Raymond Scott of Workshopped

Exhibiting products like the Chopula (chopping spatula), vegan scarves and modular concrete candelabras, Workshopped has gained a covetable reputation over the last decade as a mentor for Australian design excellence devoted to form and function.

In a clear moment in 2001 while high-end design was roistered and exhibited as part of an exclusive art scene, four people established Workshopped as a creative mentorship model and platform to direct attention to deserving emerging visionaries.

In its first phase Workshopped celebrated the unfettered nature of fresh, raw ideas through annual group expos, which have grown organically from 5 to 55 participants; and have featured luminaries like Akira Isogawa, Gary Galego and Charles Wilson while assisting the rise of others like John Goulder, Gary Golego, Adam Goodrum.

As their first foray into manufacturing, Workshopped assisted the production of Danny Cheung’s 1984 fishbowl prototype – which Wallpaper Magazine took a liking to itss address of non-human needs. Despite Alessi’s belief the product was “impossible to make”, Workshopped applied their hands-on lateral approach to turn Cheung’s idea into a commercial reality; ready for the world stage.

In 2011 Workshopped is an annual exhibition, agent and retail studio in Surry Hills that provides considered jewellery for our bodies and spaces and invaluable support for Australian designers. Within a month construction will be underway for an adjoining café/wine a bar by Pizza e Birra’s Khali Khåouri. As the only full-time Workshopped collective member at present, Raymond Scott is busy wishing there were two or three of him, but found the time to go into detail about his loves and life with us.


It seems that none of the Workshopped collective are designers by trade and three of the four members contribute part-time to the project. Talk me through the dynamic and productivity of a collective business model. Have you encountered any hurdles associated with this approach?
We meet on a regular basis, our premise is to support good Australian design and we are all committed to this. We are very respectful of each others opinion and expertise. None of us coming from a purist design background means we can look at design objectively and how it relates to the market and not just other designers. I’ve always said to put it in a cheeky way, “the only thing designers consume are free drinks”, meaning don’t design for other designers, design for your market.

The biggest hurdle we have is we're time poor, we all put a lot of extra time outside our regular jobs. This is not a money making exercise, it comes from a deep sense of commitment to something that was started 11 years ago. Leanne and Dean have always said “it was a hobby that just got out of control”.

You have identified a focus of contemporary Australian designers to utilise affordable materials and thus produce affordable results. Though the trend of upcycling is nascent worldwide, have you come into any trouble pricing or introducing the value of upcycled goods (often made of found materials or rubbish) to a high-end design market?
I think if design is produced well and at a high level, then materials become inconsequential, the product is appreciated for its design merit and how it works within the consumer's lifestyle. A lot of materials used are organic so they have a life of their own, not cookie cutter production, consumers must be aware of some very relevant inconsistencies, but for me this makes a product even more individual and attractive, there is only one like it the world.

In the 1950s the iconic shapes and durable constructions of Australian designers like Grant Featherston – who made the plywood shell contour chairs in 1951 – gained notoriety. This was partly to do the lack of availability of international alternatives and the need for lasting quality pieces in the financially limited post WW2 climate. After a period of excess and disposable frivolity are you seeing a responsibility or interest in Australian designers and buyers in timeless native pieces?
There is definitely a trend towards heirloom pieces and also investment in design. We are seeing quality overtaking price, the hyper consumerism of the late nineties and onwards created a huge amount of Chinese and Swedish landfill, its probably still producing toxic fumes from its waste. I don’t think its possible to stop this as price is very important to consumers, but as my grandfather used to say, “I can’t afford to be cheap”, you always pay twice in the end.

Where is contemporary design heading and can you name an Australian leading the way?
I think we are seeing a more global perspective on design, we have a lot to catch up on, we dropped the ball when our manufacturing started to go off shore, we allowed cheap alternatives to dictate our style and design in Australia. We then looked back towards Europe to redefine quality design for the Australian consumer with a hyper inflated price tag. The balancing act between quality and price is always a precarious one, but we are seeing the light and designers are learning from real experience.

Alexander Lotersztain stands out as a forward thinking designer , he has a very international perspective, I’d also be watching Adam Cornish and David Knott, I really love the quality of design coming out of Tasmania, we have so many new designers coming through it's really going to be “watch this space”.

How has the digital era impacted consumers desire for physical experience?
There is no denying that digital has effected the way we buy, but we find that most people who are making a design driven purchase will always want to come in and have a real world experience, they need to engage with design product, its going to be with them for a very long time.

How can emerging designers get involved?
We are opening a new design portal, where designers can register themselves as a gun for hire, we will be approaching interior designers and architects to get them more engaged with Australian designers in their projects. Of course they also get involved through our design exhibition, applications open early March every year and selection continues until May. It a great opportunity to get a profile started, we have many designers who come back every year and have, through Workshopped, really engaged with design aficionados.

Workshopped
Shop 2/8 Hill St, Surry Hills. T: 9146 4353

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