Design Date with Anna Murray
Anna is an art director and founded Patternity with surface/textiles designer Grace Winteringham in 2010. Since then their creative consultancy has received international recognition for its authoritative approach to pattern and has been employed for a number of clients including Nike and the BBC. Patternity was chosen by Wallpaper* magazine as one of its ‘20 best things on the internet’.
Anna is a guest speaker at the panel discussion ‘A Passion for Pattern and Colour’ which is part of the Afternoon Masterclass hosted by Livingetc on Wednesday 26 September from 2pm – 4.30pm.
What is your overall design philosophy?
Above everything we do at Patternity, we firmly believe that a shared awareness of pattern has the power to positively connect us with our surroundings and each other. This serves as the foundation for every new project across pillars of patterns in art, design, technology and environment. Further to this, we strive to only put things into the world that we don’t consider to be beautiful, inspirational or useful.
Where do you look for new ideas and inspiration?
Inspiration can be found everywhere. Our on-going pattern research is all about how we see the world around us. From the scaffolds high above to the shadows on the pavement, the most mundane occurrence or the most magnificent can be the trigger for a new idea or design.
Do you prefer man-made or naturally occurring patterns?
Until now the more recognized Patternity aesthetic has been very bold, structural geometric and taking inspiration from the man-made. As our exploration goes even deeper, our learning goes beyond the surface into more scientific realms – into how and why patterns actually form. Our wonder at the natural world is influencing our taste and aesthetic as we gradually lean furthertoward nature as a guide.
In your opinion, what patterns never go out of style?
The classic stripe is of huge interest. We’re working on a very exciting large-scale project regarding this, which will be launching in April 2013.
How important is the role of intuition in design?
Crucial. Intuition forms the backbone of any creative discipline and helps guide us in our decision-making. As pattern enthusiasts. It’s of even further interest. As human beings we’re inherently drawn towards pattern; it’s in absolutely all of us, in everything we do and everywhere we go – it’s in our genetic make-up and forms the basic structure of the body and mind. So our interest in pattern taps into something rather subliminal and innate. Something we’re excited to discover more about as our pattern exploration continues.
‘Conversations in Design’ ticket information: £20
Booking Hotline 020 7352 1900 www.dcch.co.uk
