Perspex FrostTM material development, related designed products and exhibition
As co-founder of BoBo Design Ltd (with Nick Gant), my commissioned work with global material manufacturers, such as ICI, Ineos, Perspex TM, Lucite, Prismex TM and Perspex Frost TM, explores the properties of new material products - testing and developing new creative potential and industrial applications. Projects like our online laboratory ‘real-space’, and Glo-nut and Pillow products were initiated to experiment with new material products communicating and promoting the findings of this material research to a wide range of parties within the creative industry - from art students to influential architects.
We were commissioned to work in conjunction with the chemists at the UK headquarters of Lucite International and were tasked with establishing the key creative properties of new material products and we devised a range of material experiments and products which unearthed, explored and then promoted and communicated the materials attributes as they were developed. We consulted to potential users of the material as to how they might apply the attributes exposed through our research and stimulated further new material products, market growth for the material and the actual application to an enormous range of industrial design applications including retail point of sale, architecture and interiors and product design. By designing products such as the ‘Glonut’ and ‘Pillow’ we were able to communicate fully the unique physical strength and light diffusing qualities of the materials to develop dual functional seating/lighting. The Pillow Light panel combined formed Perspex, Prismex and a revolutionary, energy efficient, programmable formation of red, green and blue L.E.Ds produced in collaboration with Philips and DNA lighting, that enabled the user to control the colour of light, or sequence of colour-change emitting from the product – a process now used prolifically in architectural schemes and lighting products. Prismex was also offered 'Millennium Product' status by Government departmental review.
"BoBo has established a world-wide reputation for using Perspex to create various energy efficient products and furniture pieces."
(Sharon Mcfarlone – 'Illuminating furniture' feature, IDFX, 9/2002)
"Collaboration between designers and manufacturers of synthetic and composite materials has produced some interesting results in the field of lighting. The British partnership of Tanya Dean and Nick Gant, known as BoBo Design, has worked with ICI who manufacture Prismex. Gant and Dean have used the material for variety of alternative applications."
(Brilliant – Lights and Lighting book, Jane Pavitt, V&A, 2004)
