drastic plastic

2007
Formation and setup of Inventive Reception. A partnership between RCA graduate Matt Galvin and myself to deliver a design and innovation practice based on our recent collective postgraduate research experiences. We both noticed something that makes our practice a little different and more engaging with business leaders and partners. Our primary markets are companies who currently are not using design strategically enough to get advantage.

Retained as Business Development consultant for a design led housebuilder and a contemporary furniture maker / shopfitter. Work in progess.

2006
Insight, design research and business development roles for a number of small design consultancies.
INTERIOR DESIGNER, ARCHITECT, PRODUCT DESIGNERS. all businesses go through change and have need of private reflection as they search for new purpose. Providing a framework and enviroment for this chalenge to be articualted openly usually has dramtic results.

Delivered "the Education of the Design Entreprenuer" lectures at Dundee, Master of design courses. Based on a title and starting point from design author Steve Heller, my lecture looks at how designers can understand what business questions they need answered to engage with clients before suggesting a design process. Using my own experiences of commissioning design in order to develop my own retail USP meant taking on the role product champion and producer in order to get the energy of new product development into my business model. As a local design artifact retailer this meant thinking about a wider market. The workshop version gives students a chance to come up with their own strategy games. LIke Apple v Sony scenarios building / executive role play.

2005
Master of Design degree at Duncan of Jordanstone,Dundee University. Examples of my work on the integration of BUSINESS & DESIGN STRATEGY. Started a project called Design Dialogues to look how business and design could talk earlier as in not just when there is a crisis. This work directly led to the design of a new practice, two years on, it became real with Inventive Reception.

2004
design and production of "LIGHTBEAM" by me. Installed on the FRAME magazine Stand at 100%DESIGN.

2003
Installation of SNAKE LIGHT at NEWLOOK, Oxford Street, London. Commissioned by Future Systems Architects.
Design and production of the CROSSLIGHT for Jim Hamilton, Graven Images.

BIG BROTHER 3, buys and uses up 12 Ravine chairs and 6 Canyon Chairs. The publicity is huge for the chairs and the company.
interest from the public though is misdirected and endless enquiries come only from teenagers who are not quite ready to spend on this type of item. Hard lesson learned.

2002
Exhibited at Milan Fierra. Canyon at last shown in MIlan to much acclaim.

2001
Set up HARROLD CONTEMPRARY FURNITURE. to experiement further with the idea that bespoke small batch production and installations could be formailsed into a service for design teams. attempting to create closer dialogues with design teams and their clients to create better outcomes with calculated risk taking. After 3 years trading results were interesting but not profitable enough to continue full-time.

2000
Nice House Ltd sold to CREATVE OFFICE INTERIORS LTD. Stayed as creative director for a new division until the sudden death on a key director resulted in the closure of the company entirely.

1999
Exhibited at 100% DESIGN, London. Launched Chasm chair to much Acclaim. Won Blueprint award for best newcomer.
Awarded Millenium Status Product by the UK Government.
One Foot Taller are awarded PEUGOUT DESIGN AWARD, Designers of the Year for the CHASM chair.

1998
Commissioned ONE FOOT TALLER to design a plastic chair. Rejected perfectly decent designs in preference for uniqueness of form and the oportunity to design in plastic including the possibility to be 100% recycled materials.

1997
Moved operations from Princes Square round the corner to The ITalian Centre, Glasgow. Focus shifts from small artifacts to furniture and lighting. CONTRACT NICEHOUSE aimed at design profesionals and commercial clients at last has a proper home.

1996
Commissioned ONE FOOT TALLER to design and produce a series of Salt and Peppers for trendy Indian Resuarant SHIMLA PINKS. Broad Street. Birmingham

1995

1994

1993
Exhibited TRAMWAY Glasgow. Designed and Curated the HOME PRODUCE collection. This was extreme inventiveness by young and eager designers based in Glasgow and known to me as either Staff from the shop or had a close relationship of shared beliefs and values. Budget £2k with brouchure of 500 copies. Identity and graphics work by Graven Images Stuart Gilmore (now Stand design) and Janice Kirkpatrick. View the catalogue..

1992
Exhibited NICEHOUSE products in New York Contemporary Furniture Show. Major showcase this time for Adrian Wiesnieskwi and his rugs produced by the Doocoot Studio in Edinburgh. AWARD WINNING. (BARNEY'S made an license request)

Produced the first NICEHOUSE products brochure, simple and minimalist treatment for maximalist furniutre and rugs and lighting. Gravens handled the graphics (£1000 inc 4000 copies put together by Paul Gray now Suisse Design) included my own hand markings for the product titles.

1991
Exhibited NICEHOUSE products in the inaugural New York Contemporary Furniture Show. Why go to London when you can go to NEWYORK.

1990
Moved NICEHOUSE concept now includes re-editions of design classics to Princes Square, Glasgow, brand identity designed by Graven Images. Decided to help promote GRAVENS product designs far and wide. Attitude was get on with it and stop talking.

1988 Started NICEHOUSE. retro furnishing store in Virginia Street Glasgow.