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 designer of the year 2004
 to access audio and video on collective you need real player.Four innovators fight it out at London’s Design Museum. Daniel BrownDaniel Brown has been lauded as the future of the internet since he launched noodlebox.com in 1997, at the tender age of 21. His experimental online pieces have always been totally immersive and interactive, with a gentle dose of play. “Computer games don’t have to be completely meaningless, childish experiences,” he says. “The same technology can allow people to socially interact in a more interesting and emotional way.” Brown didn’t study in the classical sense, joining web company Amaze and learning vocationally. For the past two years he’s been the multimedia director of showstudio.com, Nick Knight and Peter Saville’s beacon of collaborative creativity. “With the internet there’s a constant pressure to invent new things,” says Brown. “Ironically enough, I’ve been looking less at technology and more at the quality of imagery.” The result is work that uses existing technology to actually say something meaningful, rather than the static graphics that commercialism tries to enforce. Now that’s worth applauding.  Daniel Brown & Sam Buxton Sam Buxton You may not know Sam Buxton’s name, but you may recognise his tiny steel sculptural Mikro pieces. These exceptionally detailed bendable stickmen and/or scenes had a simple beginning. “The first Mikroman was and still is my business card, first produced in 2000. I had been aware of the acid-etching processes used for circuit boards for several years. It seemed perfect to mass produce.” Buxton’s sense of playful interaction is deeper than it first appears. “I wanted the Mikro miniatures to be snapshots of real life that people recognise. Hospitals, office job, airport security. It's a chance for me to edit out of everyday life those elements I find unusual and totally contemporary.” His talents are not just limited to miniatures though. He’s currently working on various research projects, including a prototype electroluminescent object, a collaboration with Vauxhall and assorted lighting objects. He may be best known for work that’s small, but as a designer he’s going to be very big. Paul Cocksedge Paul Cocksedge is 26 years old. He is also the star of contemporary British light design. What makes Paul’s sculptural works so innovative is their experimentation. This can mean working with materials like glass in one instance, and flowers in another. As he puts it, “materials find me.” His Styrene lamp is a brilliant example of how he transforms common items. The lamp is made out of polystyrene cups. “I first began to experiment with the material by exposing polystyrene cups to heat. To me they seemed to come alive as though they were dancing, transformed from disposable mass-produced products to precious unique forms. It’s a collaboration between myself, heat and the natural mystery of the material.” He only graduated from the Royal College of Art in 2002, but he’s already won the Bombay Sapphire Glass Prize, shown at international design fairs, and had his work displayed at the V&A. “I am surprised at how quickly my profile has risen, bearing in mind the tough nature of the industry. But I’ve always believed in the work and that’s the constant driving force.”  Paul Cocksedge & Craig Johnston Craig Johnston Craig Johnston has never just been a footballer. Although he was a very successful midfielder for Liverpool FC in the 80s, he actually spent all the money he earnt on cameras and a photographic studio. When he “retired”, he became Head of Innovation at Adidas. There, he created the most innovative football boots that have ever kicked a ball – The Predator and The Pig. “Years of being a footballer and wanting to strike a ball further and more accurately were the motivations behind The Predator and The Pig,” he says. “Materials and processes have moved on dramatically in 10 years and so have the products.” There’s nothing elitist about his designs. With an eye for kids without cash he’s also invented the Pig Sling Retrofit kit, for example, which allows players to upgrade their existing boots cheaply. He’s currently working on a revolutionary data-grid project called Supaskills, which allows football players to compare themselves to each other and chart the development of their skills on a daily basis. New players will be able to compare their skills to the Beckhams and Rivaldos using the technology. Now that’s innovation.
Francesca Gavin
Designer Of The Year 2004 is at the Design Museum, London, until 13 June 04. The winner will be announced 24 May 04.
 designer of the year 2004 programmesVote online for your favourite designer: www.designmuseum.org  conversations
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related info
 useful linkswww.play-create.com sam buxton www.mikroworld.com paul cocksedge www.paulcocksedge.co.uk
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