts, with no reference to the impact that quality design can have on a bottom line or how design can completely change the customer experience that can be delivered. This industry really needs to challenge the whole procurement process and educate companies more on the power of design to deliver commercial return.”
 
“As the world becomes increasingly multi-faceted design needs to become an integral part of a company’s strategic planning."

"Design is becoming more complicated as consumers review on line prior to making purchases so as an industry we need to come at design from many different perspectives – these are exciting, challenging and changing times!” 

What advice can you offer to young designers graduating in the current economic climate?
 
“I have 4 sons; the oldest is a qualified doctor, the second studied economics and now works in business development, the third is studying design and the youngest, still at school wants to become a comedy writer! So…”
 
“My advice to young people is to do want they enjoy because they will probably be good at it. They need to think about how transferable are the skills they are learning so that they have the option to change career path in later life if necessary. If they choose to study design they need to be aware that at the end of their course only 11% will be working in design as opposed to 90% of graduates from medical school. But having said all that - design is an amazing career but it demands total passion, commitment and talent!”
 
And finally Martin, why did you join CSD?

“When I graduated in 1983, way before tangerine existed, I felt it was important to be part of the professional body that represented individual designers and I have been a member ever since, and was honored to become a Fellow!”

The designer offers sincere 25th congratulations to Martin and all those past and present at tangerine!
 
 
 
 
CSD NEWS
 
 
 
 
 
CSD Minerva Dinner
 
 
The Society is delighted to announce that it will hold its first Minerva Dinner since 2007 at St. James’s Palace on Tuesday 25th November 2014. 

If you are interested to attend the Minerva Dinner please email us by the 24th October 2014 as few places are left. 
Please contact Carmen Martinez-Lopez with any questions Carmen@csd.org.uk
 
The first Minerva Dinner to be hosted at the Palace was in 2003 when our Patron HRH The Duke of Edinburgh received the Minerva Medal in recognition of his outstanding support for the design profession throughout his life. The second dinner to be held at the Palace was in 2007 when our Patron presented the medal to Lord Rogers of Riverside.
 
Built by Henry VIII in 1532, St. James’s Palace is one of the oldest and most significant royal residences steeped in national and international history and displays the architectural and interior design talents of amongst others, Sir Christopher Wren, John Nash, Grinling Gibbons, William Kent and William Morris.
 
St. James’s Palace is not open to the public and therefore the Minerva Dinner not only offers members, friends and supporters of the Society a unique opportunity to network, dine and celebrate the Society’s work but to do so amongst some splendid artefacts and paintings in an informal and relaxed private setting.
 
The evening commences at 7.00 pm with a champagne reception during which members may network and view the palace’s collections in the Armoury and Tapestry Rooms and this is followed by dinner in the Picture Gallery. During the evening the Society will award the 2014 Minerva Medal to a celebrated British designer and will also announce several other awards.
 
The Minerva Dinner is the ideal opportunity to treat yourself, members of staff and friends and to impress clients.
 
Donations are sought towards the work of the Society on the following basis:
A Minerva Gold table (5 in total) of 10 adjacent to the top table suggested donation of £3,500
A Minerva Silver table ( 5 in total) of 10 suggested donation of £2,750
A Minerva table of 10 (5 in total) suggested donation of £2,250
Individual persons on a Minerva table suggested donation of £250
 
There are only 15 tables available for the dinner and therefore you are strongly advised to contact the Society as soon as possible in order to register your interest.
 
Please contact Carmen Martinez-Lopez with any questions Carmen@csd.org.uk
 
 
 
 
CSD PROFILE
 
 
 
 
 
Sam Townshend MCSD
Industrial Design
 
 
Sam Townshend joined the Society in 2014. After graduating from Loughborough University with a BA(Hons) in Industrial Design and Technology, Sam is now an industrial designer at Hornby Hobbies Ltd and has worked on some fascinating projects.
 
We asked Sam about why he became a designer, where has he work so far and how does he work?

"I always liked to design things and have been fascinated by how things work for as long as I can remember.  At an early age I decided to study Industrial Design so that I could carry on doing what I enjoyed and here I am … Having worked on a variety of brands in the UK; some of them with great heritage, for instance: I spent a year at Reckitt Benckiser working on front end design for a number of their brands, such as Nurofen, Dettol, Finish and Vanish. This was very different to what I do now working for Hornby Hobbies. At Hornby I work on projects from concept to signing off the finished tooling."

“One of the biggest project I've undertaken was to design Airfix's new flagship model kit. It needed to be a satisfying model for the user to assemble, while offering ground-breaking levels of detail. The result is a plastic model Hawker Typhoon that assembles in a way much like the original aircraft” says Sam.
 


Hornby Hobbies recently interviewed Sam about the Airfix Hawker Typhoon MkIB 1:24 in which he shares a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at how the Typhoon was developed.
 

Another recent project was the Humbrol’s glue pots. Sam’s challenge was to redesign the pots so that they were more visually appealing.  The final design is an attractive and ergonomic range of glue bottles which are appealing but remain very much a Humbrol product.





Finally Sam’s advice to budding designers entering the professions is:  be confident in your ability and unafraid to create big changes, even to a well-established brand. “ I am interested in high standards” says Sam and that is the reason why I was so keen to join the Society and why I am so proud of being a member”
 
 
 
 
CSD STUDENT
 
 
 
 
 
Tamina Ospanova
Interior Design
 
 
Tamina graduated from Chelsea College of Art & Design at the University of the Arts London this June after completing an FdA in Interior Design a course recognized by CSD’s Course Endorsement Programme.
 
FdA Interior Design at Chelsea College of Arts is primarily focused on developing the relationship between academic study and the contemporary practice of interior design.

the designer spoke to Tamina about her time at Chelsea College of Arts and had a look at some of the projects she has worked on.

“The foundation course in Interior Design has given me a unique opportunity to work on real, live projects and under such conditions I was able to develop my professional skills while coping with the time pressure and the very high standards that are expected at university. I developed invaluable knowledge while study on this course, from my drive to explore and solve problems, take risks and go beyond and the opportunity to come up with ideas and be able to realize them. In a world where nearly everything already exists, as a designer there is still a need to improve our environment and interior spaces. It is important to make decisions that provide a good quality of service and to foresee the consequences and results that come from this process," says Tamina.

Tamina thinks it is very important to enjoy the design process and to have fun, but to take fun seriously. Her future aspiration is to move towards practicing retail or domestic orientation, in particular to further explore  themes of habitation, become a professional and  make a contribution to the interior design industry.


We can see some of her College projects below. 
 
Project: Dalston Square

The aim of this project was to create a community space in Dalston.


The final outcome of the specific installation located in Dalston Square. The model represents an interior space that was designed as an affordable alternative of new developments in the area. 


An atmospheric collage that shows some details of the interior and how that blends in into environment. 


This drawing shows the details of the façade that supposed to repeat the same structure as architectural surroundings.

Click here to view other Chelsea Fda Interior and Spatial Design students’ work in the Chelsea Undergraduate summer show catalogue 2014
 
 
 
 
CSD Reviews
 
 
 
 
 
WA: The Essence of Japanese Design
 
 
WA The Essence of Japanese Design is published by Phaidon (RRP £49.95). CSD members can buy the book for a special price of £37.46 including UK mainland delivery (overseas costs available on request) using the promotional code in the members’ area of the CSD website. Offer is subject to availability and runs until 15th November 2014.
 
Written by two leading scholars of Japanese art, design and culture, Phaidon Press claims that this unique new book offers a stimulating way into Japanese culture and goes on to inform that:  ‘Wa’ refers not only to the simple form and natural material of an object but also to an internal approach to craftsmanship, art and life in general found at the heart of Japanese culture and aesthetics.  As Kenya Hara, the renowned creative director of Muji remarks in his introductory essay, when we observe Japanese culture armed with knowledge of the concept of ‘wa’, a number of things become apparent that we perhaps hadn’t noticed before.
 
As Phaidon say: the book is organised thematically, with a chapter dedicated to one specific material or type of material: wood, bamboo and lacquer; metal; ceramics, glass and stone; paper; fibres and fabrics; and new materials, such as plexiglass and fibreglass. From Edo period (1603 - 1867) lacquer wood Bento Boxes to Shiro Kuramata’s postmodern acrylic chairs and from 18th century hand-painted silk robes to the deconstructed resin and polypropylene dresses of Yohji Yamamoto’s spring/summer 2006 collection, this beautiful book demonstrates that whilst diverse and multi-faceted, at the heart of Japanese design are the concepts of simplicity and emptiness.
 
To thedesigner the most engaging read is the introductory chapter by Kenya Hara in which he considers the differences between ‘emptiness’, a simplicity and plainness established in Japan in the mid-fifteenth century, and the concept of ‘simplicity’ which has proliferated, especially in modern European design since the late 19th century.
 
The further chapters in the book seek to illustrate the concept of ‘Wa’ as being the essence of Japanese design, the DNA that links designs across some 400 years. The authors trace the lineage of manufacturers and craftsmen and identify traditional techniques that have influenced modern Japanese designers in order to show how the essence of Japanese design has been handed down through the ages.
 
There are some interesting and some exceptional designs shown throughout the book and anyone who appreciates simplicity or emptiness will be able to browse the 300 images. As for the design of the book it is different coming with double sheet pages that are perfect bound with red chord lacing. The semi-hardback cover with its shinny poppy red spot varnish provides a stark contrast to the matt pages inside which support the images of paper, bamboo and timber products very well. Are the pages equally suited for images of ceramic and metal products and do they convey the subtly of Japanese colouring as in the case of the paperweight by Yuko Kubo (page 164) is a matter of personal choice?
 
 
 
 
CSD Reviews
 
 
 
 
 
tangerine: 25 Insights into Innovation and Design
by Antonia Higgs
 
 
Tangerine: 25 insights into extraordinary innovation & design by Antonia Higgs is published by Carlton Publishing Group (RRP £30). CSD members can buy the book for a special price of £23.00 including UK mainland delivery (overseas costs available on request) using the promotional code in the members’ area of the CSD website. Offer is subject to availability and runs until 15th November 2014.
 
Pick up this book and you immediately know you are in for a treat. Its mysterious black cover cleverly and subtly displays a myriad of tangerine products all simplified like icons and drawn with UV varnish. The word mark tangerine, with its recognisable lower case ‘t’, appears in white and jumps out in stark contrast. The reader is introduced to the tangerine colour through glimpses of the inside gatefold and as it runs through the inked page edges in much the same way as the tangerine way of thinking runs throughout the book itself and the projects shown.
 
By the time you have read the introduction you just can’t wait to dive into the 25 insights and their outcomes. And this is where the interest lies. Each of the projects begins with an insight and then sets about illustrating how that insight enables the designer to negotiate the client’s requirement while exploring their own creativity before exploiting it with the skills that designers, and especially those at tangerine, possess.
 
The insights are derived from 25 years of tangerine, from 1989 when Martin Darbyshire FCSD and Clive Grinyer founded it in an East End bedroom until now which sees it having grown to have offices in London, Seoul and Porto Alegre. They are insights borne out of this journey and are relevant to designers and clients alike.
 
For designers Insight 17 opines that:  ‘Designers need to relish the challenge of operating in the most cramped conditions. The best find the small changes that add up to great success’. The project chosen is a small four seater aircraft for Korea Aerospace Industries and there are plenty of sketches and drawings to show how the designers delivered the client’s requirements in such a small space.
 
Whereas for clients Insight 18 offers:  ‘When Planet Corporate and Planet Creative are aligned, the shared vision means great fortune may be in the stars’.  The packaging work for Unileaver and Viadynamics that follows, illustrates the rewards on offer to those clients which embrace creativity and design thinking.
 
Throughout the book there are sketches, models, ideas, scribbles and details of how designers think and work. The language is easy and accessible and therefore read it as you will, a text book, a time-line, a design manual or practice based research.
 
Is this a book for designers and design students – yes!
Is this a book for non-designers – yes!
Is this a book for clients – most certainly.
 
 
 
 
CSD research
 
 
 
 
 
CSD Design Business Conditions Survey 2014
 
 
 
On behalf of the design community, The Society will be carrying out business conditions surveys on a quarterly basis to collect information about the industry. The survey will collect data from respondents on their current and expected business performance across a range of indicators.

We would appreciate if you took the time to complete our quick survey by clicking the link below. All responses will be treated in confidence.
 
The results of the survey will be published at the end of the quarter on the Society’s digital platforms including the CSD blog and social media networks. 
 
 
 
 
CSD EVENTS
 
 
 
 
 
Events &
CSD Special Offers
 
 
 
Biennale Interieur
17-26nd October, Kortrijk Belgium
The 17th International Biennial for creative interior design, with a unique mix of commerce and culture, organised by the Interieur Foundation.

Battle of Ideas 2014
18 & 19th October, London
The Battle of Ideas festival was set up 10 years ago and is supported by a wide range of partners to encourage free thinking and open-ended public discussion. This year comprises of two days of high-level, thought-provoking, public debate organised by the Institute of Ideas at the Barbican.

Dutch Design Week
18-26th October, Eindhoven the Netherlands
A full nine days buzzing with innovation and creative energy with a chance to get inspired by the latest work of more than 2000 designers, meet and experience the beauty and power of Dutch design.

Engineering Design Show
22 – 23rd October, Jaguar Exhibition Hall, Coventry
The award winning Engineering Design Show was created to champion British engineering design and is entirely targeted at design engineers. It includes high level conferences, free practical workshops and an exhibition demonstrating and promoting cutting edge technology and innovation. It provides UK design engineers with all aspects of engineering design under one roof.

Gain: AIGA design & business conference
23-24th October, New York
Redesigning commerce: Changing the face, place and character of business. Gain conference takes a closer look at redesigning business for the future. Culture, economics and commerce will converge to tackle the tough question businesses and designers face: What is the new shape of business?
 
Texfusion – The London Asia Textile Fair
29-30th October, Shoreditch Town Hall, London 9am-6pm
Texfusion will be the first fair catering exclusively for manufacturers from the Asian markets. With the support of many of the biggest UK textile agents, the fair will undoubtedly be a great success. The fair offers visitors the opportunity to source from the most important manufacturers in China, Thailand, Vietnam, Bangladesh, India and Korea.
 
The London Print Design Fair
29-30th October, Shoreditch Town Hall, London, 9am-6pm
The London Print Design Fair showcases a unique offer of print design, embroidery, knit and vintage design to London. With all of the top international studios, presenting their latest collections under one roof, the LPDF is the quintessential place to get inspired.
 
Fashion and Textile Museum – Chanel to Westwood
until 18th January, Fashion & Textile Museum London.
Inspirational vintage fashion knitwear from the 20th century, an exciting combination of famous names and visually exciting pieces, the exhibition charts the influence of art movements Pop, Punk and Deconstruction alongside new knitwear technologies and design innovation, accompanied by fascinating Thursday Late talks.
Thurs 9 Oct - GERALDINE WARNER: VINTAGE KNIT 6-8pm
Thurs 23 Oct - THE BUSINESS OF KNITTING WITH DEBBIE BLISS 6-8pm
Thurs 6 Nov - VINTAGE FASHION: THE COMPLETE STORY 6-8pm

Special offer for CSD members:
The Society has once again partnered with The Fashion & Textile Museum for this event. Members will receive a 10% discount when purchasing tickets for Knitwear: Chanel to Westwood and the accompanying Thursday LATE talks using the promotional code which can be found in the members’ area of the CSD website. Offer is subject to availability and runs until 18th January 2015.
 
 
 
 
 
e. thedesigner@csd.org.uk
w. csd.org.uk
 
 
 
© Chartered Society of Designers 2014
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The Chartered Society of Designers is a registered charity incorporated under a Royal Charter. Our remit is to promote best professional design practice and encourage the study of design. We support and assist designers at all stages of their career. The Society is a founding member of the Hong Kong Design Centre and holds Observer status of WIPO - The World Intellectual Property Organisation.

 
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