Design Guild Mark 2022 Call for Entries Open from 22 September 2021

The Design Guild Mark has launched the call for entries for the 2022 awards, inviting designers and companies to submit entries for three categories: Furniture; Textiles, Wall Coverings, Surfaces, Carpets and Floor Coverings; Lighting.

The Design Guild Mark, awarded by The Furniture Makers’ Company, is now in its thirteenth year, of distinguishing the excellent from the ordinary in the design of furnishings intended for volume production. With the introduction of the Textiles, Wall Coverings, Surfaces, Carpets and Floor Coverings category in 2018, and the Lighting category in 2020/2021, the Mark has become more popular than ever.

It is unique to other design awards as the panel of independent judges – all experts in the field of design – examine the submitted piece and question the designer during a judging day in which applicants are welcomed to present their piece in person.

Designs awarded a Mark benefit from increased industry and consumer awareness, press and social media coverage, with the designers and companies behind them also receiving enhanced brand recognition.

The piece from each of the three categories deemed to be the most outstanding by the judges will also win the Jonathan Hindle Prize for Excellence.

Designers and companies have until 26 November 2021 to submit an entry to meet the early bird deadline and until 21 January 2022 for the final deadline.

Rodney McMahon, chairman of the Design Guild Mark, said: “The variety and quality of designs, from both established and aspiring designers, applying for the Design Guild Mark is always stimulating. With the launch of the Lighting Design categories last year, we now have three different design strands that we hope will attract an even broader range of applicants and ensure that the award of a Design Guild Mark continues to be something to which to aspire.”

Comments from Judges:

Elliott Koehler, JPA Design:
“Applicants should be encouraged to seek out and apply at every opportunity for the Mark as innovation, sustainability and intelligent solutions are always recognised by the judges. The more recognition and awareness these winning products have, the better our world and lives will be with these showcases of design excellence.”

Jeremy Myerson, professor of design at the Royal College of Art:
“The Design Guild Mark remains the gold standard in design excellence for manufactured furniture. This year the accent was on simplicity, authenticity, finesse and fitness for purpose.”

Daniel Hopwood, director of Daniel Hopwood: London Interior Design & Architecture
“We all know that lovely quote by William Morris ‘Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.’ In the light of this modern age may I add to the quote ‘and definitely sustainable’ as all of the products that have been awarded the prestigious Design Guild Mark meet all three of those criteria.”

For more information, please go to www.designguildmark.org.uk.