SME Partner

Zoë Tynan-Campbell, Stumped Studio

Academic Partner

Karen Richmond, Camberwell College of Arts, UAL

Project Title

The power of the collective: How can a collective of young London based entrepreneurial designer-makers create business opportunities and develop a knowledge-exchange platform with industry and manufacturers in the UK.

Project Description

For this project Stumped Studio’s aim was to research joining the dots between young designer makers and industry; exploring the power of the collective and knowledge sharing as a means of improving access and connections to industry.

Using the case study of Camberwell Collective (a collective of early career designer/makers graduating from Camberwell College of Arts BA Hons in 3D design) the first task was to log the experiences and challenges faced by this group of makers. Through a series of workshops and focus groups it was established that the hardest part of the process was reaching out to these manufacturers and industry.

Significant moment for the project was the realisation that it is as difficult for manufacturers to seek out designers as it is the other way round.  This led to the proposal of taking the manufacturers out of their usual context and having them showcase in a context such as London Design festival where you would normally only see the finished object rather than the manufacturing process.

Ultimately the project created an engaging and user-friendly interface that makes the challenges of collaborating with a manufacturer much more transparent and a much more human process; giving artists, designers and makers the opportunity to gain an insight and connect directly face to face with manufacturers and soon foster the project’s first collaborations while continuing to provide the space and opportunity for such collaboration.