Meet Desixn Studio's six graduate designers

Supported by KI Europe's KICKSTART programme
Tent London, Stand E26, 18-21 September 2014

Ester Comunello
Ester is a Brazilian furniture and product designer based in Buckinghamshire. Simplicity and integrity are the key elements of her work, but although minimal it is characterful with a hint of playfulness. Her designs derive from problem-solving and follow a narrative rather than a style. Ester is passionate about design, and her work demonstrates a considered and intelligent sensibility towards the subject and the impact that it has on our everyday lives. Ester studied furniture and product design at Bucks New University and recently completed her master's degree at the same university.

Michael Charlton
Environmental sustainability is a core principle for award-winning designer Michael Charlton. After completing his master's degree in furniture design to distinction level at Bucks New University in High Wycombe, Michael took the next stage and started his own company. Over the last two years FromGrass has been designing a range of small products that are simple, fun, logically designed and made from the most sustainable materials.

Rowena Dodd
Rowena Dodd has completed both a BA in furniture design and making, and more recently an MA in furniture design At Bucks New University. Her designs are imbued with a combination of simple aesthetics and a high functional value, "I'm a firm believer in accessible design, and to this end try to create pieces that have a generic appeal. If there are any themes running through my products I'd have to say versatility and humour are important factors. I believe, however, that one should never lose sight of the end-user and that the practical integrity of a piece should not be compromised by unnecessary frippery."

Linn Narane
Linn Narane is a furniture designer-maker based in the German countryside north-east of Berlin. Previously trained as a precision engineer and after working in industry for seven years, she discovered the universe of furniture which unhesitatingly became her passion. She recently completed a master's in furniture design at Bucks New University in High Wycombe. Linn’s designs have elements of simplicity, lightness and wanderlust combined with low-tech construction methods empowering the user to assemble the furniture by hand without any tools. She works solely with natural materials like solid timber, cork and wool felt.

Liz Ret
Liz Ret is a young designer from North West London who works full-time in the furniture design industry. Since successfully completing her master's degree with distinction in furniture design at Bucks, Liz was shortlisted in the furniture design category for New Design Britain Awards 2014. Liz’s work is inspired by the obstacles of living in a small space, and therefore has produced items where storage acts as a secondary function to a piece of furniture. She believes it is important that her designs are used and therefore she factors in an allowance for wear and tear. Liz loves to add colour to her designs in order to accentuate character, form and meaning.

Brian Walsh
Experimenting plays a big part in Brian Walsh's designs which are fuelled by his love of interaction. "Like a child in a sweet shop, I want it all! This is the only way I can describe how I start designing. Before putting pen to paper I start designing by experimenting. This could be as simple as folding paper." Once a path has been found the design is led by material choice and manufacturing processes, simplifying the design with each step. This in turn highlights the details on the piece and creates a finished design. Mixed with the understanding of how the piece is going to be interacted with and its impact on a space, has lead his work to been described as not only designed but engineered.