Making it by design: An Open Evening with Sebastian Conran and Mandy Haberman
03 July 2008
• Free Q&A and networking event with designer Sebastian Conran and inventor Mandy Haberman at the British Library on Tuesday 29 July
Good design matters: research shows that every £100 businesses invest in product design repays £225 in increased sales. Design can be crucial if you are an inventor or entrepreneur launching a new product. It can help you stand out from your competitors, strengthen your brand and raise the value of your intellectual property. Think Dyson and Apple.
This evening offers a unique chance to hear from Sebastian Conran and Mandy Haberman, Britain's foremost innovators and experts on the subject.
- Sebastian Conran is the director responsible for Conran & Partners product and graphic design. He has taught design at the Royal College of Art, is an elected member of the Chartered Society of Designers and a Trustee of the Design Museum and the Conran Foundation.
- Mandy Haberman is an inspirational, award-winning inventor. Her Anywayup Cup is a Millennium Product and has won numerous awards. She says: "After investing in design, the growth rate in the Anywayup cup sales increased by 400%"
The British Library information experts will be available at the networking reception after the event to give advice on any matters to do with the evening's topic. Representatives from Designing Demand and Own-It, specialists in supporting innovators to expand their business through design, will also attend to answer any questions.
The event runs from 18.00 until 21.00 at the British Library Terrace Restaurant on Tuesday 29 July. It is free, but tickets must be booked. For further information please visit http://www.bl.uk/bipc/making.html . For press enquiries please contact Suvi Kankainen at the British Library Press Office (telephone +44 (0)20 7412 7105, email: suvi.kankainen@bl.uk) or Lawrence Christensen (telephone +44 (0)20 7412 7114, email: lawrence.christensen@bl.uk)
Notes to Editors:
1. The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom. It provides world-class information services to the academic, business, research and scientific communities and offers unparalleled access to the world's largest and most comprehensive research collection. Further information is available on the Library's website at www.bl.uk, which currently receives almost 2 million 'hits' or visits per month.
The British Library Business & IP Centre is supported by the London Development Agency to provide a single access point to support entrepreneurs and SMEs in London to gain access to and exploit existing and new business and IP information, and other relevant content and data, guided by impartial Library information experts and associated partners. The Business & IP Centre has been used by over 30,000 people since it opened in March 2006. An independent survey of 230 users in 2007 showed that it helped create 47 new companies, took a further 48 to start-up and helped create 115 new jobs. Access to the Centre is free, but users need a Reader Pass; for more information visit: www.bl.uk/bipc
2.‘Making It By Design' features the following speakers:
Sebastian Conran is the director responsible for Conran & Partners product and graphic design. Sebastian's technical innovations have earned him many design, marketing and innovation awards. He has taught design at the Royal College of Art, is an elected member of the Chartered Society of Designers and a Trustee of the Design Museum and the Conran Foundation. He also judges and sponsors many design awards. A founding contributor to Blueprint magazine, he has written numerous articles and books on design.
Mandy Haberman is a highly inspirational, award winning inventor. The Anywayup Cup is a Millennium Product and has won many awards including the DBA Design Effectiveness Awards for innovation and product design, the British Plastics Federation award for innovative use of plastics and the Most Innovative Product in the Tommy Awards for two consecutive years (as voted by parents).