Tuesday 5 January 2010

Since Ilsa Parry did "Flo" on Design for Life with Philippe Starck

Since the design for life show and paris experience... my life has been like freefall...

I have been involved with so many new projects, and have achieved so much success that I thought it would be a good time to reflect upon the positives in the last six months... being the new year we often forget to look back and instead plough forward blindly... I will soon upload some images of the key things I I have realised, but for now, here is a brief list of my highlights so far and things I am now focussing upon:

  1. Kaspa shortlisted for gift of the year by the giftware association
  2. Flo finalist in shell live wire grand ideas award
  3. Pierre seat finalist in one good chair competition
  4. Exhibited REthinkthings products at Pulse
  5. Taught myself to use Rhinocad from scratch
  6. Developed Kaspa nightlight into commercial product and has gone on sale in 4 retail outlets
  7. Realised Pippa and spyke glasses with glasstorm in Scotland
  8. Exhibited for the first time at 100% design with 5 of the other design for life contestants curated by me
  9. Created a deal for funding to get patent applications on flo pending on US and UK
  10. Registered design rights on all developing rethinkthings products
  11. Registered REthinkthings TM and Flo TM
  12. Rejigged and updated website - due to be done again by 6 month rule
  13. Have developed 6 new protoypes of Flo walking aid with free assistance from two northwest universities including 3D scans and prints, currently producing a working prototype
  14. Have met with several business angels and am establishing separate business plans for each product
  15. Created a few new designs to be prototyped soon for REthinkthings including seating and vases
  16. Did 3 radio interviews about the future of the new business I have established
  17. Completed a bespoke furniture commission for Kirsty doyle fashion designer
  18. Completed a branding commission for flipog
  19. Completed my postgraduate studies, graduated last month and nowenrolled on a business enterprise course
  20. Established my "ilsa parry" design studio and workshop for commission based activities
  21. Exhibited with Mike Cloke at Liverpool design festival - custom stand
  22. Won the Liverpool vision innovation award
  23. In negotiations for establishing REthinkthings as a ltd company with investment for product development to reach the mass market with the work
  24. Was introduced to marketing and business development managers for malmaison by claire my marketing and PR guru at Avenham
  25. Currently thinking about developing furniture items for possible collaboration with Bo Concept
  26. Working to improve Ilsa Parry brand with Apropos graphic design
  27. Visitng lecturer at three north west universities, talks given at other institutions as guest speaker including galleries and design associations
  28. Storyteller bench for liverpool city centre refined and ready for production
  29. Swarth lamp developed and won chamber of commerce environmental arts award
  30. Recognised as course leader at liverpool community college on their 3D course and given an achievement award
  31. Exhibited at Pad gallery preston
  32. Was contacted by Heals for a product catalogue
  33. Commissioned for a big 3D medical education project to commence next year
  34. Was taken to Cannes by mcdonalds to pitch to Philippe avansi creative director for mc donalds europe
  35. Created merchandise proposals for Liverpool Biennial arts festival, these are to be commissiones and will hopefully be developed for 2010
  36. Was approached by Sony and Unilever for freelance creative work
  37. Met with and was taken to lunch by Ross Lovegrove in London- a true inspiration
  38. Saluted and endorsed by age concern UK for flo product - possibility of working with them to fund and develop flo
  39. Currently refurbishing studio to host mini exhibitions and to enable me to take on a regular intern
  40. Have applied for part time post in my current full time position to allow me more flexibility with freelance projects
  41. Have been offerred HE lecturing on a regular basis and have been approached by other UK universities to offer collaborative project involvement on a sessional basis
  42. Trying for a few new furniture packaging and merchandise competitions
  43. Currently updating software skills using Solidworks
  44. Just sent off a load of proposals for the Chester Rhino Trail next summer
  45. Sending forth new proposals for lambanana lighting soon...
  46. Doing Pulse on a large stand curated by me as "north west best" with 4 other north west based designers

ITS ALL GO! - photos to follow!