Almost a year after announcing the winners of METAL 2006, where entrants were invited to submit a prototype
inspired by the evocative theme Flame, Carrol Boyes Functional Art (CBFA) has announced the theme for the METAL 2007 New Designer Search: Sprout.
METAL 2007 is the third annual New Designer Search pioneered by Carrol Boyes Functional Art. Every year, Carrol Boyes, arguably one of South Africa's most commercially successful product designers, invites
aspiring designers to submit a prototype based on a particular theme.
METAL 2005's theme was Salt and Pepper and saw entrants submitting an eclectic range of salt and pepper cruets. METAL 2006's theme was Flame where entrants were briefed to design oil burners or candle holders.
With the METAL 2007 theme, Sprout, Carrol invites entrants to design a set of salad servers. As with the past METAL initiatives, organisers have explained that the prototype can be of any shape, design or size,
as long as the salad servers fuse three key elements: functionality, manufacturability and aesthetics.
Carrol Boyes, convenor of METAL and founder and CEO of Carrol Boyes Functional Art explains her choice of theme: Salad servers have always been one of my favourite items to design. I feel that they suit the
direction that our lifestyles seem to be taking - a healthier, fresher and lighter approach to life. The theme Sprout communicates something fresh and even humourous. It's a word that will intrigue people to
investigate further. It suggests newness, originality, creativity and growth and immediately evokes the deliciously green, crunchy mental image of a fresh salad. I hope the theme inspires designers to create
something completely original in form.
CBFA officially opened entries on 1 January 2007. The deadline for all prototypes will be the 31 May 2007. No particular experience or design qualification is necessary in order to enter. Entrants simply have to
design an innovative functional set of salad servers, make a three-dimensional example of their design, and submit it along with a completed entry form, a copy of their ID and a one page CV to Carrol Boyes Functional Art.
In order to maximise their chances of winning, designers are encouraged to produce work that can viably be manufactured in aluminium, stainless steel or pewter (the metals that CBFA manufactures in).
However, prototypes submitted can be made of any material that is available to the artist, ranging from wood, to ceramics, to plastic or even wire. In
terms of design, Boyes is looking for fresh and original design talent that is not derivative of her own design style.
Over the past two years, more than 500 designers across the nation have entered METAL, vying for Carrol's eye and the R50 000 award. With METAL becoming an institution in the design industry, Sprout is sure to elicit
a range of exciting and innovative responses from South Africa's design fraternity.
Entry forms are available at Carrol Boyes stockists country wide. To download an entry form, go to www.carrolboyes.co.zaTo have an entry form faxed to you, call 021 462 3129.