Speculative Concept Jury

Core77 Design Awards 2016

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  Bruce and Stephanie Tharp

  Founders, Materious

  Bruce and Stephanie Tharp lead a husband-and-wife design studio in Ann Arbor, Michigan where they also are professors at the University of Michigan's Stamps School of Art & Design. Their studio has licensed and commissioned products and projects for companies like Ligne Roset, Moet-Hennessy, The Art Institute of Chicago, Crate&Barrel, Kikkerland, and Design Ideas. Educated in mechanical engineering, sociocultural anthropology, and industrial design, their practice and teaching crosses disciplinary boundaries of design, business, engineering, and healthcare, as well as the four fields of design: commercial, responsible, experimental, and discursive design. They are currently finishing a book project on discursive design.

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  Julia Lohmann

  Professor for Design, University of Fine Arts, Hamburg (HFBK)

  Maggots. Sheep stomachs. Seaweed. German-born designer and researcher Julia Lohmann investigates and critiques the ethical and material value systems underpinning our relationship with flora and fauna. She is Professor for Design at the University of Fine Arts, Hamburg (HFBK) and directs her eponymous London-based design practice. Julia studied at the Royal College of Art, where she has also taught and is currently engaged in an AHRC-funded collaborative PhD scholarship between the RCA and the Victoria & Albert Museum. As designer in residence at the V&A in 2013, she established the Department of Seaweed, a transdisciplinary community of practice exploring the marine plant’s potential as a design material. Julia Lohmann’s work is part of major public and private collections worldwide and has received awards, bursaries and support from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, the British Council, Jerwood Contemporary Makers, D&AD, Stanley Picker Gallery, the Arts Foundation and the Wellcome Trust.

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  Matt Malpass

  Lecturer, University of the Arts, London, Central Saint Martins

  Matt Malpass is responsible for the Coordination of MA Industrial Design at Central Saint Martins: University of the Arts London. His research and practice centre on critical, speculative and socially responsive design practice. He has written extensivly on critical design practice and is the author of the forthcoming book Critical Design in Context: History, Theory and Practice.

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  Thomas Thwaites

  Founder, Thomas Thwaites Studio

  Thomas Thwaites is a designer whose work examines the interaction of science, technology and culture in shaping our present society, and possible futures.
  
  His work has been acquired by the Victoria & Albert Museum for their permanent collection, and is exhibited frequently and internationally, including at the National Museum of China, the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul, the Science Museum (London), and the Zero 1 Biennial (California).
  
  Press includes features in national newspapers including the New York Times, Sued Detsche and The Financial Times. He has presented a four part television series, aired on Discovery Channel.
  
  His first book, The Toaster Project, published by Princeton Architectural Press, has now been translated in to Japanese and Korean editions. His second book, written about his Wellcome Trust funded project to take a holiday from being human by becoming a goat, will be published in May 2016.