Found Studio’s visual campaign for London Craft Week 2024
In celebration of London Craft Week’s 10th anniversary, Found Studio, a leading creative studio renowned for its innovative approach to design, was commissioned by TM Studio to develop this year’s striking visual campaign. This collaboration resulted in the creation of a visually arresting collection of 1,000 unique artworks that fuse material, lighting, and form in unprecedented ways. The campaign “Vessel” highlights the evolution of digital craftsmanship and offers a glimpse into the future of the craft world.
A Groundbreaking Visual Campaign
Found Studio’s approach was rooted in a deep exploration of materiality and digital design. Inspired by the festival’s role as a vessel for the craft world, the studio aimed to express the moment of inception through digital mediums. The campaign was an ambitious attempt to showcase multiple hero objects rather than focusing on just one, pushing the boundaries of both digital and traditional design.
The final artworks were divided into five distinct material sets: Glazed Ceramic, Embellished Ceramic, Enamelled Metal, Fine Jewellery, Precious Metalwork. These sets were created using a combination of manual craftsmanship and cutting-edge digital techniques, providing a powerful statement on how traditional craft and modern technology can coexist and evolve together.
The Power of Digital Print
TM Studio collaborated with Team Impression to take the print campaign to the next level. Utilizing the latest HP Indigo digital press technology and Fedrigoni digital paper, the team ensured that each guidebook for London Craft Week became a collectible in its own right. The covers were each unique, featuring one of the 1,000 forms chosen randomly by HP’s advanced software, making every edition one-of-a-kind.
Exploring Digital Craftsmanship Through the Exhibition and Book
Found Studio’s visual campaign went beyond digital imagery—it materialized in both an exhibition and a book, breaking down the intricate relationship between digital tools and traditional craftsmanship. The exhibition, held at Fedrigoni’s space during London Craft Week, showcased how the creative team combined passion, skill, and innovative digital methods to push the boundaries of design.
The accompanying book, which is now available for purchase, dives deeper into the process, providing insights into the studio’s experimentation with automation, materiality, and form. Found Studio’s designers developed a system that facilitated rapid iterations within a controlled framework, enabling them to produce varied yet cohesive designs.
Design and Process: Crafting the Digital Object
At the heart of this project was a classical vase shape, which Found Studio deconstructed and reimagined. By extracting cross-sections and manipulating the parameters of lighting, material, and form, the team created entirely new vessels that maintained the essence of the original design. This iterative process was further refined by adjusting the thresholds—wider thresholds produced a more diverse range of results, while narrower ones led to cohesive, unified sets.
Found Studio’s Creative Director, Clayton, also took part in the V&A’s symposium on “Crafting the Digital Object” during London Craft Week, where he elaborated on the interplay between tradition and innovation. His insights underscored how digital tools are shaping the future of craft, allowing artists and designers to iterate and evolve faster than ever before.
All images courtesy of Found Studio, shared with permission
