Design Indaba will awaken your senses, your inner monster, the unconventional

Awaken your senses

Working on the cusp of design and craft, Tord Boontje's work draws from a belief that modernism does not mean minimalism, that contemporary does not forsake tradition and that technology does not abandon people and senses. Collaborating with artisans from Colombia, Guatemala, Brazil and Senegal, for brands such as Artecnica and Moroso, a sensual world of design emerges.

“I am very disappointed by the global blandness that surrounds us and try to find ways out. Today I can draw something on my computer, send a file directly to a production machine and have an object made. The modernist rationale of unadorned production starts to break down, when new possibilities arrive every day. I think this is a very exciting time to be involved in manufacturing,” explains Boontje.

From exclusive luxury products to affordable industrial production and handmade objects from developing countries, this Dutch-born product designer has become renowned for his exquisite glassware, lighting and furniture. Recently appointed professor and head of the Design Products department at the Royal College of Arts, Boontje is poised to awaken the senses of a whole new generation of product designers.

Poetry of technology

Park sculptures that amplify passers-bys' whispers; household gadgets arranged to make electromagnetic orchestras; guerrilla loudspeakers that read out text messages and a giant flip dot cloud that reflects the colours of its environment. A non-destructive computer virus that affects Newton's Law on desktop items; a music box that plays a tune in response to torn museum tickets fed to it and a jealous picture frame that interferes with the functioning of close-by televisions are some of the ideas of Troika.

“Our approach focuses on the contamination between the arts and design disciplines and is born out of the same love for simplicity, playfulness and an essential desire for provocation,” explain the Troika partners.

Founded in 2003 by Conny Freyer, Eva Rucki and Sebastien Noel, the multi-disciplinary art and design practice has found remarkable outlets for its technology driven social interventions. British Airways, MTV, BBC and Warner Music have all sought out the threesome's imaginations to activate their brands in unexpected manners.

Inner monsters creep out in the morning light

A splat of black ink, a blast of compressed air and a new monster is born in the wee hours of the morning. Adding some bulging eyes, a sinister grin and a hapless body, Stefan Bucher finesses the character of his newborn before posting it to the Daily Monster.

Having grown from a personal daily doodle to amass a cult following, the Daily Monster is not Bucher's only achievement. As an author, illustrator, and graphic designer working under the name 344 Design, Bucher has been recognised as an ADC Young Gun and received many awards for album covers, book designs and illustrations for the likes of Sting, David Hockney, director Tarsem, The New York Times and Chronicle Books.

“344 is founded on the idea that art best serves commerce if it's built on a solid foundation of truth, integrity and heart because that's when art actually works. Anything less starves the soul and isn't worth anyone's time or attention,” says Bucher, explaining his studio's philosophy.

Feel the unconventional

Innovation and originality are the calling cards for Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, the Bouroullec Brothers. Their designs have earned them widespread recognition through their use of unique materials and unusual forms. Combining contemporary art with historic furniture designs, their creations continually evolve to offer a novel aesthetic experience.

“Two years ago when the Design Museum decided to do a retrospect of our work, it was sort of scary to have to look back at where we came from, but it was also interesting to see how things were linked together. It was a tool for us to understand what we had done over the past five years,” says Ronan Bouroullec.

Considered the prized rising stars of European design, the brothers have designed for top product manufacturers including Vitra, Issey Miyake, Kvadrat, Cappellini, Ligne Roset and Habitat. Nonetheless, they continue to exhibit experimental work to further their development, even taking on an architectural project every now and again.