With the London Design Festival kicking off this weekend, my plan was to pop along to the Kemistry gallery to look at the Typographica exhibition they have on for the festival. I won't go in to detail about the show (though there were some great spreads from the magazine being displayed), kind of just wanted to sing the praises of Shoreditch really and how many cool galleries and shops there were along the route I took from Kemistry to Brick Lane.

So, there was Kemistry with the Typographica exhibition, then we popped in to SCP, who were working in conjunction with Kiosk, a New York store who collect "rare but humble items" that make peoples life a little bit easier. My favourite piece was the pie cutter. From there we stumbled across YCN where (Full Beard favourite) Alexander Hulme's modified pencil caught my eye. On the way to Brick Lane we discovered Concrete Hermit and East Gallery, both displaying cool prints and collages.

I think my point is that without even seeking these places out, we happened across four or five interesting galleries/shops that were all taking part in the Design Festival (plus more that weren't) which really highlighted how richly the area is blessed with a creative passion and industry. You can really soak up that feeling just spending the afternoon there.

As if I hadn't had first-rate day already, it was concluded with a mighty fine salt beef bagel from the best emporium in London and a couple of pints of Leffe in the Ten Bells. Nice.

Links: Kemistry Gallery, SCP, Kiosk, YCN, Concret Hermit, East Gallery

Exciting times, this is my first post from my iPhone! Full Beard goes mobile!! I wanted to get this one up before it slipped out of my mind again. I'd come across Alexander Hulme's musical tableware a couple of months back at the RCA graduate show, and had intended to post about it back then. I never did get round to doing it and had kind of forgotten all about it until I had my memory was jogged when I recognised his name on another piece of his work at the YCN design festival (more about the Design Festival coming soon).

So let me begin by saying that THESE ARE AMAZING!!! The concept is each piece of crockery in the set makes a different note when struck. That means that with the full set of tableware each note is covered. So you can be sitting at the table, tucking in to your breakfast and if the mood takes you, you can grab a spoon and tap out the Eastenders theme (or any other tune for that matter) on your bowls and mugs to entertain your fellow diners. Is that not a genius idea?

I would imagine that these have massive marketing potential. I can see these flying off the shelves at stores like Muji or Magma, not least because the set has a lovely minimal aesthetic with the just the letter of the note rendered in gold on to the china. I'd be first in line to put an order in for the set.

I mentioned that I first saw these at the RCA graduate show this summer, which I've been to for the last couple of years, each time time leaving feeling pretty inspired. The works on show ranges from fashion, graphics, fine art to vehicle design, but it has been the product design that has impressed me the most, Jon Harrison's 'Dual Purpose' pieces the first time round and Mr Hulme's this year. Make sure you make it there for 2010's show.