Tate goes Underground

London’s Old Street Tube station endeavours to take a gallery experience and incorporate it into Londoners’ commutes, with the opening of the Tate Pop-Up at the station this week.

Grayson Perry, Reliquary Pendant

The space will host a series of events, as well as selling Tate products. It is being curated by Tate Collective – the Tate’s youth art initiative that organises events both in and outside of the main gallery spaces.

Workshops will be taking place

The take-over is part of a scheme organised by Appear Here, which has seen Tait design a concept that allows different temporary retailers to set up shop in various stations on the London Underground network.
Celebrating the Matisse Cut-Outs show currently being held at Tate Modern, PAPER Collective has designed a window installation inspired by the artist for the pop-up.
Among the goods on sale will be prints, books and Tate-branded coffee, beer and gin.

Damien Hirst Doorways bag

Those looking for a more hands-on experience can have a go at classes such as Undergound Life Drawing -  a two-hour session hosted by Candid Arts; or PAPER Collective’s Matisse modules workshop on 31 May, where visitors can create jewelry and other 3D pieces inspides by the cut-out works at the Tate Modern.

Events will take place throughout the pop-up’s tenure

Another Matisse-inspired session takes place on 1 June, where Tate Collective is on hand to help make still-life collages inspided by the artist’s cut-outs.
Other highlights include a screening of Gary Hustwit’s film, Helvetica on 3 June, and a talk hosted by zine OOMK and journal SALT about women in specialist publishing on 2 June.

Tate Transformed T-shirt

Tate Pop-Up will be at Unit 2, Old Street Tube Station, London EC1Y 1BE from 28 May ­ 4 June.

(Tue, 27 May 2014 | By Emily Gosling)

The Intellectual Property Act – what does it mean for designers?

Sean Dennehey of the IPO presents the ten things you need to know about the new Intellectual Property Act.

Source: loop_oh

As Design Week readers will know, the Government is making several changes to design law through the Intellectual Property Act, which received Royal Assent on 14 May. At the Intellectual Property Office, we want to make sure designers across the country know what the Act means for them and have put together a top ten to help you plan for the future.
1. It will soon be a criminal offence to intentionally copy a registered design. The criminal offence is limited to the deliberate and blatant copying of a registered design – you can continue to seek inspiration from others’ designs. But if someone deliberately takes and commercialises the design of another they could a face fine and a prison sentence of up to ten years.
2. There will be a new Design Opinions Service. The IPO will launch a new Opinions Service to give designers low-cost, non-binding and impartial opinions on whether a design right is valid or infringing someone else’s design. The scheme will give designers more information to help them decide whether or not to pursue more formal, and potentially costly, action in the courts.
3. The law is changing for all design rights to make the default owner of a design the person who designs it, rather than the individual or business who commissions it. However, if a contract is in place stating who the design belongs to then they will continue to ‘own’ the design.
4. Unregistered designs can be used for teaching purposes or private use without seeking permission of the rights holder. These exceptions mirror those that exist for registered designs. They apply only to certain restricted non-commercial uses of the design right in question.
5. Several small, simplifying changes are being made to the scope of unregistered design rights. The amendments include the scope of what can be protected and who is able to claim protection from the unregistered design right.
6. The UK is joining the Hague agreement – an international design registration system – to give designers more flexibility registering designs outside the EU. The UK is already part of the Hague agreement as an EU member. Joining separately will allow applicants to choose to protect their designs in different countries individually. This will significantly reduce the fees incurred.
7. You will be able to view design registration documents online. This will make it much easier to see if all, or part, of a design has been registered with the IPO, saving you from having to request paper copies or view them in person.
8. You need to know your design rights.  Design law is complex and not all of the changes apply to every right. As you are thinking through what the IP Act means for you, make sure you know the difference between the rights, and where and for how long they are valid.
9. The changes in the IP Act will come in gradually over the next two years. The majority of changes will come into force in October 2014, but some, such as the new Opinions Service and viewing documents online, will take a little longer. You can keep up to date on the commencement dates on the IPO website.
10. The IPO has more information for you. There is plenty of information on the IPO website: www.ipo.gov.uk, including listings of events and further resources. For complex issues, it is recommended that you seek legal advice.
Sean Dennehey is the Deputy Chief Executive of the IPO. If you have any questions about the IP Act, please contact the IPO team on IPBillEnquiries@ipo.gov.uk.

(Tue, 20 May 2014 | By Sean Dennehey)

Design copying becomes criminal offence

The Intellectual Property Act is passing into law today, meaning that deliberate copying of registered designs will become a criminal offence in the UK.

Source: Mike Cogh

The Government says this new legislation ‘will deter those who knowingly copy UK registered designs and will provide greater protection for our hugely important design sector’.
Accidental copying of design, however, will not be criminalised.
Government says the move is equivalent to the copyright system that protects music and the trademarks that protect brands – both of which are also covered by criminal sanctions.
Group Anti-Copying in Design has been lobbying for the introduction of criminal sanctions, saying that it will ‘act as a deterrent and increase protection for holders of registered designs’, as well as ‘better punish perpetrators of blatant design infringement’.
The new bill is also introducing a ‘Design Opinions Service’, which will be run by the Intellectual Property Office. This will provide low-cost, non-binding and impartial advice on potential design disputes.
It also promises to ‘remove red tape and some of the uncertainties for businesses when protecting their designs’. This will see the IPO update its forms and opening hours in order to better meet the needs of customers. It will also publish design documents online so that they can be reviewed more easily.
Lord Younger, Minister for Intellectual Property, says, ‘Continued investment in intellectual property is vital to all businesses, as it contributes £16 billion to the UK economy each year.
‘It is essential that we continue to work hard to create the right environment for them to flourish so we can benefit from their creative designs, inventions and ideas.’

(Thu, 15 May 2014 | By Angus Montgomery)

London ‘is world’s leading retail brand city’

London is home to more international retail brands than any other city in the world, according to a new report.

Source: Cast A Line

London’s Regent Street

Just over 55 per cent of all international retailers have a presence in London, according to the CBRE’s How Global is the Business of Retail? report. This puts it ahead of second-placed Dubai, and New York and Moscow, which share third place.
Eric Eastman, executive director, luxury goods & international retailers for CBRE, says, ‘London now attracts more international visitors than any other capital in the world. A flood of brand-hungry overseas shoppers, many from China, has swept into central London. Space demand from luxury and international retailers has moved into hyperdrive as a result.
‘There are simply too many global brands now for traditional pitches in London to absorb them, which is why we are starting to see lettings to Dior and Chanel in Covent Garden and Philip Lim and Carven in Brompton Cross.’
The UK as a whole is the country with the most international retailers in the world, with 57.5 per cent having a presence.
The report also shows that 31 new international retailers entered the UK high street last year, including J.Crew, Isabel Marant and Tom Ford, which opened their first standalone stores.
The report says, ‘Despite high rental levels, a fiercely competitive market and a lack of available prime space, London continues to attract retailers from around the world.
‘Retailers benefited from an increase in overseas visitors in 2012 – the year of the Olympics – and this legacy remains, with a record 8 million visitors in the first half of 2013.’
Jose Luis Martin, EMEA senior director of cross border retail, CBRE, says, ‘The growth of the online environment the importance of the brand – not just among luxury retailers, but across the retail spectrum with consumers seeking out aspirational brands as well as high street and value offerings, and this is driving demand for new stores.’

 

(Fri, 30 May 2014 | By Angus Montgomery Design Week) 

What is your favourite museum?

Designers tell us about their favourite museums.

‘Close to home and by far the museum I visit most frequently, is the Horniman in Forest Hill. A wonderful, seemingly endless and random collection of objects that appears to have grown organically since the museum opened in 1901. Rather than confuse, its this eclecticism that holds the exhibits together. Worth a visit alone for their famous overstuffed walrus (tweets @HornimanWalrus) – made all the more magnificent by enthusiastic Victorian taxidermists who didn’t realise that a Walrus should have folds and wrinkles and performed a reverse nip and tuck.’
Adam Giles, co-founder, Interabang

‘The Museum of Sex in New York. Museums have a reputation for being stuffy, overly cerebral, and taking themselves too seriously— and this museum could not be more different. Call me licentious, but The Museum of Sex is a helluva time. I won’t say what’s inside, but when you enter, they warn you to not “touch, lick, stroke, or mount the exhibits.” There’s also an aphrodisiac-themed cafe to check out after—or before—you visit. No judgements.’
Melanie Chernock, designer, The Partners New York

‘The Natural History Museum, London. This is my favourite museum for a few reasons. As a designer and artist it transports you far, far away from your Photoshop window on the world. It’s a mind vacation. Botany, entomology, mineralogy, palaeontology and zoology – get away from everything you’re used to and open your mind. The break will leave you refreshed with creative juices flowing. I’m still waiting for that elusive brief for a digital dinosaur experience to land in the studio. It holds a lot of nostalgic value for me, whether it be from school trips or family days out, the building is filled with memories. As a child of the ’90s I loved monsters, myths and adventure. That’s exactly what fills the rooms and hallways of this prehistoric zoologist time-capsule – you never forget the first time you saw the Diplodocus skeleton staring at you. A Natural History Museum enthusiast is easy to spot. Like a secret handshake, smile, nod and/or wink, the lenticular dinosaur ruler from the gift shop is legendary. Transforming living and breathing creatures to skeletons in the flick of a wrist, this item is itself an iconic historical artefact that – in the words of Indiana Jones – “belongs in a museum”.’
Will Aslett, lead digital creative, the Good Agency

‘Propaganda Poster Museum in Shanghai. It was a nightmare to find but made the rewards much more satisfying. Nestled in a residential block and down a basement was a treasure-trove of print from pre-World War II, to post-Cultural Revolution. You felt a great presence of history in only two rooms, which showed even without new technology and methods of delivery that content will always be the main attraction.’
John Owens, founder and creative director, Instruct Studio

‘My favourite museum I literally stumbled upon trying to kill some time – The Museum of London Docklands. This museum is in a Georgian sugar warehouse at North Dock in Canary Wharf, a sanctuary of beautiful quiet and calm amidst surrounding skyscrapers. It is full of fascinating treasures all about London’s history. I particularly loved the models of London Bridge, showing almost all 13 incarnations since the Roman pontoon to the one before the current sold to an American for over $2 million! A gem of a place not to be missed!’
Liz Dunning, partner, Dunning Penney Jones

‘Museums aren’t about artefacts at all, they’re about people. A great museum is an inviting social space that’s lived in, part of people’s lives, and part of children’s childhoods. Local people should pop in all the time, and visitors should be welcomed and delighted. The museum café is critical in all of this. You need brain-food to spark curiosity and imagination, and you need a space to reflect on what you’ve seen with friends. My all-time favourite is the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill. Deco architecture, bracing seaside vistas, lunch and art. Total rejuvenation.’
Emily Penny, Co-founder, Colourful Design Strategy

‘As a child, I loved the Commonwealth Institute (now the new home to the Design Museum) where my mother would often take me, my brothers, cousins and friends on family outings. As an adult I can’t help but marvel at the architecture of the Natural History Museum, and the I love MoMa (Museum of Modern Art) in New York. But for the sheer pleasure principle, my favourite has to be the Museum of Uncut Funk. Based in New York, this virtual museum is coolest cornucopia of Afro-American pop culture on the planet. An adult candy store that allows collectors like myself to feast on a funkalicious buffet of movies, comics, cartoons, music and memorabilia of the day. It boasts a collection that deserves to be permanently housed in a real museum and I dream of the day when those doors will finally swing open.’
Jon Daniel, Independent Creative Director

‘Brooklands museum – a true step back in time. Old boys in brown work coats tinker with engines and polish chrome bumpers. They sit in groups eating tupperware boxes filled with cheese and pickle sandwiches and flasks of tea. They are passionate about their vehicle, be it a Norton, an Aston or Concorde. It’s ramshackle and eclectic but it is packed with things of dreams for petrol heads and typographers – hand-painted signs and ephemera make it an Instagram feast. There are no flame-edged perspex signs or 3D holographic projections, but you can sit in the cockpit of an and old VC10 – and that’s what a museum should be all about – interaction.’
James Kent, co-founder, Kent Lyons
  
(Thu, 1 May 2014 Design Week)

Trend Bible- futuristic Technology

Distancing

In our trend research we've found increasing evidence of an over-reliance on technology being a catalyst for lots of new attitudes and behaviours in and around the home. "Smartphones allow us to collectively store information 'outside ourselves' reinforcing the feeling that we're distanced from our instincts and the aural indicators in our environment,"  explains Joanna Feeley, Creative Director at Trend Bible. Modern technology has its benefits and certainly plays to our innate desire for convenience, but are we outsourcing some of the most valuable neurological functions we have? Click here to read our opinion in full. Trend Bible will be exploring this theme further in our upcoming Future of Recreation seminar in London and Manchester. www.future-london.eventbrite.co.uk www.future-manchester.eventbrite.co.uk

Trend Bible-Milan

Milan Design Week 2014

This month, Senior Trend Analyst, Naomi Shedden spent a week uncovering the most interesting trends that are headed our way at Milan Design Week 2014. As shared exclusively on our blog, one of her key findings included the use of iridescent finishes: "With a continiung minimalism in shape, we’re seeing some beautiful innovative material finishes like rose tinting and iridescence in humble materials like aluminium and glass."