1. RawMinds Retail project launch by Tiff Radmore, Freelance Faciltator
Session 1 of their project started amongst the throng and excitement of a very busy
Wellcome Collection building last Saturday 16 January. With all planning in place,
Catherine Ayres and I welcomed 13 participants into the Wellcome Collection Studio
to introduce ourselves and set the brief for small teams to produce both a 3-D and
graphic product for sale in the Wellcome Collection shop inspired by the Wellcome
Collection itself.
Following a spot of research with a tour and talk of bestselling items in the Wellcome
shop from Marion, participants took notes in their trusty sketchbooks and asked
pointed questions, which also included interviewing shop customers to ask about their
purchases. The shop is ultimately the client and such research to determine ranges,
costs and audience are all beneficial pointers for ideas to flourish and develop and
also to determine the gaps and needs of the shop for these new RawMinds products
that will be very much inspired by the Wellcome Collection.
After a break and sarnie, the group were joined by Wellcome Collection specialist,
Jordan, to provide a talk and tour of the highlights of the incredible collection of
artefacts and objects that Henry Wellcome collected as well as the new collection of
objects inspired by health and the incurably curious ethos. This included compelling
stories behind shrunken heads and some very nasty-looking anti-masturbation devices
as well as the volumes of books containing the entire DNA pattern for the average
person. Participants drew out visual motifs, pattern, details, shape, line and colour
from the collection in their sketchbooks and on i-pads as a source of rich inspiration
for their ideas to take form.
Back in the studio, initial ideas started to take shape with some first stage sketches of
their inspiration to tease out possible 3-D ideas and also possible graphic ideas. The
creativity was certainly flowing as well as the group’s natural ability to interact and
share ideas with each other. Their generosity and openness will put the whole group
in good stead moving forwards.
In fact, I am looking forward to seeing the participants develop product ideas in their
teams with support not only from me as an educator and person who supports
designer-makers in their career, but also with support from Wyn Griffiths, senior
lecturer in Product Design at Middlesex University who will provide them with a real-
life prototype development day in his studio with student support. Paul Griffiths, a
graphic designer will take them on a journey to develop their graphic ideas with
branding and costing considerations. Here’s to a fantastic design journey ahead and
please check on for further developments in the coming weeks…