Design Roots by Stuart Walker Tom Cassidy Martyn Evans Amy Twigger Holroyd Jeyon Jung

Author:Stuart Walker,Tom Cassidy,Martyn Evans,Amy Twigger Holroyd,Jeyon Jung
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloomsbury UK

FIGURE 13.2 Shake Cabinet by Sebastian Cox and Benchmark, 2014. Courtesy Benchmark Furniture. © Sebastian Cox.

The now and the next

It is indisputable that we are in an age where craft is cool, and heading for (if not already in) the mainstream. Viewpoint predicted in 2010 that the consumers of tomorrow (i.e. the consumers of today) would be in search of a greater sense of meaning in the things they buy:

[Consumers] are looking for more products embedded with provenance and longevity … Reviving, reinterpreting and reinventing old crafts, these rich and beautiful pieces strike an emotional chord, because we know they have been created with passion—made from the heart and for the love of a skill. Whether these products appear with a polished perfection or take on a cruder, rougher aesthetic … each has a story about the way it has been made while promoting the survival of crafts (Franklin and Till 2010).

Design has been a huge enabler or cause of this, offering an appealing modern perspective on the traditional, slower pace of life, which in turn has captured the attention of the everyday consumer. Subsequently, big brands have pricked up their ears and manufacturers of crisps claim their snacks are “hand cooked.” Discussion is rife among the “original” artisans and the small designer-makers, who would consider themselves the real craftsmen and women, that large brands encroaching on their territory risk devaluing the word “craft.” There is no doubt that my practice has benefited from this growing interest in that which is crafted but I hold my breath and hope that as the trend washes away, people will continue to see a degree of authenticity in what I do and my business will continue to thrive. I am often comforted by the words of my colleague, collaborator and friend, Sean Sutcliffe, of one of our only “proper” remaining woodworking manufacturers, workshop of dreams and powerhouse of craft, Benchmark:

I was a craftsman in business for twenty-five years before craft was the zeitgeist, and I’m confident we’ll still be in business after the “trend” has calmed because the core value of what we do doesn’t disappear (2016).

My intentions upon setting up my business were never to target a hipster market, interested in spoon carving and splitting logs, but part of a wider (or indeed greater) mission to make forgotten materials and the associated crafts desirable. And to a degree, regardless of who my customer may be, I have done that. And I believe that if your work genuinely explores a craft or traditional process with a great deal of depth and respect, you will end up with a body of work that will remain relevant once the marketeers’ lexicon has moved on from “artisanal.”

I also believe that Sean is absolutely right; his business will be fine and others with making at their core will be too, mine included. As Daniela Walker of The Future Laboratory explains, the reason there has been such a strong pull towards the handmade is not arbitrary:

The rise of

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