About:
What we do:
5ml Design Collective is a UK partnership between Ilsa Parry, Michael Cloke and Tom Sutton. The brand is a design led organisation on a mission to assist independent concept led designers and creative’s gain access to affordable opportunities to find new markets for their inventive products. We do not simply sell spaces on the collective stand at trade shows, we offer a handholding service to designers requiring the support of more experienced designer makers and gain access to prestigious clients and networks on our designers behalf. We assist creatives from an early stage to help consolidate ideas into real products and we manage the boring bits for the designers to take the time and monetary strain out of everything that a trade event involves. |
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“We believe that design should be accessible and capture the imagination of the user and we are keen to continue providing opportunities for both established and emerging practitioners to sustain their imaginative excellence and grow their businesses despite difficult economic conditions.”
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The 5ml Design Collective offers five services. We have an annual membership scheme which offers approved designers with commercially viable work access to marketing opportunities online and in print with heavily discounted trade show and exhibition opportunities. We also offer a separate sales representation service to selected associates (non members) for a fixed fee per show to exhibit alongside our members as part of the collective.
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For designers with prototypes requiring development, we can offer consultancy advising on issues such as pricing, publicity, branding and packaging for trade, to enable them to make the next step into the commercial world. In order to bridge the gap that exists between academia and industry we are available for workshop sessions in partnership with universities to consolidate students understanding of what is required to take a product through to market and more recently we have developed packages for schools and colleges to encourage more young people to consider a career as a design innovator. Take a look at our 5 ways to design (education / consultancy) to find out more 5ml has taken the work of members and associate designers to local, national and international shows and is constantly looking to expand its network of creative’s to spark collaboration and generate a wider understanding and appreciation of creativity. Get in touch > contact < for details of how to become involved. |
Why we do what we do:
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| 5ml was founded through belief and frustration. As creative practitioners ourselves, the directors believe that independent designers fuel much of the UK economy through their willingness to take risks and experiment with a broad range of unusual materials and processes resulting in work that is both unique and innovative. We recognise however that this can often bear a heavy financial burden and often offer little reward in the early days as the innovator often has to struggle through the financial cost of prototyping and the time constraints of balancing this with other work.
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The 5ml solution was to set up a brand that offers an affordable platform for invention, experimentation and presentation of small doses of good design through collaboration which reduces the demand on both the budget and the time commitment needed to see new products succeed. We wanted to offer something to the UK that brings together the abundance of creative talent out there which is non exclusive, friendly and helpful, a service which uses our collective experience and skillsets to assist other passionate designers to refine and perfect their creations so that the industry can directly benefit from good product ideas that might otherwise go to waste. Our ultimate goal is to be the most widely used brand offering an invaluable service to buyers and retailers, interior designers, visual merchandisers, designers, craftspeople, universities and other educational institutions, truly bridging the gap between the academic and commercial design world. |
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Where it began:
Ilsa Parry and Michael Cloke (two of the three 5ml directors) are better known as the finalists on the Philippe Starck BBC TV series which aired in 2009. They returned to the UK fuelled by comments from Starck about how “In Britain there is good designer, but nobody really arrive on the market” both had experience in teaching and designing for clients. They quickly realised that there was a gap to be bridged between great ideas at development stage and market supply and demand. They Partnered with Tom Sutton, a designer maker and educator with over 15 years experience, to offer this unique cooperative business model for commercialisation of design led objects. |
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Who we are:
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Ilsa Parry – commercial director
(AKA lilly savage – the one that finds new talent, liases with the buyers, and holds the purse strings)
Ilsa Parry is the managing director for REthinkthings ltd and is an independent product designer, manufacturer, active researcher, qualified lecturer examiner and promoter of all things design. A creative practitioner with a cross disciplinary approach, Ilsa works independently delivering consultancy and developing designs for clients such as Mcdonalds, Liverpool Biennial, National Museums, United Utilities, Liverpool Biennial, Bo Concept, Lego, Sony and Unilever. She was the winning contestant on BBC Design For Life with Philippe Starck in 2009 and worked for 6 months at the Starck agency in Paris. Ilsa has won many awards for her own concept work through her REthinkthings brand, which she has recently extended to include products which have been licensed in for production from other designers. She is passionate about making creativity meaningful and accessible through 5ml as commercial director and works with key industry, education and government partners such as the Design Council, DATA, Design Initiative and Universities UK wide to promote design led activity. Ilsa has worked with the media as a TV presenter for the discovery channel and features editor for Design Exchange Magazine.
ilsa@5-ml.com
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Mike Cloke – creative director
(AKA sponge bob – the one that comes up with the wacky ideas and then squares everything off)
Mike graduated from the University of Brighton in 2008, where he studied Three-Dimensional Design, and developed a vested interest in sustainable issues surrounding product longevity. His graduate work was featured in the D&AD student awards annual, and subsequently featured at ‘Innovation Nation’ at the ideal homes show. His ‘Bungee’ storage system won him a place on BBC2’s Design for Life with Philippe Starck, where Mike was runner up to Ilsa (he’s not bitter). Since then he became Designer in Residence at CGGS, and has worked on branding and visual identity projects for companies such as Milton-Lloyd fragrances. More recently he has turned his attention to education, undertaking a PGCE at LJMU, and he is currently active in researching methods of developing creativity in students.
mike@5-ml.com
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Tom Sutton – logistics and PR director
(AKA “to me to you” the one who talks the talk and gets things where they need to be)
Tom Sutton has specialised within the world of design for the past sixteen years, working as both Designer-Maker and Lecturer at Further and Higher Education. Trained as a Fine Metalsmith and Furniture Designer at UCLAN (University of Central Lancashire),his early work utilised his fine metal skills creating one-off pieces of silverware and tableware items. Tom used his skills and experience working predominantly with metal, to create organic inspired pieces with an industrial feel. The elegance of natural form combined with the use of both industrial related and often reclaimed and sustainable materials produce pieces that are suited to both the domestic and public environments. Tom Sutton designs and hand makes limited ranges and one-off items of Furniture, Interior accessories and Fine Silverware with an Aero-Organic identity. Tom has recently completed work for ‘Pop®’ the retro Fashion and Lifestyle Accessories company alongside a series of successful private commissions. Tom collaborates with established and acclaimed craftspeople to add unique finishes and add variety to his key items such as Manchester based photographer ‘Joel Chester and published Enameller ‘Ruth Ball’. The work has been exhibited internationally and has been showcased at The Goldsmiths Hall.
tom@5-ml.com
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