Shop Talk
26 Jun 2023
Following the studio visit and introduction to the Fritz Fryer Lighting brand, level 5 Hereford Contemporary Design Craft students were then challenged to create their very own lighting designs in keeping with the Fritz Fryer ethos. They then had the opportunity to showcase their final pieces a Fritz Fryer HQ for a month, with a dedicated private viewing for friends and family. This was an incredible opportunity for us to give back to the design world.
THE PROJECT BRIEF
Directors of Fritz Fryer, Karen & Simon, created a brief; each design should include a consideration for sustainability, which is an important part of our brand. It must also demonstrate a key link to Herefordshire, as that is the heart & birthplace of Fritz Fryer Lighting. We were keen to see; innovation within the designs, interesting material choices and processes used, whilst allowing each of the students to express their own personal aesthetic. Once completed, they would present their designs to the Fritz Fryer design team, where they would receive advice and critiques from industry professionals that they could use to refine their products.
“Through the use of the finest materials and finely-honed skills, we create lighting that is bold yet understated.”
Fritz Fryer Lighting
STUDENTS VISIT FRITZ FRYER HQ
The HCA students began the module by visiting the home of Fritz Fryer, our Ross-on-Wye studio & workshops. They were taken on a tour of the studio to understand how Fritz Fryer operates on a daily basis, and given complete access to our state of the art building. During the tour, the students had the opportunity to explore stockrooms containing all of our brass components, twist flex cables & our handblown glass shades. While meeting with the workshop team, the budding designers witnessed the production of our handmade contemporary collection, as well as the conversion of gas brackets to electric, which were to be installed in the Holst Victorian Museum later that month.
Karen & Simon met with the design students and shared with them the Fritz Fryer story, what it was like starting a business and some industry tips, tricks and advice that could prove invaluable for their future careers.
INITIAL DESIGN PHASE
Before the students began their initial designs, they were tasked with creating a 10 minute formal presentation. This was where they could present their primary ideas to the Fritz Fryer design team. In addition, our designers met with the students on campus, to answer any questions they may have and to provide expert advice.
“When I visited HCA to see the initial ideas and designs, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was shocked at the sheer variety and quality of designs from the students!”
Richard – Designer at Fritz Fryer lighting
FINAL OUTCOMES
Once the students had taken the advice from their first visit and implemented it into their designs, our team visited Hereford College of Arts once more to run through the final stages of production. The intersection between Fritz Fryer Lighting and the students’ individual design styles made for some really innovative final products, proving why it is so important to champion our emerging designers and give back to the next generation.
“I was really impressed with what the students had created, from their initial concepts to this stage was amazing. We were also lucky enough to actually see some of the students working on and finishing their lights on this visit too!”
Millie – Designer at Fritz Fryer Lighting
PRIVATE EXHIBITION AT FRITZ FRYER STUDIO
At the completion of the project, a celebratory event was held in the Fritz Fryer studio. The students were invited to showcase their beautiful lighting creations for friends and family as they were displayed on the mezzanine floor of our Herefordshire space.
Each and every design the students created displayed incredible talent and innovation, and we were delighted to be involved in this fantastic project with Herefordshire College of Arts. This was an incredible opportunity to give back the design world, a world that we are so honoured to be a part of.
We are extremely excited to see what the students who took part in this project do next as we can tell they have exciting futures in design ahead of them.
“I was delighted to collaborate with HCA. The work produced by the students exceeded our expectations and we found the whole process immensely rewarding. The work ranged from progressive eco solutions through to striking contemporary designs. When running a business one can get bogged down in the ‘day-to-day’ and it was wonderfully refreshing to see these ‘outside the box’ designs created by the students.” – Simon, Director & Designer at Fritz Fryer Lighting