Star designer Michael Young to open 100% Design 2017 in broad talks programme alongside Lee Broom, Ross Lovegrove and Naomi Cleaver

100% Design, the UK’s largest design trade show, today announces its talks programme, bringing design heavyweights and expert industry insight to Olympia London. The show will be opened by leading designer Michael Young, who appears in conversation with newly appointed 100% Design Content Editor design journalist Max Fraser. Young will also present his new Roxanne seats for the iconic Italian furniture brand Gufram , which have been inspired by The Police’s song of the same name and influenced by Seventies disco décor.

Each day thought leaders from across the design industry will deliver agenda setting keynotes, with prolific British product designer Lee Broom (Thursday 21 September), artist and industrial designer Ross Lovegrove (Friday 22 September) and interior designer Naomi Cleaver (Saturday 23 September) all featuring. Alongside these individual talks, which take place in conversation with Max Fraser at 11am each day, are panel discussions exploring trends in contemporary design and speculating on its future.

Trends

 100% Design’s research partners WGSN (Wednesday 20 September) and UnWork (Thursday 21 September) present findings into reports on interiors and workplace design. WGSN Lifestyle and Interiors Senior Editor Gemma Riberti outlines the forecast directions for Autumn/Winter 18/19 and how they apply to colour palettes and product development within the lifestyle and interiors sectors. Consultancy UnWork’s Associate Director Owen King shares some of their research and insights in to global innovation in work and the workplace.

 International branding and design agency I-AM launched its insights platform, I-AM Shift, to share the new trends, attitudes, behaviours and thought patterns that will affect how people consume products and places in the future. On Friday 22 September, Managing Director, Jon Blakeney and Trends & Insights Manager, Sabrina Faramarzi discuss the recent trend report, ‘Rebooting Reality’ - explaining their approach and methodology and the key insights uncovered, spanning the retail, leisure and hospitality sectors and looking at where consumer attitudes are shifting to and why.

 Also in the programme are discussions responding to wider societal trends, as is the case with ‘Design for Wellbeing’, which examines how designers are putting wellbeing at the centre of the design process as our understanding of wellbeing develops. ‘Building for Everyone’ (Wednesday 20 September) looks at the growing demand for spaces that work for a variety of different users, respond to diverse needs, and deliver quality on often tight budgets. Leading architects Adam Khan, Alex Mowat and Luís Pedro Silva discuss how their practices meet this demand and create great design for all.

Elements

 This year’s show theme is reflected in Talks at 100% Design, with a series of talks which look at specific Elements of design, such as ‘lighting’, ‘colour’ or ‘luxury’.

 On Wednesday 20 September’ Elements of Light’ sees leading designers and manufacturers including Alex Palgrave, Design & Creative Director at Original BTC and Iestyn Davies of the Contemporary Chandelier Company discuss current lighting trends, their most loved pieces and which lighting innovations they are most excited about.

 Colour is the focus on Thursday 21 September as Designer Adam Nathaniel Furman, colour consultant Justine Fox and the Design Museum’s Ameena McConnell look at how colour inspires, the effect that it can have on people and places, and how designers can use colour to great effect in their work.

 Leading designers Fran Hickman and Dennis Irvine share their insights and experiences of creating acclaimed hotels, restaurants and bars in ‘Hospitality Elements’ on Friday 22 September.

 Clients’ and customers’ understanding of what luxury means are constantly evolving. Walpole chair a discussion with leading British designers, looking at the contemporary elements of the luxury experience, how they create products that appeal in the UK and across the world, and how the British luxury market is taking on the challenges and opportunities of the current climate.

Tradition and modernity

 ‘Handmade in Britain’ sees a panel of designers discussing the importance of British craft, what they think of the UK design scene, how they make it work, and what they think the future holds. With designer Christopher Jenner, Addicted to Pattern’s Justyna Medon and designer and maker of fine furniture Neil Stevenson.

Conversely, as technology plays an ever increasing role in our day to day lives, noted innovators Sebastian Conran, Emi Runnquist (LAYER), and co-founder of Opendesk Joni Steiner discuss the developing relationship between tech and design, how they are embedding new technologies in their work, and how designers and tech innovators are working together to drive change and create new products. Chaired by ICON editor James McLachlan.

Consumer Day

 Saturday 23 is Consumer Day, when the UK’s largest design trade show opens its doors to the public. Talks on the day include a keynote from Naomi Cleaver, an interior designer at the forefront of British property’s most dynamic housing sectors - student accommodation and large scale new build rental - where her projects have become cherished by patrons and residents alike for their sensual, occasionally mischievous and always human-centred approach.

An Interiors Masterclass brings together the British Institute of Interior Design’s Susie Rumbold and leading interior designers Harriet Forde, Creative Director of Elicyon Cecilia Halling, and Creative Director of 33 Interiors Matt Freeman to discuss the most important elements of a successful design scheme and how to achieve that all important balance between them. How do they approach a brief, what are their top tips, and how do they think the industry is changing?

Professional development

A separate talks programme focussed on professional development will be hosted in the Forum, with practical masterclasses and expert panel discussions.

On Thursday 21 September a panel including Elina Grigoriu of Grigoriu Interiors, Gwen Webber, Architecture Programme Manager at the British Council and Alexie Sommer, Design Associate at design agency Thomas.Matthews asks ‘How can design fight climate change?’

 From Blingcrete to self-healing surfaces, translucent timbers to beautiful British marbles, ‘Materials Speed Dating’ on Thursday evening is a rapid run-through of new, exciting and innovative materials perfect for the next project, inviting visitors to come meet their materials match.

 Other highlights in the Forum include a panel discussion addressing concerns about design protection for UK designers post-Brexit, a session on workplace design for wellbeing, and a speculative look ahead at the future of design with Dewi Pinatih, Senior editor of product design at Stylus.

To register to attend 100% Design visit