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.