We’re very gratful for the Design Council’s comments about our blog
“Fripp Design is a Sheffield based Product Design, Concept Design, Industrial Design and Rapid Prototyping Company. The Fripp Design blog is a thought provoking and ‘off the wall’ view of the issues around product design, including accessing support and avoiding the pitfalls”
This is, and continues to be, the objective of the Fripp Design Blog; we want to be informative and thought provoking whenever we can. It gives us great pleasure when the organisation that represents the interest of the UK design community recognises this…thank you.
The BBC’s series Design for Life starts by making the serious point that Design surrounds us and affects everything we do in life and then proceeds to produce a ‘dumbed down’ TV reality show.
We think this is a serious miscarriage of justice of, probably, the most important profession the world needs (rather than wants; but we won’t go into that!).
Why the BBC had to choose a French Designer, Philippe Starck, transporting a full production team and contestants to Paris when we have some excellent Design practices in the UK (and, guess what, many of them are North of the Watford Gap too) is beyond us (so much for sustainable/recyclable Design!).
Maybe we’re biased. Our design philosophy is designing solutions to practical problems so, for us, Philippe Starck is a reputable designer based on opinion rather than objective substance (versus James Dyson who we have huge respect for).
So BBC; if you plan a second series of Design for Life; why not look closer to home. The UK has great designers; trouble is Sheffield is nowhere as glamorous as Paris…but we’ve got great chip butties and beer!
Not wanting to get too political, Fripp Design and Research have some concern about a future governments approach to supporting Innovation, Design and the Creative and Digital section, post the next generation.
Fripp Design and Research are the essence of the current governments Innovation agenda; to indirectly invest in SMEs with the potential to develop world class businesses and, consequently, bringing wealth into the region where those businesses trade.
Fripp Design and Research has had both financial and general support from our Regional Development Agency, Yorkshire Forward, which has allowed the shareholders and other stakeholders to continue their investment and support as we continue to grow a successful Design and Research business in Yorkshire.
Although there is much inefficiency in the delivery of the support, the general thrust of the tax payer investing in UK PLC will bring long term benefits which have been a key objective over recent years.
However this will change. Whatever party governs next year, public expenditure will be cut. The question is where? Our view is that cuts are so political, they will fall on those sectors that have the least political impact and we have to say, sadly, we think it is investment in developing innovative start up/SME businesses and the Creative and Digital Industries as a whole which will suffer.
For us, it is essential for all Regional Development Agencies, other public sector investment organisations (such as the Technology Strategy Board), the Design Council and Creative and Digital sector companies to shout as loud as possible how the public purse is really making a big difference to the economy and our local communities.
We need to start the shouting now; get out your sail and set a course which allows us to sail through the stormy weather ahead. Lobby your local MPs, engage with your local RDA, get those good news stories out so we can minimise the impact on us all post the coming General Election.
Happy 4th Birthday to Fripp Design and Research
Happy 4th Birthday to Fripp Design and Research
Happy 4th Birthday to Fripp Design and Research
Happy 4th Birthday to us
We’re out celebrating our 4th Birthday tonight so plenty of hangovers tomorrow.
To all our customers, suppliers, Yorkshire Forward, Business Link, MAS (Yorkshire Fund Managers), a special thank you to Jon Harris who introduced Tom Fripp to Steve Roberts and everyone else who has come into contact with us; thank you for your continued support.
We read on the news today about a recent increase in the number of car accidents allegedly put down to the increasing number of distractions in vehicles; oh so very true!
Last year the author of our blog was looking to replace his 10 year old BMW with a new car and was horrified by the introduction of the i-drive in the new shaped 5 series (and other manufacturer’s equivalents). It seemed to him that this was a retrograde step in man machine interface design. The button has been around for many years and it does not seem unreasonable to him, that if you want to change the channel on the radio; you use a button. If you want to change the internal temperature, you turn a dial. Why do you need to go through a complicated, screen driven system to do these simple tasks? After much hunting around he settled on a second hand Mercedes as it still had buttons (but the new E-class has gone down the same route as the other manufacturers).
Two weeks ago, he had the opportunity to be driven in a 1931 Morgan Super sport (3 wheeler); a great experience. But even back then, Morgan designed the accelerator as a lever on the steering wheel; nobody thought about how you would steer, change revs and change gears (there was no synchromesh then so you had to double your clutch) all at the same time!
So has man machine interfaces improved since 1931? It would appear not…but the Morgan put a smile on the authors face that a modern, soulless mass manufactured car could never do…maybe that’s why the i-drive has been developed…to put some of the risk back into driving!
PS the author does support this as a strategy for car design…it’s just an observation!
We received the following notification from Connect Yorkshire this morning; we thought it would be useful to pass on to everyone:
“Dear Fripp Design and Research
As a valued partner of Connect Yorkshire we would like to let you know that we are now seeking applications for our Inv£storQuest Investment Challenge.
This challenge is exclusively for innovative high growth and technology entrepreneurs in the Yorkshire and Humberside region. The aim of the challenge is to encourage people seeking early-stage funding and business support to put their ideas forward. As they say: nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Selected companies will have the chance to step up to the hot spot and present their business proposition to a panel of investment funds interested in early stage opportunities at the event. The funds involved so far are the Enterprise Venture’s Rising Stars Fund, Viking Fund and YFM Group.
If you wish to know more please do contact me or
click here to see the details online.
Please could I ask you….
· To circulate the below email to any high growth or technology based businesses, or any individual contacts, you think might benefit from early stage or proof-of-concept funding
· Add this text to the events/news section of your website
We are extremely grateful of your support and really appreciate all the help we receive from our partner in promoting Connect Yorkshire’s services. Please let me know if you need any further information or if you would like me contact someone else regarding this request.
Many thanks for your help and support in advance.
Kind regards
Amanda Robinson
Operations Manager
Connect Yorkshire
Leeds Innovation Centre
103 Clarendon Road
Leeds
LS2 9DF UK
T 0113 384 5640
F 0113 384 5846
E amanda@connectyorkshire.org
W www.connectyorkshire.org”
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