The Design Museum‘s annual Designs of the Year Awards are back for the fifth year, celebrating the best in global designs from the past twelve months. Industry experts have nominated designs across seven categories: Architecture, Digital, Fashion, Furniture, Graphics, Product and Transport and the results are showcased at the museum.

DESIGNS OF THE YEAR, 8th February-15th July 2012

DESIGN MUSEUM

28 Shad Thames, London SE1 2YD (020 7940 8790)

The nominees cover a strong mix of designs including the Olympic Torch 2012 for London designed by Barber Osgerby, the Duchess of Cambridge’s Wedding Dress designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen and a wind-propelled Landmine Detonator which costs $40 to produce.

All of the nominations are on show at the Design Museum in the Designs of the Year exhibition. From this comprehensive list, a jury will select the seven category winners and an overall winner for the Design of the Year 2012.

The exhibition is curated by Ria Hawthorn. The winners will be announced on 24th April 2012.

Images – from top: Guangzhou Opera House by Zaha Hadid Architects (photo by Iwan Baan); 787 Dreamliner (photo by Ed Turner); Jawbone Jambox by fuseproject; Textile Field by Erwan and Ronan Bouroullec (textile by Kvadrat); Harbour Chair by Ed Carpenter for Very Good & Proper. 

Gallery Libby Sellers is presenting the first solo show in London by young Swiss designer Nicolas le Moigne, comprising lighting, product and furniture designs that have been created in the years since his graduation in 2007.

NICOLAS LE MOIGNE, 8th February-10th March 2011

GALLERY LIBBY SELLERS

41-42 Berners Street, London W1T 3NB (020 3384 8785)

Le Moigne graduated in product design from ECAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne in 2007, when gallery owner Libby Sellers first picked up on his work. To offer an overview of his work since then, this London exhibition brings together some of his designs for industrial companies as well as limited editions commissioned for NextLevel Galerie in Paris and Helmrinderknecht in Berlin.

Le Moigne (now a professor at ECAL), is happy to work between industrial clients and specialist design galleries. This juxtaposition is celebrated in the exhibition, which includes the debut of several new designs.

The designer’s approach is described by the gallery as showing “an understanding of complexity and contrast: seemingly fragile yet resilient, at once organic yet also industrial, assuredly sophisticated yet without guile.”

The gallery is open Tuesday-Friday 11-6 and Saturday 11-4.

Images – from top: Slip stools, 2009. Photography by Tonaitiuh Ambrosetti. Courtesy Gallery Libby Sellers; Flore vase, 2009. Photography by Tonaitiuh Ambrosetti. Courtesy NextLevel Galerie, Paris; Gaia plate, 2009. Photography by Tonaitiuh Ambrosetti. Courtesy NextLevel Galerie, Paris; Reflecting ring, 2010. Courtesy A. E. Koechert, Vienna; Podium low table, 2011. Photography by D. Droz + T. Ambrosetti. Courtesy Helmrinderknecht, Berlin; Slip Lamp, 2011. Photography by D. Droz + T. Ambrosetti. Courtesy Gallery Libby Sellers.

In this new exhibition, The Aram Gallery is exploring the use of 3D printing in the design industry today, showcasing works by designers and organisations who are developing the capabilities of rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing technologies.

‘SEND TO PRINT / PRINT TO SEND’, 13th January-25th February 2012

THE ARAM GALLERY

Aram, 110 Drury Lane, London WC2B 5SG

The exhibition highlights the increasingly important role 3D printing plays in the design process, particularly during the complex prototyping stages.

Featuring pieces from the studios of both established and emerging designers, The Aram Gallery uses this exhibition as a way to examine how designers’ processes are developing to accommodate new technological advances.

The aim is the offer visitors a better understanding of what 3D printing is, and demonstrate how it is being contemporaneously used.

Participating designers include Assa Ashuach, Michael Eden, FAT, Freedom of Creation, Jump Studios, Markus Kayser, Dirk van der Kooij, Chau Har Lee, PearsonLloyd, Chloe McCormick, Serie, Superfusionlab, Silvia Weidenbach and Unfold.

We’ve teamed up with Vespertine Press to give away five copies of ‘The Independent Coffee Book London‘. This new title celebrates the very best independent cafés, espresso bars and roasters in London and is the only guide to the capital’s burgeoning speciality coffee scene. Enter now – competition closes on 25th January 2012.

The book includes reviews and listings of the very best cafés in London, accompanied by maps to help you discover new and exciting coffee shops around the city.

Also included is a history of London coffee houses, a guide to brewing, a detailed glossary of terms and articles compiled and written by a host of influential names from the London coffee scene.

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED. Congratulations to our five winners: Graham Gear, Liam Carden, Harriet Steynor, Jay Freestone and Charles Westerby.

Stay informed of future competitions by signing up to our monthly newsletter.

PROMOTION: A new design-led trade show called HOME is taking place in London, with over 160 homewares and interior accessories brands exhibiting under one roof at Earls Court Exhibition Centre this January.

HOME 2012, 15th-17th January 2012 (trade only)

EARLS COURT EXHIBITION CENTRE

West Brompton, London SW5 9TA

Offering a wide range of classic, contemporary and ‘Homegrown’ British designed furniture, lighting and interior accessories, the event is divided into three distinctive sections representing the cream of each of these sectors.

In the Modern Home section, visitors can discover the very latest in contemporary interior products. Modern Home houses both the well-established design companies alongside younger boutique brands.

The exhibition features everything from small and occasional furniture and lighting to accessories for the home, office, bar, hotel or restaurant, including clocks, bins, rugs, soft furnishings, tableware, glassware and outdoor accessories.

Exhibiting companies include Stelton, Alessi, LSA, Royal VKB, Eva Solo, SCP, iittala, Authentics, Jonathan Adler, Skandium, Content by Conran and many more.

As a feature, leading design website Dezeen is presenting a selection of 10 of the best new design products from around the world.

Furthermore, the publisher of LONDON DESIGN GUIDE – Spotlight Press – is exhibiting on Stand F1 and is presenting its two latest titles: LONDON DESIGN GUIDE 2012-2013 edition and DEZEEN BOOK OF IDEAS.

Pre-register for tickets at www.home-london.net

The exhibition is open 9:30-18:00 on 15th & 16th and 9:30-17:00 on 17th January.

We’ve teamed up with the producers of Sugru to give away five packs of their magical air-curing rubber that can be bonded onto any object to repair or transform the shape, functionality and ergonomics – useful for improving those not-quite-right Christmas gifts! Enter now – competition closes on Monday 23rd January 2012.

Sugru is an exciting air-curing rubber that can be formed by hand. It bonds to most materials and turns into a strong, flexible silicone rubber overnight. It feels like modelling clay, and it’s that easy to use too. Once cured, its durable properties mean it’s comfortable in extreme environments from the dishwasher to the ocean to Antarctica.

Sugru can be formed and shaped by hand for up to 30 minutes once it has been removed from its packaging. Once it’s exposed to air, it cures to a tough flexible silicone overnight using the moisture in the air with a cure time of 24hrs.

Developed by a team of product designers and materials scientists, sugru’s patented technology is unique in its combination of hand-formability, self-adhesion and flexibility when cured. Sugru’s strap line is ‘Hack Things Better’ – to us, this has revolutionary potential.

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED. Congratulations to our five winners: Pete Aighton, Frederic Cuignet, Lynsey Kirkwood, Dawn Costen and Jean Day.

Stay informed of future competitions by signing up to our monthly newsletter.

All images courtesy of Sugru.

The advertising and insights agency Protein has added a coffee shop to their gallery space in Shoreditch. Coffee connoisseurs DunneFrankowski have designed a modular multi-purpose coffee bar offering some of the finest caffeine hits in the area.

PROTEIN BY DUNNE FRANKOWSKI

18 Hewett Street, London EC2A 3NN

Dunne Frankowski have crafted a coffee bar that works under the ethos of functionality over form, focusing on presentation, service and design. It’s a space that can be run comfortably by a maximum two people, and also be taken and re-created in a variety of spaces.

Rather geekishly, Protein has made a real-time Chromo Enabled feed to track every coffee sold, viewable here.

Open Mon-Fri 8-5, Sat 10-4, Sun 10-3.

To coincide with the Christmas season, leading auction house Phillips de Pury & Company is presenting a pop-up shop of unique works, limited-editions and prints by a dynamic group of artists and designers.

PHILLIPS DE PURY POP-UP SHOP, 2nd December 2011-31st January 2012

PHILLIPS DE PURY & COMPANY at Claridges

45-47 Brook Street, London W1K 4HN (020 7318 4010)

The exclusively curated selection includes original works such as Watch Sculptures by Dominic Wilcox, Push + Pivot Rings by Bethan Laura Woods, and hand-painted graphic t-shirts, prints and accessories by DavidDavid.

London based designer Martino Gamper has curated a special Martino and Friends section especially for the shop. Gamper has made a bespoke shelving unit to display his selection. Highlights from the Martino and Friends section include Francis Upritchard’s hand painted Christmas cards and wrapping paper, jewellery from Gemma Holt and Rob Upritchard, and a set of drinking glasses with carafe from Martino Gamper.

Other talents included in the pop-up include Max Lamb, Michael Anastassiades, Tauba Auerbach, Faye Toogood, Snarkitecture, Brunno Jahara, Humans Since 1982, Pia Wustenberg, Victoria Wilmotte, Jonathan Muecke, Oeuffice, and Ben Adams.

Note: the pop-up shop will be closed from 24 December – 3 January.

All images courtesy of Phillips de Pury & Company.

As a pre-Christmas gesture, we’re selling copies of LONDON DESIGN GUIDE 2012-2013 edition for £10, instead of the usual £12. This offer is available until 20th December 2011 when you order a copy directly from us.

LONDON DESIGN GUIDE is the only guide dedicated to the best design shops and destinations in London, boasting unbiased reviews and opinion. See some example spreads here.

ORDER YOUR COPY HERE. At the Checkout, enter CHRISTMAS into the Discount Code box and you will qualify for £2 off all copies of the guide ordered between 1st and 20th December 2011.

** Be aware of our Christmas shipping deadlines **

UK – order by midday on 2oth December

Europe – order by midday on 9th December

Worldwide – order by midday on 5th December

Christmas stockings are surely one of the pleasures of the season, full of unusual treasures either practical or whimsical. We asked the owners of 4 London design retailers – Jasper Morrison Shop, The Republic of Fritz Hansen, Mint and SCP – to nominate 4 of their favourite stocking fillers from their own stores.

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First up is Jasper Morrison Shop (selection pictured above), a gem of a store from the the British designer of the same name. Buyer Ruth Donaghey sets out her four nominations:

1. Moon espresso cup and saucer by Jasper Morrison for Rosenthal, £15: Finest porcelain quality, essential form and natural good looks for the espresso connoisseur.

2. Foil Cutter, £5: A Spanish classic for removing the foil from wine bottle tops with ease and precision.

3. Pentel pens in 12 colours, £1.50 each: The original felt tip, and still the best, in production since the 1960′s.

4. Yellow Stapler produced by Ellepi, £10: The handy whale shaped stapler from Italy, built to last.

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Next up, The Republic of Fritz Hansen, which is a new store located in Fitzrovia.The retail arm is run by design store Skandium and owner Magnus Englund puts forward his pick:

5. Copenhagen headphones produced by Urbanista, £79: Johan Wahlbäck is an old friend of Skandium since he resurrected the old Swedish army bike, put it back into production and made it into a staple items for Swedish university students in the 1990s. Now Johan is looking to the future instead and has created the brand Urbanista, making smart and stylish products at affordable prices for the urban environment. These Copenhagen headphones come in a variety of colours but we think Danish red is best for listening to hot music.

6. Washbag produced by Mismo, £150: If Skandium was a fashion brand then our bag collection would look like Mismo, the Danish brand based on simplicity and quality. For those who want a bit of Mismo also at home and not just when travelling or going out, there’s now a wash bag collection which is only available from the Fritz Hansen store.

7. Oscar the dog by Hans Bølling, £69: Oscar the dog was designed by Hans Bølling in 1953, when Hans was only 22 years old. The Danish love for fine carpentry, animals and a sly sense of humour all meet in this object. Hans Bølling went on to design villas, housing estates and town halls, but his animals from the 1950s will perhaps be remembered and cherished even when those buildings no longer stand.

8. Dish from Baca range produced by Royal Copenhagen, £89: Royal Copenhagen is not a porcelain brand known for cutting edge design, despite being around since 1775. But under the direction of Nils Thorsson and his Tenera and Baca ranges from the 1960s, Royal Copenhagen had a progressive and radical period. Skandium has taken upon itself to make these little known and rare designs available again, the only problem being that as soon as we get hold of any, they sell out. This bird design is from the Baca range, introduced in 1964.

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Lina Kanafani, owner of design store Mint, guides us through her pick of stocking fillers in 2011 (pictured above):

9. Tape Shapes by WRAP magazine, £18 per set of 4: With each set containing 12 vinyl stickers, these Tape Shapes by WRAP are designed as a happy alternative to sticky tape when wrapping presents or for adding a fun touch to envelopes, notebooks, walls and windows.

10. Pedestal Egg Cups by Tina Frey, £60 per pair: These pedestal egg cups by Tina Frey comes in black and pink. Made of resin, they make a lovely surprise as a stocking filler for all ages.

11. Pencils by Ariane Prin and Notepad by Helena Seget, £40 inc pencil case: The Torn Note Pad page is a sustainable notepad made from fine porcelain, designed to be used and enjoyed on a daily basis. Notes can be rubbed out with a rubber erase, washed off with soap and water or wiped away with a wet wipe. Perfectly paired with it is Ariane Prin’s pencils made from wood dust and flour.

12. Riedizioni by Luisa Cevese, from £35: These lovely bags can be used for cosmetics, toiletries or just for fun! The brilliant colours are industrial scraps from Bombay and are put together in Italy.

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Last but not least is Sheridan Coakley who owns SCP, with stores in Shoreditch and Notting Hill. Here is his selection:

13. 250 series watch by Uniform Wares, £380: The Uniform Wares boys have done it again with the elegant new 250 series. Inspired by a WWII gentlemen’s wristwatch with a contemporary twist, this is the perfect gift for your favourite gent.

14. Bank in the form of a Pig by Harry Allen for Areaware, £198: This little piggy didn’t make it to market, instead he was cast, made into a piggy bank and given a glitzy chrome makeover. Four shiny colours available in December.

15. Bora Da throw by Donna Wilson for SCP, £245: Snuggle up this Christmas with traditional, Welsh-made throw by Donna Wilson and SCP. The wool is specially spun and dyed in England and then woven in Wales by a traditional family-run mill. We have two brand new colourways- Willow (pictured) and Pink Slate.

16. Enamel bake set by Falcon, £55: Make a mean shepherds pie or crumble with this classic enamel bake set. Light weight and practically indestructible. Perfect for the cook of the household.

If any of these stocking fillers catch you eye, they can of course be purchased from each respective store. Happy shopping!