THE DESIGNER

Hum Products was established in autumn 2009 as a stationary line designed for capturing those elusive ideas. Sakata Saburo, who lives in Kyoto, Japan, is one of Hum’s product designers and has previously also worked in the fields of graphic design and planning. 

THE DESIGNER

Leis aims to revive the centuries’ old woodcraft tradition called ‘suha roba’, born in Slovenia amidst one of Europe’s most forested areas. Combining contemporary design and long-established hand-crafting skills, the brand's purpose is to manufacture appealing, user-friendly and well-designed products made strictly using locally sourced beech.

Designed, developed, sourced and handcrafted within a 30 km radius, Leis promotes a sustainable, fair-trade business model. Leis is the result of a partnership between the companies Rimarket, which oversees product development and manufacture, and Gigodesign, for design and branding.

THE DESIGNER

Alenka Repič founded Kaaita ten years ago. An economist by profession, Alenka was bored to death by economic models and phrases like "competitive struggle", "market capital" and "battle for customers". Alenka believes that nature and the environment are important business partners, and that there is no greater machine than the skillful fingers of a craftsman. Kaaita is a creative company that is passionate about designing, making and sending off into the world products that have a positive effect on everyday life, whose stories inspire and lead to a more sustainable lifestyle. Kaaita prefers handmade, sustainable and fair play.

THE DESIGNER

Lane By Post was founded by graphic designers, Joff Casciani and Ollie Wood. The two designers originally joined forces over a decade ago to start a design agency, which is still running today. Following this they launched Lane By Post, a range of homeware for people who love graphic design. Their colourful and often quite minimal designs bring a graphic design aesthetic in to the home.

The Lane By Post duo believe in Britain's heritage of making high quality products and materials and supporting the skilled craftspeople making such products. Their signature papers are made by James Cropper in the Lake District – one of the oldest and most respected mills in the UK – and their prints are hand-pulled by traditional craftsmen in Nottingham.

THE DESIGNER

Sue Pryke is a British homeware designer, who started her journey into ceramics at a small pottery in Lincolnshire. After graduation Sue's first job was at Wedgwood as a shape designer, guided by the design team she was taught to understand the breadth of ceramic form. Since then Sue has had a successful career which has involved collaborations with a wide range of clients, from Virgin Atlantic to High Street retailers such as John Lewis, Marks and Spencer's and prestigious manufacturers such as Wedgwood and Royal Doulton.

Sue is inspired by the everyday and the ordinary; material qualities, textures and the interaction we have with objects. Recently Sue wanted to create her own collection of objects that sit comfortably in the home, that aren't awkward, audacious or tricky to use or care for, but are familiar, have fluency and sit effortlessly. To bring this range together she collaborated with small factories and studios in England working with traditional craftsmanship, materials and techniques to make high quality products made by hand.

THE DESIGNER

The Do Book Company is an independent publishing house based in Shoreditch, London, that launched the "Do Books' series in May 2013. The company have started with five inspirational pocket guidebooks that make it easier to do stuff. The books are written by speakers from the Do Lectures whose ideas have inspired others to go and do. Their aim is to recreate that same positive change in book form – whether that’s the mastery of a new skill or craft, a simple mindshift, or a shot of inspiration to help you get started. The Do Book Company give 5% from the proceeds of each sale back to the Do Lectures to help it achieve its aim of making positive change.

THE DESIGNER

Barbara Ireland is a writer and editor based in western New York State. Barbara is a former deputy travel editor and deputy Op-Ed page editor at The New York Times. After seven years of editing articles in the Travel and Escapes sections of The New York Times, including commissioning, writing and editing many "36 Hours" columns, The New York Times assembled a team of seasoned travel writers and chose Barbara to edit the fantastic "36 Hours" books. Barbara is a graduate of Cornell University and was a John S. Knight journalism fellow at Stanford University.