MMT by Design Competition 2015
June 2015
In an effort to discover young talented designers, Mike Made This (MMT), a multi-disciplinary design and furniture manufacturing company, is collaborating with the Design School Southern Africa (DSSA) to bringing their students’ visions to life and offer them to the public.
The competition, MMT by Design, was launched at the beginning of May 2015 and will run over a course of 3 months, culminating with an inspiring exhibition at 100% Design Johannesburg in August 2015.
“Design School Southern Africa strives to unlock students’ creative potential and to ensure that the students are well-rounded, industry-ready designers,” explains Maretha Olivier, Interior Design Programme Manager at DSSA.
The brief was simple: design a writing or workplace desk of a contemporary nature that incorporates natural materials. Students were asked to keep their target audience in mind when they were designing, as the designs are to be judged against a number of important criteria before the finalists are selected. “We want to manufacture the pieces and offer them to the public,” explains Mike Mason, founder and director of MMT. “The students therefore need to design something that is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also practical and useful.”
The judging panel to select the two finalist pieces included Mike of MMT, David Lotter of Sotran tropical décor and furniture and Tim Prins, Interior Designer & Accredited Green Building Council Professional. The two finalist designs will be manufactured by Mike himself, and the students will have the opportunity to exhibit their pieces at 100% Design. The finalists will also be given an opportunity to work with Mike in his studio as part of a short week internship.
“The competition will offer students the opportunity to engage in vital hands-on, practical knowledge of furniture design and create a wonderful platform for the students to make a name for themselves,” says Maretha.
Showcasing the two finalist pieces at 100% Design will offer the public a chance to have their say and vote on the winning design.
For more information, please contact Mike Mason mike@mikemadethis.co.za
