What are you looking forward to most about being part of the judging panel for the Surface Design Awards? 

In my day to day job I aim to engage with and collaborate with as many innovative, forward thinking and revolutionary products and companies as possible. So I'm really excited to have the opportunity to meet others who are just as passionate about this, and to see some of the exciting products and materials of the future! 

 

What are you personally looking for in terms of entries? 

Entries that are making a real impact from an ESG perspective, so are the products fully cradle to cradle? Can they be disassembled and reassembled at end of life? Are they made of recycled content? Are they improving lives and promoting health and wellbeing? Are they made ethically? 

 

What advice would you give to those looking to submit a successful award? 

Focus on the data, it's easy to say a material or product is ‘sustainable' but I want to know specifically how. 

 

Why are these awards so important to architects and designers?  

We need to change how we design, it's no longer acceptable to use high embodied carbon materials that are ripped off and thrown into landfill after 5 years of use. So these awards are a fantastic opportunity to get introduced, inspired and familiar with new products that address the climate crisis and the incredibly carbon intensive and wasteful nature of our industry.  

 

What are some emerging trends in materials and surfaces you've noticed?  

A much larger focus on cradle to cradle with fully demountable products and materials emerging with fixings that don't rely on adhesives, and can be disassembled and reassembled by anyone. 

 

Sustainability is a talking point in every project, what is your experience of successfully delivering sustainable solutions in what you do?  

Whilst we engage with and promote working with innovative and forward-thinking companies to help us achieve our sustainability goals, we know that we don't know everything! So we foster a collaborative environment where everyone can contribute ideas and innovations that others may not have thought of as well as challenging the status quo - often ideas come from the most unexpected places!  

 

The theme of 2025's Surface Design Show is ‘Creative Conscious', what does that mean to you?  

For me it means that as an industry we need to lean on our creativity in order to move towards a more sustainable future. The industry can't keep going as it is, every single person has to be more creative and embrace different ways of working, different materials and ways of applying them. It's really exciting!