2012 London Design Festival Selling benchmarks

Scientists may invent technologies, manufacturers may make products, engineers may make them function but  it is designers who combine awareness of these aspects and turn a concept into something that appeals to both emotional and rational triggers - something that is  desirable, viable, commercially successful and adds value to clients.

It is then Selling’s job to communicate the design offering to clients, customers etc.

So it is useful for Salespeople to learn a little more of the world of design.

A superb opportunity to get better informed about design comes around each September with the London Festival of Design - now in its 10th year.

Photo from beneath the  porch canopy
 of road cones at the V and A skywards at London Festival of Design 2012

Working in a commercial environment designers can’t simply follow their creative impulses. Much like the Selling process designers have to ask themselves questions like

a)      Is the product really wanted?

b)      How is it different from everything else on the market?

c)       Does it fulfil a need?

d)      Will it cost too much to manufacture?

Emphasis on the customer makes design a formidable weapon for any business. Companies have often designed their way out of failure by creating a product that serves the customer's needs better than its competitors.

 Arguably design delivered the operating-system market to Microsoft, rescued Apple Computer and made Sony and electronics giant.

The heart of this year's Design Festival is at the Victoria and Albert  ( the V and A) Museum in South Kensington, London.

The main entrance to the Museum has canopy of plastic spines made up of road cones like the coat of some giant porcupine.











In the courtyard of the V and A are a series of newly designed benches.

Designers don't just produce concepts - their designs have to have commercial relevance.

To 'sell' a bench a designer does not stop at the concept of the product's form. Functional description of the design is not sufficient either. The design needs to be communicated the design by appealing to a personalised focus.

The designer's Form, Function and Focus are equivalent to  Selling's  feature, benefit and personalised benefit.

Using different materials, the exhibition shows how different designers have 're-designed' the humble bench for a public space.
The benches are both beautiful as well as functional which I guess is what design is all about and an inspiration to good selling.

aesthetic form of ceramic plates -
bench on display at the V and A courtyard

                                                                 

 

function:  bench of Ceramic plates by Al_A



form : Giant Cork Trotter



function: Bench made of cork

Pe de Porco (Pig foot) by Fernando Brizio is made from cork.  The cork forests are known for their black pigs who feed on the acorns. Amorim Cork Composites provide the Cork Oak Composite of this work.

The bench was also comfortable and warm to the touch - and fun.




Function :Bench made from Corian (DuPont)

'Plinth' by Sam Hedt anf Kim uses Dupont's Corian is a blend of Aluminium TriHydrate and pure acrylic polymer ( PolyMethyl Meth Acrylate)

The material is available in 70 colours and can  shaped into virtually any design. It joins seamlessly  It is sleek, strong, hygienic and easy to care for.




form



function :Bench made from cocrete

 

'Hitch' by Jasper Morrison is made from concrete. Lowinfo Concrete was the material used here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

form

Function

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Festival closes on 23rd September

 

Related links to London Festival of Design

 

 

You tube video clip of the Conran Capsule

 

 Work starts on New Home of  Design Museum from 2015 Click here