Digital Marketing Highlights from LDF 2023
London Design Festival 2023 returned to the streets of the capital once again for its 21st edition. Launched by Sir John Sorrell CBE and Ben Evans CBE in 2003, the event continues to bring design inspiration to all its visitors, both local and international, in every corner of the city.
With 13 Design Districts including stalwarts such as Brompton Design District, Mayfair Design District, Southwark Design District, and Bankside Design District to the newer areas such as Dalston to Stokey and the second iteration of Material Matters at Bargehouse near OXO Tower, it was set to be a bumper LDF 2023.
Whilst there is a familiar ebb and flow to the week, we have this time taken a deep dive into the digital side of the event and how the growth of digital in the last few years is playing a more pivotal role in ensuring you are a pin in people’s maps for the week.
Navigating the Districts and events
Although London Design Festival is promoted as one entity, drilling down to each district to identify what’s happening and what’s of interest can be challenging. The Red Book (now an A3 paper magazine) can feel overwhelming and promises of activity and participation can often be underwhelming in equal measure.
“Navigating locations such as the V&A and finding the pockets of interest within each District can at times be incredibly frustrating,” says our Digital Director, Christina. “In the museum itself, I found myself going from Ironmongery via Korea, skipping a floor and nearly missing another exhibit in the first 30 minutes of being there! A dedicated digital map or trail, even in an online PDF form would have been really helpful”
They do have a digital, interactive map for the whole museum which can be found on the V&A website but on mobile devices, it can be difficult to read. Unless you are on a dedicated LDF23 tour, the lack of signage and digital tools means that people who have spent a long time working to put on these shows are missed and it’s such a shame. We’d love to see better use of digital mediums, particularly mobile-ready versions, to help drive footfall and avoid people giving up altogether.
However, it’s not all bad so we’ve rounded up a few of our favourites to highlight. In some cases, brands and shows have demonstrated how a strong online presence can work seamlessly with an offline presence to drive footfall and engagement.
Takeshi Hayatsu’s installation and Nirbhai Singh Sidhu’s Unstruck Melody at the V&A
Focus 23/ at the Design Centre
Our LDF 2023 week kicked off with a trip to the Design Centre Chelsea Harbour where interior designers flocked to see Focus/23. A bumper schedule of talks from designers, makers and more, made for an engaging event.
Highlights included the eye-catching Sanderson x Disney Home collaboration, the vibrancy of the Julian Chichester showroom, beautiful wallpapers designed by Masureel and the inspiring charity Fine Cell Work whose work with prisoners creates exquisitely hand-embroidered cushions.
As always, the DCCH had an extensive talks programme and we particularly enjoyed ‘Light up your Autumn’ with Pooky Lights and GPJ Baker, hosted by Carol Annett, ‘The Magic of Design’ hosted by Ben Spriggs and ‘All in the Family’ led by Claudia Baillie with Kit Kemp, Cave Interiors and Collett Design Associates.
Green Grads
The team headed to Heal's at Tottenham Court Road to see the much-anticipated Green Grads exhibition, founded and curated by multi-award-winning design journalist Barbara Chandler. Featuring design graduates whose vision is to use innovative design to build a sustainable future, this event was a refreshing reminder that creative problem-solving can change the industry (and the world).
We were particularly captivated by Annelise Payne's (MA Material Futures at Central Saint Martins) printing method using bacteria from soil and water to develop a 'fully microbial' colour palette. The amount of waste generated by shipping and the shipping palettes made Uman Nadpara (MA Industrial Design, Central Saint Martins) introduce his 'unpacking' philosophy, where bamboo shipping pallets become a new sustainable method.
Brompton Design District
Throughout South Kensington, a series of exhibitions delved into the concept of "Conviviality - The Art of Living Together," skillfully curated by Jane Withers Studio. These exhibitions placed a spotlight on design's remarkable capacity to foster connections among individuals and ignite collaborative spirits.
Highlights included seeing our client, CTO Lighting’s pieces in the stunning Meridiani and Molteni&C showrooms, talking to the knowledgeable teams and hearing more about the brands. We also popped into Cassina who was marking its 50-year anniversary with an installation entitled ECHOES - a fascinating reflection of their history and furniture designer, B&B Italia who hosted a talk with Jay Osgerby. He has recently launched an enchanting new range with them.
German lighting brand Occhio launched its latest collection during the London Design Festival 2023, titled Luna. Their new showroom on the Fulham Road hosted a talk hosted by Design Anthology UK which was a thought-provoking and engaging discussion.
Bankside Design District
Stradling the Thames, Bankside Design District stretches this year from St Stephen Walbrook to Oxo Tower Wharf. We started our exploration of the area in St Paul’s at St Stephen taking in the two Landmark Projects - Aura in the former and Halo in the latter. Aura itself promised to be an impressive installation with a beam of light suspended from the ceilings of St Paul’s.
However, from speaking to others, it was clear that we had slightly mistimed our visit and viewing it at dusk or in the evening would have had more impact. Surrounded by throngs of tourists, it lacked the wow factor that the online images suggested to expect. Aura in St Stephen Walbrook added an ethereal glow to the ceiling dome and was beautifully done. Including sound design could have added a layer of complexity but there may have been creative, budgetary, or logistical restrictions that limited this.
Navigating the Millenium Bridge in high autumnal winds was thrilling as we headed south to discover more around the OXO Tower Wharf! An installation recreated from the London Design Biennale for Turkey had popped up on the banks of the Thames which emitted an enchanting sound to all that walked through it.
Aura and Halo - Landmark Projects for LDF23
Material Matters
Back for its second year during the design week, Material Matters centred around materiality and craftsmanship did not disappoint and has been added to our top locations this year. Floor after floor of talented makers and brands demonstrated how pushing the boundaries of material and design can result in some truly special pieces that can either be kept for a lifetime or recycled and reused. One particular floor welcomed Milan resident, Isola to the show with their installation, “Nothing Happens if Nothing Happens”. Isola is a digital and physical platform introducing independent designers and design studios to design professionals, journalists and curators.
Before the event, the team used their digital channels to create artist spotlights giving us a flavour of what to expect. Coupled with maker interviews on the homonyms podcast curated and hosted by Grant Gibson (event co-founder), email marketing, and social media countdowns, there was a clear digital footprint and holistic communications making the Bargehouse feel familiar before you had even stepped foot over the threshold. They also ran competitions with featured brands to encourage engagement and interest in the featured products.
We left feeling excited, optimistic, and inspired and we are looking forward to next year already.
Katherine getting creative at Material Matters and the Cowboy bike
Mayfair Design District
Slightly more spread out than other districts, Mayfair spanned from Marleybone to St James’. Our highlight from this District was the ever-Instagrammable Sketch which once again surpassed expectations with its three installations.
We were enchanted by the entrance hall designed by French rug atelier La Manufacture Cogolin, a three-dimensional line drawing by Julian Carter in their infamous bathrooms and a jaw-dropping glass chandelier by Lasvit.
We toured a number of galleries and showrooms too to see the latest products and designs, some of which had specific LDF23 installations. Gallery Fumi unveiled its 15th-anniversary exhibition, titled ‘Growth and Form’ and curated by Libby Sellers and Bryan O’Sullivan Studios opened the doors to their new showroom and introduced his new furniture range too.
Lasvit and La Manufacture Cogolin at sketch
Shoreditch Design District
Our final principal stop was the Shoreditch Design Triangle and as the London Design Fair returns to its familiar location at the Truman Brewery, this was a key stop in our LDF23 tour!
London Design Fair itself presented a mix of up-and-coming brands, many with a focus on sustainable materials and innovation which is always good to see, although there were a few rogue exceptions dotted throughout as it made its return after its hiatus. Our highlight was the 2LG installation. Jordan and Russell worked with makers including ercol and Granite and Smoke to create some timeless eye-catching pieces to showcase at the fair.
There was an interesting panel talk lineup too to attract the crowds, including one led by MIX Interiors Editor, Harry McKinley and one with 2LG themselves.
Vitra showroom, Shoreditch Design Triangle
Vitra opened its doors to its Tramshed once again and presented an array of pieces to whet the design appetite. The space is really special with light flooding in and one not to miss if you are in the area. And talking of showrooms, acoustics manufacturer, The Collective opened their doors to their new showroom in Charlotte Road which is cleverly designed and a great way to demonstrate their acoustic panels within an office space. Lee Broom too, a staunch East London resident, has expanded his showroom in Rivington Street in time for LDF23.
Conclusion
As always, we enjoyed getting out and about on the streets of London and seeing the best of design in the capital. The V&A has perhaps lost its sparkle as the heart of the festival with other districts distracting from its once pivotal place in the agenda.
Our biggest disappointment, however, was how districts and brands often failed to embrace digital marketing to engage people and draw the crowds. With a few notable exceptions, there were the same standard posts and occasional Stories, very few opportunities to build on the physical narrative and little in the way of digital tools to help navigate the locations.
This could be a prime opportunity to set expectations ahead of the event as to what visitors can expect, build excitement and momentum and drive footfall because you’ve convinced people your location must not be missed.
We appreciate that many brands are at different stages of their digital journey but we hope that next year sees new and innovative ways to engage with audiences more effectively both on and offline to broaden the design story and inspire people beyond the week itself.
