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A Load of Jargon: Over-used buzzwords exposed in exhibition by It's Nice That

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This September, during the London Design Festival, The Conran Shop has collaborated with creative media publication, It’s Nice That, on an installation of over-used industry buzzwords and a series of related activities. “A Load of Jargon” is an energetic concept that plays with space, material and typography, which will be brought to life in The Conran Shop’s Chelsea store windows where design partners Isabel + Helen will enhance the space with captivating installations.

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The installation is effectively a celebration of industry buzzwords, which originates from the insight that within the creative industry and general business, words, acronyms and phrases are used with little thought about their actual meaning. In the creative industries we are all guilty of overusing redundantly superfluous language and typical buzzwords (“top line” “blue sky thinking” “rich content” “target audience”), but this installation doesn't shy away from such words, it openly embraces them!

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With this interactive takeover, it's The Conran Shop's aim to inspire and excite customers with a number of typically vibrant and imaginative displays. The windows of the shop's Chelsea store windows will be transformed and filled with an array of sights, bold 3D objects, materials and typography, and there will also be five uniquely designed installations from Isabel + Helen symbolising five different pieces of jargon:

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Going Viral is represented by a machine intermittently shooting out ping pong balls; an overwhelmingly large inflatable ball references the Big Idea; a conveyor belt of steps produces a never-ending stream of Next Steps; Easy Win entices in the player with a step leading up to a 10ft high basketball net, while a board of Thinking Caps can be tried on by visitors for a perfect social media moment.

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Visitors will also be able to enjoy a host of fun and jargon-themed activities: A risograph printmaking workshop with Hato Press and screen-printing demonstrations by South East Print Studio on Saturdays in September and October, where attendees will take away their own uniquely designed print. To commemorate this collaboration, The Conran Shop has created a limited edition capsule collection, which will feature stationery, posters, tote bags and other accessories as mementos.

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Stephen Briars, Creative Director of The Conran Shop, said of the collaboration: “I really like the team at It’s Nice That. Their approach to all things creative is unique, inclusive, credible and, of course, fun. I’ve watched their progression over the years, so when it came to imagining the LDF project for 2016, they clearly became a natural partner. Add in Isabel + Helen’s interpretation of the brief and the project takes on an extra level of humour and energy. The outcome is a very different and exciting expression of design in the continuing reinvigoration of The Conran Shop.” 

Jamie McIntyre, Senior Art Director at It’s Nice That, added: “From ‘game changer’ to ‘influencers’ - jargon, a lazy man’s lingo, is ever-present in design communication and beyond. We wanted to create an installation where people could also acknowledge and celebrate these strange quirks - no matter what their background. As a result, our interactive sculptures made by design duo Isabel + Helen will provide instant gratification and a novel take on contemporary jargon. They are bold, colourful and cheeky and we hope the public has as much fun in the space as we have had with The Conran Shop and Isabel + Helen developing this.”

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It’s Nice That and Isabel + Helen are renowned for drawing upon interactive and playful themes within their work. Indeed, their ingenuity has led them to collaborations with the likes of this year’s Turner Prize winners, Assemble, and an exhibition of kinetic sculptures at the art and design fair, Pick Me Up. This project with The Conran Shop gives them an opportunity to have fun with creative lingo during London Design Festival, and also provides The Conran Shop with an opportunity to reflect its commitment to young creative talent and highlight itself as a international destination for design. A Load of Jargon opens this Saturday 17 September 2016 at The Conran Shop, Chelsea.

 

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