Sebastian Conran to present this year’s MaDE lecture

According to organisers, his talk will cover ‘old and new materials and manufacturing technologies, design philosophy, the art of business, and new challenges for designers’.

He’ll also find time to discuss his own career, highlighting key design projects from his prolific history as a product designer.

There’s no doubt he’s got a wealth of material to draw from, having worked for clients including John Lewis, Virgin Atlantic and Nissan.

MaDE says, ‘From stacking shelves at Habitat in his teens to running Studio Conran, Sebastian’s life has been focused on understanding how things are made, sold, and used, as well as designing innovative, stylish and satisfying products.’

The talk, MaDE suggests, will draw on Conran’s three-stranded design philosophy – ‘form follows finish’; ‘form follows fabrication’ and ‘form follows freight’ – meaning that manufacture, transport, storage and display are all key considerations in designing a final product.

The talk will be followed by a questions and answer session and drinks reception.

The MaDE Lecture takes place at 6.30pm at the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining 1 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y. Entrance is free but visitors must register here