Design Guild Mark
About the Design Guild Mark
The prestigious Design Guild Mark is awarded to drive excellence and raise the profile of British design and innovation. The Award recognises the highest standards in the design of furniture for volume production, by the finest designers working in Britain, or British designers working abroad.
The judges are renowned experts in their respective fields and bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the evaluation process. Uniquely the designers present their furniture in person on judging day, and the judges are able to examine the design closely.
Numbered Design Guild Marks will be awarded to the designers of pieces or ranges of furniture in volume production which are judged to achieve excellence in respect of the various criteria below.
Criteria
The piece should demonstrate excellence in design, materials, manufacture and function
- Are the materials appropriate?
- Are they from sustainable sources?
- Does the piece show new thinking?
- Does it represent value?
- Does it solve a problem?
- Is it fit for purpose?
- Will it last?
Judging Panel
The Design Guild Mark has been described as the ‘most important British design award programme‘ and this is partly due to the calibre of our independent judging panel.
Led by Alex Gifford, former Design Guild Mark chairman, our 2017 judging panel was:
- Simon Alderson, twentytwentyone
- Sujata Burman, Wallpaper Magazine
- Joanna Biggs, GA Design
- Barbara Chandler, Evening Standard
- Thomas Pearce, Sebastian Conran Associates
- Diana Monkhouse, Space Invader Design
- Jeremy Myerson, Royal College of Art
- Philippa Prinsloo, John Lewis
- Pernille Stafford, Resonate Interior Architecture
- Jason Wilary-Attew, The Conran Shop
Eligibility
A Design Guild Mark can be awarded for a piece or range
which is in current volume production and is designed either
- By any British designer, or
- By any United Kingdom-based design practice.
Benefits
Pieces or ranges of furniture awarded a Mark are recognisably items of quality and excellence. To substantiate and promote this accolade, holders are entitled
- To use the Design Guild Mark logo on publicity material such as product labelling, swing tags, letterheads and brochures relating to each piece or range that has been awarded a Guild Mark. Guidelines and logos will be provided.
- To receive a numbered Design Guild Mark certificate for each piece or range awarded a Guild Mark.
- To have a page on The Furniture Makers’ Company website (www.furnituremakers.org.uk) containing a link to the holders own site, contact details, a general description of their practice and images of each Design Guild Mark that they hold.
- To benefit from publicity generated by The Furniture Makers’ Company for all Design Guild Mark designers in our own PR.
2017 PR
How to apply
An application form is available to download. Questions can be answered by George Cooper, marketing & communications manager by emailing marketing@furnituremakers.org.uk or by calling 020 7256 5558.
