Things I should have blogged in 2008. Part 1

I've been meaning to get a blog going for about a year now that relates to my research and general interest in design, trends and creativity - to be as much a record for me as it is for anyone else. So while I remember, with my notepads and google calendar as inspiration, the next series of posts will be a review of what I got up to in 2008. Hopefully this exercise will encourage me to continue to record my activities as they happen in 2009.

Spring

• Gave my first seminar entitled Designing Attractive Products in a Dynamic Market at the ESTIEM Visionary Marketing event in Cambridge.
  
• Interviewed Gianpiero Gaglione - a designer for Channels timber furniture design.
  
• Broke my hand playing lacrosse for Cambridge - tried to make the most of it.
  
• Interviewed Andrew Martin - a freelance fashion designer from Cambridge.
• Interviewed Joerka Koenders - a Dutch freelance art director and trend analyst for various clients including Philips.
• Interviewed Iain Sinclair - a freelance industrial designer (brother of Sir Clive), designer of the credit card torch.
• Attended the mobile phone Handset Fashion and Style Congress organised by ARCchart and took part in the pre-conference workshop.

In May I traveled to Japan and Hong Kong - mainly for pleasure and cultural excursions but I also managed to arrange some interviews while I was out there:

• Interviewed Ayumu Isomura - a design manager at Fujifilm in Tokyo, he took me out drinking to some tiny bars in Shibuya afterwards.
  
• Visited Issey Miyake's stunning 21_21 Design Sight exhibit in Akasaka, Tokyo (got completely lost on the way).
  
• Interviewed designers and managers at Miyuki Keori fabric design in Nagoya - apparently the demand for colour variety in Japanese suits changes depending on the economic situation.
  
• Interviewed Masaki Nakai - an interior designer for Nikken Space Design in Nagoya.
• Visited Kyoto, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Miyajima, Koyasan, and Himeji
  
• Interviewed designers and managers at Toyota's incredible Design Centre in Hachioji where they do design research and develop concept cars for motor shows.
• Visited the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka - an amazing museum celebrating the work of Miyazaki - the director of beautiful animated films such as Totoro and Spirited Away.
  
• Interviewed Mark Ellison - product designer and manager at Acceleram, Hong Kong.