Sunday 1 May 2011

Speaking from Experience: Not on the High Street.



Undoubtedly one of my favourite websites, 'Not on the High Street' showcases a range of delightfully unique, traditionally-inspired and well-crafted gift, lifestyle and home items. I was first introduced to the site by a friend who knows my love of all things handmade, child-like and playful- and was delighted to find a really unique selection of eco-friendly and innovative toys and gifts.
Although I know the importance of making a living from my design practice, one of the reasons that I love designing so much is because of my love of seeing people happy, and making people laugh- hoping that each of my designs can become a talking point and potentially make someone's day a little bit brighter. Eco-friendly design goes hand-in-hand with this- caring about stocks, supplies, natural resources, and not to mention my bank balance! I have been known to racoon-it around recycling bins in a Blue Peter fashion in my time, and this wonderful selection of gifts and toys shows just how stylish and creative environmentally-friendly design can be...









Another great feature of these design items is their interactivity- the fact that the children can draw on them, create patterns or just scribble all over- a great eco and interactive piece of design- and very simple to make.

Whilst I hope to concentrate on colours in my designs, this has also inspired me to take a look at using consistently neutral tones- it would be an interesting experiment to see all the products the same colour, and to see if their shape and form represents them alone- perhaps creating white designs on a white background for a really crisp image...inspiring stuff!

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