What is Ceramic Design?

The interesting thing about ceramic design is how people react when you say, “I am studying ceramic design”… they invariably reply “your studying what?” or “what is that for?” and yet these same people will have sheltered under it and in it whilst they slept, (bricks & roof tiles). Drank their coffee from it and ate their muesli from it (tableware). Brushed their teeth over it and sat on it when going the loo (sanitaryware). On the way to work they have walked over it (paving) before travelling over it (insulators on railway lines). They will stand the beautiful flowers in it that they buy to say sorry (vases), and decorate their homes with it (tiles). It could be said that the being able to see pictures from around the globe or calling home on your mobile is reliant on clay (the space shuttle and satelites are clad in heat resistant ceramic tiles). On a more mundane level those people probably collect it (figurines) or treasure it (family heirloom). It is used more widely than most people realise and enters our lives in many different guises. I bet you have a favourite mug!

Ceramic Design is about designing for our everyday through a specialist knowledge in an infinitely transformable material, that can be both functional and delicate at the same time. It is one of the most grounded (literally – its dug up from the earth) materials and one of the most useful.

Robin Levien (Royal Designer for Industry) describes ceramics as “one of the oldest industries known to man”, after they made tools to kill mammoths with they needed to make pots to cook them in…

If you are interested in designing for our everyday lives, creating objects of value and intrinsic beauty, understanding how to make something from idea to object or pursuing design, art or craft through a material then apply!

Ceramic design is more than you can imagine!