New Designers has a longstanding reputation for unearthing raw talent and 2012 was no exception. Sponsored by Made.com, the designer of the Jonah and Morton Collections, James Harrison (himself a New Designers exhibitor back in 2008) joined Chloe Macintosh and Terence Woodgate on the judging panel. Jay Osgerby, one half of Barber Osgerby who designed the Olympic torch, presented the awards.

The Business Design Centre in Islington which hosted the event had its strong connection with the design world reinforced by the high calibre work on show. Representatives from many innovative and forward thinking furniture companies attended the event in the hope of discovering the next big thing in furniture design.

Design spotters from Made were scouting for a super-talented graduate who would be in with a chance of putting their work into production and on sale on the Made.com website. They were on the lookout in particular for an exciting design with clear benefits, plus a clever approach to aesthetic details and production.

The decision was unanimous, Hugh Leader-Williams’ table and stool design made from spun metal and wood showed maturity in concept and execution.

Within the clean simplicity of his design, Hugh’s innovative approach to resolving manufacturing limitations and consumer needs stood out” according to Terence, while Chloe saw “great potential for developing his idea.

Many congratulations to Hugh. We certainly look forward to seeing his designs on the Made.com website in the very near future.

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