A couple of weeks ago I was invited up to London to visit the brand-new offices of MADE.com, which has long been one of my go-to brands for stylish yet affordable design. It was a great opportunity to have a peek at their latest collection (more on that in future posts) and learn about the MADE TalentLAB – a fantastic new initiative which gives emerging designers the chance to showcase their work and see it put into production.
The idea behind the project is simple: anyone can upload a submission via the website, and then every two months the team at MADE curates a collection and invites people to pledge a small deposit towards their favourite pieces. Those which meet their funding goal get made and the people who have pledged towards them receive them for a discounted price; anyone who has pledged towards a piece that doesn’t go into production will have their deposit refunded.
The first collection (shown of which is shown here) is live for pledges now, so I chatted to MADE’s Design Director Ruth Wassermann to find out more…
What’s the aim behind TalentLAB?
“TalentLAB was developed to connect designers and design lovers, enabling people to find emerging designers and help them get their pieces into production. It’s a democratic platform that gives everyone with a great idea the chance to see it realised and, because it’s an open-upload process, anyone can participate as long as they can communicate their concept visually. And by pledging deposits, people have the opportunity to support and participate in the creation of designs they love.”
Above: the practical yet playful ‘Jo’ clothes hanger by Frankfurt-based Michael Gottscheck, and the minimalist ‘Lune’ LED table lamp by French duo Notaroberto Boldrini, who took inspiration from the shape of the moon
What prompted you to launch the initiative?
“We had run our Emerging Talent Awards for several years and had built a platform for open entries to extend the reach across all our markets. We were amazed by the huge number of inspiring designs that were entered and really disappointed not to be able to put more of them into production. That’s what prompted us, but we’ve always supported designers and been committed to launching great products at accessible prices, so TalentLAB is essentially an extension of that vision.”
How do you select the designs for each collection?
“The first collection is really just an edit of our favourite pieces, chosen by an internal panel. But going forwards we plan to launch collections with more of a story or direction behind them, and we also want to invite external curators to join us in selecting products for some of them.”
Above: UK-based Naomi Cheney’s retro-inspired ‘Leliana’ dressing table, and Spanish designer Álvaro Díaz Hernández’s beautifully understated ‘Add’ storage ladder and magazine rack
What has impressed you about the submissions you’ve had so far?
“What always impresses me is the huge amount of amazing design ideas out there. I’m particularly pleased to see entries from across the globe, way beyond the current reach of MADE’s markets. That tells me that we really are doing something unique that isn’t available to designers elsewhere.”
And what’s the initial reaction been like?
“We’ve been blown away by the positive response. As well as getting submissions from around the world, we’ve already had lots of people pledging support for the first collection. A very exciting start! And it’s been great to hear all the positive feedback from designers and the design community in general – everyone is really excited that TalentLAB exists.”
Above: the adaptable ‘Library’ shelving unit from German-Chinese designer Penghao Shan, and the ‘Lightstand’ floor lamp with built-in side table by Netherlands-based Ivana Blaskova
Have the designs submitted inspired MADE’s own in-house team?
“Everyone has been enjoying seeing the entries – it’s so important to foster ideas from a new generation of designers. And we get a steer on their thinking by seeing trends in what’s been uploaded to TalentLAB.”
How can people enter their own work for consideration?
“It’s really easy – all you need to do is go to made.com/talentlab, sign up and then upload your idea!”
Above: Spanish designer Juan Soriano’s copper-coloured ‘Medal’ mirror, and Copenhagen-based architect Omayra Maymo’s igenious ‘Swappi’ storage cart
Finally, do you have any other plans for the initiative?
“We’re hoping to develop a network of partners and experts who can come on board to help us curate our collections, reach out to the design community and host TalentLAB events. It’s really about creating an ‘ecosystem’ of designers and design lovers to support new work.”
Thanks Ruth!
Head over to MADE.com to see the first TalentLAB collection and pledge support for your favourite pieces.
All photography via MADE.com
Love the collections 🙂 Thanks for sharing such lovely pieces!
A pleasure!