In a special three-part Q&A series on the New Designers awards programme, darc magazine has spotlighted standout designers recognised for their contributions to decorative lighting product design.

New Designers is an annual exhibition that brings together graduate design talent from across the UK, which made its return to the BDC in London for its 39th year. The event featured the work of 3,000 graduates from over 100 universities.

For those of you who missed it, check out the first two designer interviews darc held with Oscar Parkinson and Holly Munro to discover more about their experiences of the event and their lighting creations.

For our third and final Q&A, darc talks to Habitat award winner George Almond. Almond is an undergraduate from Nottingham Trent University where he studies Product and Furniture Design. His design won the Habitat New Designer award for his Dondo rocking stool and Lever floor lamp, which has gained him a mentoring programme from Habitat’s design studio.

Can you share a bit about your background and what led you to pursue a career in design?

My background in design most likely stemmed from my family. We are all quite practical people and enjoy creating things. My parents built our house, so I grew up on a construction site; often playing around with offcuts and scrap material. I enjoy making things with my hands and so this led me down the road of designing and making. Over the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, with the help of my dad, I built a small workshop in our garage so that I could do various woodwork projects in the ample free time I had. I liked learning new techniques and developing my practical skills.

What significance does winning the New Designer Award hold for you, and how will it impact your career?

Winning the Habitat New Designer Award has been a massive achievement for me. Being able to go and present my work was a fantastic opportunity in itself, but winning an award has allowed me to have more conversations and connections across the design industry than I ever thought I could. This award will be a great head start in my career in design and allow me to achieve my goals in the industry.

What inspired you to create a lighting collection specifically?

This project was an experimentation of materials and processes. The forms I was playing with and creating led perfectly into a light shade for an adjustable floor light. The process dictated the sizes and shape of the shade, making it most suitable for a larger floor lamp rather than a pendant or desk lighting.

Could you elaborate on the inspiration and creative process behind your award-winning design?

I find inspiration in mastering new skills and exploring innovative processes, driving me to push materials to their limits and forge innovative design solutions. This project was conceived with the aim of harnessing steam-bending as a process-driven design approach, leveraging the inherent properties of the material to their fullest extent. By capitalising on the natural tension generated during the bending of wood, I crafted a joint devoid of screws or glue, achieving both structural integrity and aesthetic elegance. The lamp’s adjustability is facilitated through a clamp-like mechanism, strategically designed to utilise opposing forces, creating a lever that prevents the arm from sliding when angled.

With my work, I aim to provide new solutions to problems with an appropriate use of materials and consideration for manufacturing processes. I don’t want to design more of what is already available, it has to be unique and intriguing for the user.

Which environment is your product best suited to, and why? For example, the hospitality market, residential, somewhere else?

The functionality of the floor lamp leans itself to the residential environment due to its adjustability for different uses. At its maximum height, the lamp casts a gentle ambient glow, perfect for creating an inviting room atmosphere. Lowering the shade directs light into a focused area, ideal for illuminating workspaces or study areas. The versatility of the Lever Floor Lamp ensures its adaptability to various settings and applications throughout the home.

Does sustainability and responsible design influence your design choices and processes?

My main focus for sustainability with this project was to use materials as effectively as possible, reducing waste and unnecessary material usage. Through steam bending I was able to use a single piece of wood to form the shade, joint, and movement mechanism, reducing the need for additional materials and machine processes. Product end-of-life is also important, which is why each component of my light can be separated into single materials for recycling or reuse.

Do you see yourself continuing in the field of lighting design, or do you have other areas of interest you’d like to explore in the future?

Having studied Furniture and Product design, I don’t want to limit myself to a single niche aspect of the design industry. As much as I enjoy lighting, I would also like to continue in the field of furniture. Interaction with good design is something I enjoy, whether that be lighting or something else like seating, so in the future I will continue to put user engagement at the centre of my designs.

What are your aspirations for the next five years? 

Currently, I don’t have a specific path I want to follow. I enjoy the practical side of design, being in the workshop making prototypes and experimenting with physical models. I would like to see myself working in a role that would allow me to continue my passion for designing through making. I know that I still have a lot to learn, so aspire to continue expanding my knowledge and developing my skills as a designer.

www.instagram.com/george.almond_design

www.newdesigners.com