Jodie Mairs

Can you tell us a little more about your project?

This project focused on learning how to be a design entrepreneur, creating a brand and designing a collection which reflected our style. For me I wanted to create a variety of statement, handmade lights which could be batch produced. 

Where did the inspiration for it come from?

Unintentionally I always seem to take my initial inspiration from nature. It’s through the design phase where I try to make it as discrete as possible, this is because I enjoy exploring how to create curves in wood, so I then become rather process driven.

How important is being able to exhibit externally?

Extremely. Having this opportunity while still at University will give a good insight to what we’ve got to come, giving us the chance to find our feet and gain the confidence we need. Being able to showcase ourselves and our work I believe is so important, especially as it means we can meet people already in industry and will learn so much.

What has your highlight of the course been so far?

Being able to have the freedom to find our style as a designer. The variety of briefs over the three years has meant we’ve had the opportunity to try bits of everything, meaning we’ve learnt a lot but also found what we enjoy the most. Working with external companies on projects has also been fun to do.

Could you tell us a little more about your design interests?

My main interest is getting hands on and making, especially using wood. I enjoy having to work out the best way for something to be made and finishing it to a high quality. Recently I’ve taken an interest into material exploration, mostly regarding sustainable materials.