15.15 - 16.15 SEMINARS

 

 

 

Cressida Granger has been the major creative force behind renowned lighting brand Mathmos since 1989 and sole owner since 2000.  During this time she has created products with both the Mathmos Design Studio and a host of external product and graphic designers such as Shin Azumi, El Ultimo Grito, Ross Lovegrove and Two Create. 

 

The resulting collection of designs has received both critical acclaim and won awards both nationally and internationally.  Cressida has balanced her strive for creating highly creativity and innovation designs whilst ensuring the final products are also highly saleable.  Taking this stance has seen Mathmos win the Queens award for Export twice and Cressida as a finalist in the Verve Cliquot Business Woman of the Year. 

 

Assa Ashuach employs advanced design and production technologies to create award-winning intelligent products. Born in Israel, he studied Product Design at the 'Betzalel Academy of Art and Design' in Jerusalem. Just after graduating, Assa opened a design studio predominantly working in conjunction with architects. He moved to London in 2001, where he continued to work on commercial projects while completing an MA in Design Products at the Royal College of Art. Today his studio focuses on three principal areas: product design, architectural collaborations and self-production.

 

As a research fellow at the Sir John Cass Department of Art, Media and Design, Assa uses a combination of tools to create a unique workflow. Using this workflow, he aims to produce a family of objects without sacrificing crucial sculptural and aesthetic elements. In effect, he has developed an optimised design and production workflow, which he calls 'Digital Forming'.

 

Tomoko Azumi uses design as a means of expressing joy and pleasure. Born in Kyoto, she initially studied Environmental Design in Kyoto City University of Art before settling in London to study product design at the Royal College of Art. In 1995, she founded the award winning studio, Azumi, with partner Shin Azumi. Their portfolio includes furniture and products for clients such as Isokon Plus, Lapalma and Muji. In 2005, Tomoko opened TNA Design Studio, an independent London-based practice that designs installations and products for European and Japanese clients.

 

As a research fellow at the Sir John Cass Department of Art, Media and Design, Tomoko has embarked on a new journey to explore the area between human senses and digital technologies. Tomoko's research project, entitled, “Digital Technology and The Five Senses" attempts to transform ephemeral human senses into visual and tactile objects. Inspired by an early memory of watching distorted tree shadows dancing on a rice paper screen, Tomoko aims to capture these projected movements and the spaces behind.