THE FUTURE PERFECT COMPANY
The Future Perfect Company supports and promotes creative businesses and has a focus on ageing through its flagship student design project, Designing for the Future.
Founded by former lawyer, Philippa Aldrich in 2009, the company has run the Designing for the Future project for hundreds of UK design students and supported many graduates and start up creative businesses through the DFF Network.
Inclusive kettle wins DFF Collyer’s 2016
A modern, stylish and inclusive kettle wins this year’s Designing for the Future Competition at The College of Richard Collyer. Designing for the Future, run by The Future Perfect Company, encourages student designers to think about the challenges affecting our ageing population – and to create innovative and attractive designs which allow older people to continue to live meaningful, enjoyable, active and independent lives. This year’s winner, A level student Lara Smith, designed the “Metamo Kettle”. The kettle was designed for people with stability issues, featuring a tipping function and “Ball & Socket” pouring mechanism. The Designing for the
Comfortable but stylish fashion for older women
I was really excited to come across a new accessible fashion website today. The Able Label purports to provide "quality, stylish clothes with adapted designs and hidden extras that make self-dressing easier for those with dressing difficulties". And the most exciting aspect is that the clothes really do look stylish. Something that can seldom be said about accessible fashion. Go have a look HERE. There's lots to love : Fiddly fastenings are replaced with quality hook and loop closures that will last as long as the garment when washed correctly - far easier to use than traditional fastenings. Colour co-ordinated
First conference for Eastbourne – designed for all
The Future Perfect Company has been a member of the Eastbourne Designed for All campaign since it began. “Eastbourne Designed for All - is a campaign to help businesses in Eastbourne meet local consumers' needs more effectively. It has developed an Inclusive Design Checklist for business self-assessment. It has introduced Eastbourne's own Community Toilets Scheme www.eastbournecommunitytoilets.co.uk” On 20th October, EDA held their first conference at the View Hotel in on Eastbourne's sea front. The event featured experts talking about ways in which businesses can incorporate inclusivity and the benefits of being inclusive. Speakers included the Directors of EDA, Kelvin
Molly, our Project Development and Marketing assistant
The Future Perfect Company is excited to introduce our new Project Development and Marketing Assistant, Molly Aldrich–Wincer. Molly is a BSc Business Management & Marketing student from the University of Sussex who is currently on her placement year. Molly will be managing various aspects of the Designing for the Future project. This includes research, developing business plans, investigating grant funding and sponsorship. She will also contribute towards managing and building the DFF alumni network , supporting the development of the project's strategy. The role also involves marketing and PR; as well as attending events and conferences representing the company.
Future proofing our later lives
Our last blog post talked about my personal experience of how my late mother-in-law used or ignored assistive technology, those adaptations or bits of kits designed to make getting older easier. Here, occupational therapist, Maggie Winchcombe of Years Ahead, shares her thoughts and expertise: To start with your second-to-last question first... is your experience typical? The answer regrettably is “yes”. Research, going back some 20 years, reveals that a lot of equipment issued to people is abandoned once past its initially useful phase. The reasons are varied and complex, but there are quite a lot of clues to some
When useful is useless – battling assistive technology
I have spent the last 5 years championing the role good product design can play in improving people’s lives as they get older. Last month, I spent a week clearing out the house of my mother in law who died in January and unearthing all sorts of “useful” assistive products which had been designed to “make life easier” but which had mostly been abandoned. The process made me pause for thought as to how such products are recommended and bought and why they were ultimately discarded. Why do we not use “useful” products and worst still, hide them away?