Monday 23 September 2013

New product IM Baby Bangle is a royal hit and prime focus at 10 Downing Street!


One of our designers Alissa Koopal recently launched the IM baby bangle and has received unprecedented praise for her smart REthinking! Just Last week she was invited to showcase her inventive problem solving product at 10 Downing Street.  Invited along as an excellent example of young, creative entrepreneurial spirit, Alissa was flying the flag for an attitude we hold very close to our hearts at REthinkthings.



Prime Minister, David Cameron, stated in meeting with Alissa and other new product designers that the work on show demonstrated “that young people have got the ideas, the ambition and sheer commitment to get ahead”, and that’s certainly true of Alissa.  An on-the-go mum of 2, Alissa had a clear business vision  for "Safe Soothing & Practical Parenting" in a design-led manner. Her first product - new to market and available at www.rethinkthings.co.uk is a multi- purpose baby teether designed to soothe and stimulate motor skills whilst doubling as an accessory for mum to wear. It can be sterilised and is dishwasher and fridge/freezer-safe for extra cool relief.  


This product is off to a flying start, available in three colours and on sale in 6 countries, its space saving, and stylish practicality is showing it has the potential to become a must have accessory for busy parents.



Alissa said, “It was incredibly exciting and a huge honour to be invited to the Prime Minister’s residence. He said he had read about the Bangles and thought they were great! We discussed all the different uses and the long lifespan of the product (from birth to older toddlers) and the fact that they are manufactured here in the UK. The past few months have been an absolute whirlwind. Mr. Cameron now even has one for Florence and I also gave him one to pass on to little Prince George!” 

Thursday 12 September 2013

Make More Meaning!


As part of our commitment to producing things that people value and appreciate, we would love to find out what you care about and what sticks in your mind! 

Please have a look at our short 9 question survey and have your say about what matters in your life!

You never know you may be the inspiration for one our greatest designs...?

Monday 26 August 2013

SPIROLLIGHT LAUNCHED AT MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY


“Make it yourself!” For a number of months REthinkthings Ltd (known for producing quantity, factory made, household acccessories and gifts) have been thinking about producing a product which the user can construct themselves through downloadable and printed graphic instruction kits. What better way to approach this than from a point of sustainability using easily accessible household by-products? 


Made from 105 loo roll tubes we developed “Spirollight”, the geometric chandelier inspired by chakras and mandalas. In taking ownership through production, the user is in control of the end result, they can even personalise the product to their preference through choice in form and finish, cutting costs and strengthening value and emotive bond.


Spirollight is the first of what will become a series of crafted products from REthinkthings. Spirollight is a collaboration between Ilsa Parry and Andrew Luft in creating an accessible version of urban chic designer lighting. Spirollight is affordable, engaging and sustainable and even helps the user to avoid those “designer” price tags whilst offering a role in the creation of something unique.


Spirollight can be created by the everyday crafter by cutting and interlocking cylinders using our easy templates which are downloadable here in A4 PDF format for home printing. Alternatively accurate cutting guides and  printed packs can be purchased to speed up the “getting started phase”. Spirollight is an interior product you can be proud to say you crafted yourself. With the instructions broken down into daily sessions each lasting approximately 3 hours, it makes for perfect family time, and can be realistically realised within a week.

Rediscover the sense of satisfaction which comes from making!









We Launched this new product at the Museum of Science and Industry, Mini Maker Faire in Manchester a few weekends ago. The MOSI MMF was a gathering of enthusiastic makers, hacking, playing exploring and making in various materials, using a plethora of new technologies and a wealth of ingenuity. At the show, there were plenty of activities for family members to get involved with, soldering, stitching, spud guns and lots, lots more. For us, there was great interest in the Spirollight and its construction, people were surprised and humoured at the choice of materials and enthused by the idea that they could create it themselves.





Our presentation aligned with our overall concept and involved a stand made from reused and recyclable items. We attempted to explain the concept of construction visually through use of colour to represent layers, this carried through the instruction packs, the marking guides and even a 3D exploded model which hung from the top of the stand.

MOSI MMF was a great opportunity to launch us towards a new direction, encouraging consumers to reengage with creation and be rewarded with economic savings in exchange for time spent making. Look out for more ideas from us in the near future!


Monday 22 July 2013

Capstan's Bazaar


As part of REthinkthings mission to bring design to the wider public, we attended and held a stall at Capstan's Bazaar, in Liverpool on Sunday 14th of July. Bringing accessibly priced design led items to capture the imagination of the locals. Previously focused on London based trade shows, this display was a shift in direction for us, but a necessary step to broaden our reach. This relatively new, but highly regarded design, arts, crafts and food market was located at HAUS, in Liverpool's creative quarter, part of the
Baltic Triangle, established in the last five years to encourage people to get involved in a regenerative urban scene.


The market was busy, and it is the vision of the organisers to make it a regular feature on the city's creative calendar. It is hoped that Capstans Bazaar will become the primary destination for those seeking unusual gifts and local produce at great prices, in a market with a fantastic atmosphere.


REthinkthings set up stall next to many local artisans and businesses. On sale were new items for our range
including the Misnomer and Ambigram posters, which add a philosophical dimension to the interpretation of image and text, they tease the viewer with ambiguity and provoke a reveal in personal understanding through double takes and choice of orientation in display. We also showed the Cliff Hangers with their brand new packaging. REthinkthings new emphasis on graphics and communication in product design was obvious through the new goods selected for sale alongside some of our more established items, such as the Bauhaus Birdhouses, Handybags/Scumbags and the range of Accent Teatowels.


The event was a great way to introduce some our new affordable product collections and gain valuable feedback from the wider public and other creatives. It also gave us insight and inspiration whilst exploring some of the other local talent on offer. Our "Launch" candlestick holders signified the beginning of a new direction for the brand.


Located at the entrance of the market, we gained attention from everyone who
entered with the draw of street food, illustrations and other hand-crafted items surrounding us. It was interesting to note among Scousers that the most popular products were the Accent teatowels and Scumbags which appealed to the cheeky Liverpudlian sense of humour.


The event proved very popular and word of the REthinkthings brand was spread further into the
local community as many passers by sought further information,  from our website. We hope to continue our engagement in these markets, maybe we'll see you next time! Feel free to like their facebook page for further updates.

Friday 19 July 2013

Cliffs New Hangout Packaging REdesign

The Cliff Hanger Coathook has recently been licensed by REthinkthings. Designed by Steven Almond, we now have production rights for 5 years! To celebrate, Cliff's packaging has been redesigned to tie in with the developing new brand image of  the company. REthinkthings is working hard behind the scenes right now to better communicate the interesting stories of each product's character, this is reflected in the new cliff back board interface. Ideally timed as we have just completed a trade order for the USA and so Cliff sets off in style to conquer the States.



Cliff is so fun to hang with! This simple design that requires minimal effort to use, and is perfect for helping with organisation of day to day necessities. Cliff is a helpful wall climber who can be used for hanging / displaying multiple objects including; coats, keys, bags and other items.



The new packaging for Cliff reflects his interests, habitat and personality. Set in a mountainous landscape, Cliff ascends to new heights surrounded by other characters in the collection. His charisma and sense of adventure makes him a perfect addition to our growing family.

Cliff's new packaging, really brings his character to life and adds a splash of colour and fun which reflects our brand philosophy. We are interested to hear your thoughts on how the new packaging compares with the original. - please add your comments of join Cliff on his facebook page 

Spirollight



Spirollight is one of the latest joint ventures between Ilsa Parry and Andrew Luft at the REthinkthings 
studio. Using 94 standard toilet paper tubes, anyone can create this shining sculpture. A statement 
piece, this mono-material lamp shows just how easy it is to create products from everyday "waste".


The geometric structure forms the light as it is projected onto the ceiling from the Spirollight pendant. This simple yet effective idea will be launched with "make it yourself" instruction packs for sale at the MOSI Mini Makers Fair, taking place at the Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester, England from the 10th to the 11th of August. 

Why pay for designer lighting when you can employ your own creativity and make your own whilst 
helping to reduce unnecessary waste?


Spirollight uses toilet paper tubes which are cut into rings, and slotted together in pairs of rings to create a near spherical shape using the easy to follow template guides. Upcycling materials diverts from landfill and the ability to say you made this yourself can bring a worthwhile sense of satisfaction.


Hard copy instruction packets and downloadable print-it-yourself instructions will be available to buy online from www.rethinkthings.co.uk/spirollight from 1st August.

Check out its development on our facebook page and follow us for more variations on this unusual design.

Monday 25 March 2013

Help us make a difference!

Things are changing for REthinkthings. We are currently undertaking research and restructuring what we do. As you are a valued colleague / friend. We would greatly appreciate your insights in helping us to meet real needs with our design work. 

We are offering a chance to win a £50 voucher for our E-store www.REthinkthings.co.uk. 


If you get a minute, because you are nice and care about helping us contribute to the future of design, could you please complete our short survey and air your views - its just 10 questions but they could make a real difference to what we do.

Ta muchly http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LJP9SS8

Friday 18 January 2013

REthinkthings at Liberty London and Spring Fair 2013

REthinkthings LTD raise the bar from Liberty of London to Spring Fair UK!

The iconic Liberty Store




REthinkthings are looking to 2013 with renewed optimism as their ever expanding collection of carefully selected design led products were successfully pitched at the Liberties London open day last week, just three weeks prior to their first own branded showcase at Spring Fair International.
 Managing Director Ilsa Parry describes the decision to raise the bar: “We have been working hard to increase our product offering online whilst retaining the instantly recognisable quirky aesthetic of our collection. Our site now has over 50 products, 33 of which we own exclusive IP rights or license to trade. REthinkthings feels much stronger as a brand and so we felt confident in showing our most successful wares at Liberties. The enthusiastic response the range was met with by Ed Burstel (Managing Director of Liberty) and Katrina Burroughs (Sunday Times and Telegraph interiors writer) gave us affirmation of the design quality of the work. We felt it only fair to allow other design conscious buyers in on the huge commercial potential the range projects, hence our decision to go solo at spring fair this year!”

Check out the video above to see what we experienced during the Liberties pitch REthinkthings are incredibly excited at the prospect of becoming a supplier to Liberties. The buyers were animated with the Bauhaus birdfeeder which Katrina instantly recognised from features she has written in the past. Ilsa Parry (REthinkthings Managing Director) introduced the two to “Flo” the innovative standing and walking aid newly launched last year, Ed was surprised by the unusual and efficient functionality but both felt that their hearts were much more in line with the cute, bright and colourful items such as “Cliff” hanging hooks “Kaspa” the ghost light and “Spyke” the baseless glass set, they spoke of their plans to launch a new design led garden room and felt that Bauhaus and perhaps even “Spierre” the one legged outdoor seat could be a great fit.  As a global icon for sophisticated and cutting edge home and giftware with a deep and rich heritage, Liberty offer “a voyage of discovery and excitement” which fit in perfectly with the REthinkthings brand values.


Just as Liberty offer an “eccentric, indulgent and utterly charming world” in which you can get truly lost, the studio is currently planning a new journey for the brand, beginning with Spring Fair 2013. From the 3-7th February trade visitors can see all their products in the “DesignLAB” area of hall 7 on stand 6R45 set in a mystical world of warmth and conversation. 

Ilsa comments:“We too are trying to build a global brand, one which is accessible by buyers, consumers and manufacturers alike. We wish to be at the heart of sustainability and efficiency for production, forming a family of creativity through design which connects people, instils optimism and leaves memories”

2013 will see the brands 4th birthday and welcomes a fresh outlook on how everyday items reach consumers, REthinkthings has invested heavily in R+D to forge expansion and transform themselves into a more adventurous proposition able to undertake varied 3D commission works in new fields such as Typography, Graphic Communication and Brand Experience to persuade more clients and collaborators to merge with their way of thinking and strive for engaging innovation and evolution collectively.