UK’s Top 50 Design Talent

When it comes to design, the Guardian newspaper believes that the UK is home to some of the world’s biggest talent. In a recent article, they name their brightest stars. Here’s their top 3:

Thorsten van Elten

A Pigeon Light is for life, not just for Christmas, believes Van Elten. He expects customers to treat the dinky, bird-shaped lamps – or anything stocked by his quirky London boutique – with as much care as a household pet. “We’ve slightly lost track of what stuff costs. Everybody should buy less, but buy better,” says the German-born retailer, 39, who founded his homewares label in 2002. As a buyer for furniture store SCP, Van Elten felt many good designs weren’t making it to the market due to the paucity of British manufacturing. So, with his own capital, he decided to batch-produce in the UK such items as Alexander Taylor’s charming Antler coat hook and Dominic Wilcox’s War Bowl, made from a troop of half-melted toy soldiers.

Saluted for investing in young British talent, Van Elten maintains he is a “producer”, not a manufacturer (”I don’t have any factories”). “Secret Santa syndrome” – irresponsible splurging on cheap, throwaway gifts – is one of his bugbears. “When people say they’ve saved up to buy a Pigeon Light, which, at £55, is quite a lot for some, that’s the greatest pleasure for me,” he explains. Thus far, with nearly 10,000 having flown the coop, Ed Carpenter’s Perspex birds are Van Elten’s biggest hit.

After making his name with light-hearted accessories, he is now releasing more sober furniture, such as Taylor’s Outline shelving. “Bringing personality to little things is easy, but humorous furniture is quite a statement,” he says. “While I don’t mind funny cushions, I wouldn’t want a funny sofa.”

Tom Dixon

Self-taught and outspoken, Dixon maintains the air of a maverick, despite his OBE for services to British design. As creative director at Habitat he has reissued classics by Verner Panton and Robin Day, and introduced his own designs, such as the stackable Jack Light. Today he works with Finnish furniture manufacturer Artek, as well as under his own brand (Copper Shade pendant).

Kerr Noble

“We’re a bit like detectives,” says Amelia Noble of the fastidious approach she and Frith Kerr – and their small company – favour in their graphic design work. “We start each job with research, which we love because we’re both a bit swottish.” Whether crafting their own letterforms or hunting for the perfect fonts at London’s archaic St Bride printing library, the pair are very generous with their time – commissioned to design business cards for one company, they made each staff member a set of 12. “It doesn’t always make business sense, but it keeps us alive,” says Noble.

Kerr and Noble, 33 and 34 respectively, met at the Royal College of Art when they jointly won a competition. They set up their own company in 1997 months after graduating, and now employ two senior designers – Noble’s sister, Marianne and Julia Castillo – and junior designer Johanna Bonnevier, attracting both heavyweight clients, including Channel 4, and small independents, such as London grocer Melrose & Morgan. At present they are working on the branding for a series of modern coaching inns for Dhillon hotels; and the graphics and book for the Barbican Art Gallery’s forthcoming over 18s-only exhibition Seduced: Art & Sex From Antiquity To Now.