Joe Ellwood

Joseph Ellwood is an interdisciplinary designer and maker. He set up his practice Six Dots Design in 2020. In 2022 the studio launched its first collection called ‘Contemporary Vanity’. The pieces in the collection are laser cut from aluminium using a distributed manufacturing service, reducing wasted machine time and material. The collection and company aims to give more people access to hand made, circularly designed objects that represent our current generation.

Since releasing this collection, I have gained a much more detailed understanding of what it means to design, make and sell a product that sustains a business. This project, therefore, has been an exploration of theory and practice to understand what power I have as a small business owner to combat our societies ecological issues.

This project proposes that making and selling handmade objects, furniture and architecture in small batches locally, is a radical act that can shift systems of value within our society and create a more sustainable future. This project initially operates in the context of London but proposes a system that could operate in any town or city.

I am proposing a system of production that prioritizes material quality and sourcing, fair labor rates and a local exchange of products.

In this system contemporary technology, and an acceptance of imperfection and a lower standard of finish enables products to be made by skilled artisans in the city and the pieces to be sold at prices that are competitive to the high street.

Research Map – I started the project by investigating historic methods of production, the politics of production and predictions about what the future of production can and should be. This research ultimately led to the conclusion that dominant methods of production are bound by the continuous paradox that despite the work of individuals to create techno-scientific ways of combating sustainability issues, without cultural and governmental support of these new methods, it is impossible to implement them. This sentiment

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Ink on Paper

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1400mm x 950mm

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System Map – I am proposing a system of production that prioritizes material quality and sourcing, fair labor rates and a local exchange of products. In this system contemporary technology, and an acceptance of imperfection and a lower standard of finish enables products to be made by skilled artisans in the city and the pieces to be sold at prices that are competitive to the high street. This system can be shown on this diagram.

Waiter Stand – By altering the approach I take to making, I can communicate through the execution of the pieces. Enzo Mari has highlighted “By making a chair” and using the “right nail” in doing so, for example, “you can communicate a set of values” (Milan, Interview, 2020) This project proposes the idea that the designer has the power to shift aesthetic standards of everyday objects. This power can be used to improve the ecology of the objects.

Steel Cabinet – The aesthetic of the work I will make is key. In making work that is overtly handmade, the work does two things: 1: less processing and precision makes the pieces quicker to make, this in turn makes the pieces cheaper and therefore more accessible to more people. 2: It creates a handmade aesthetic standard so that distinct statements about a customers value system can be made. This piece was made for a client, This piece pushed further the handmade aesthetic standard I would like to project.

Joe Ellwood

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Royal College of Art