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