Johnson Tiles awards New Designers Associate Prize 2017 (Part Two) to Darwin Simmonds

The second instalment of this year’s New Designers event proved to be just as outstanding as the first, with a myriad of product designers showcasing their graduate collections to a captive A&D audience.

Maria Swain and Amy Pears of the Johnson Tiles Design Team had the tricky job of selecting just one winner for our Associate Prize (Part Two). And after a tough judging process, Darwin Simmonds of the University of Brighton was selected for his proven skill and dedication to innovation.

His collection, Playful Aesthetic, is inspired by the social trends of play – an unquestionably valuable aspect of experience and expression. 

Darwin explains: “To achieve this I have produced a collection of lamps and dishes that comprise three shapes; square, triangle and circle. The pieces are inspired by the architectural forms of children's building blocks, and the colour palette of pick’n’mix sweets, and have been adapted for contemporary interiors through the combination of nostalgia and the aesthetic of play.”

Maria and Amy were intrigued by Darwin’s craftsmanship, illustrated through his unique glazing process.

See more of Darwin’s work at Instagram. And stay tuned to the blog for our Design Team’s ‘ones to watch’ from Part Two of New Designers 2017.