The Material Lab Roadshow - our thoughts

Finishing at the Material Lab design resource showroom on Great Titchfield Street as the London Design Festival was in full swing, the Material Lab Roadshow travelled the length of Britain to bring Edinburgh, Birmingham, Bristol and London the latest in new product concepts, colour trends, textures and design.

Embracing the nomadic spirit, a series of exhibition displays were created from upcycled packaging materials that were specifically designed to pop-up (and down again!) at every venue, each time being reconfigured into a new but equally engaging format.

Whilst showcasing the very latest in surface finishes these vibrant sculptural features also created the backdrop for a series of PechaKucha style presentations with a distinctly regional flavour. Taking the Japanese concept for offering creatives a platform to deliver punchy and exciting talks about a theme of their choice the Roadshow invited ‘local’ individuals from truly diverse cultural backgrounds ranging from Interior Designers to Artists, Photographers to Architects and Surface Designers to University tutors to share their thoughts and inspire discussion...

In partnership with Milliken, Tektura, Johnson Tiles, Karndean Designflooring and Cosentino, the Material Lab Roadshow also served up presentations and workshops on the latest surface materials, engaging with designers throughout the day. Visitors were invited to bring along an inspirational sample or thought provoking photograph under the theme of ‘Think’ to add to the cultural melting pot meaning the Roadshow caught a real glimpse of each city’s approach to design.

Visiting the super stylish Tsunami Axis showroom in Edinburgh, the Mailbox in Birmingham and Cutlers Hall in Cabot Circus, Bristol, Material Lab Roadshow proved an ideal opportunity for Designers and Architects across the UK to engage with surface and material specialists from five leading innovators in a single location.

Our verdict? The whole event was an ideal opportunity to get a national perspective on materials and find out how designers’ perceptions and inspirations change from region to region. The informal pop-up theme and creative presentations were a great way to discover materials in a relaxed and informal environment.

It was certainly lots of hard work but incredibly fun and interesting. We want to thank everyone involved and of course all those who popped along to one of our events. If you'd like to see pictures from the event, please check out our Flickr page.