The UK’s manufacturing economy may no longer provide its industrial designers with quite the opportunities it once did. But British designers still feature prominently among the leading product specialists on the world stage. Innovation and design have become new priorities in the global economy over the past decade and British product designers have been at the vanguard.
The British Council celebrated the tenth year of graduating designers’ exhibitions at the Milan Furniture Fair in April 2007. In honour of this anniversary three designers who exhibited in the first show in 1997 helped us select the top ten furniture and product design students of 2007.
New work from seven young, British designers features in this international touring exhibition alongside contributions and commentaries from Portugal, Spain and Sweden. The exhibition will come to London's Design Museum in June 2006.
Curated with the Design Museum and Sir Paul Smith, Great Brits is a showcase for the new generation of talented young designers working in Britain. It was launched at Paul Smith’s headquarters during the Milan Furniture Fair in 2005.
Building on the success of our first luxury workshop, the British Council organised the seminar programme for 100% Design Moscow. in 2005. Speakers from the UK included Tom Dixon, Tricia Guild and Thomas Heatherwick. Read more about the programme here.
Import Export is currently on show at the Franz Mayer Museum in Mexico City alongside a companion exhibition of Mexican design.. Read all about the grand celebration of global cultural exchange in design.
A group of intrepid students from the Royal College of Art spent 10 days in Lagos, Nigeria, working alongside furniture designer Martino Gamper, Tom Dixon and their counterparts at the city's Yaba Technical College to create unique products for the Nigerian market. Read more about their fascinating experiences.
British Council and Design Museum showcased the work of four up and coming UK designers during the Milan Furniture Fair in Sir Paul Smith’s new Milan headquarters. (Spring 2003)
