Hasta La Ideas

For the past 18 years, the Philadelphia Museum of Art has hosted a student design competition through Collab, a group that supports the modern and contemporary design collections at the museum. For
each competition, Collab chooses a distinguished designer to celebrate and poses a design prompt in the spirit of that designer. This year, Collab chose Alberto Alessi, and invited students to design a series of four tabletop accessories.

The winning prize for this year’s competition is James Hughes for “Flow Series.” James is currently a junior studying Industrial Design at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, and he designed a series of porcelain dipping plates for oil and vinegar. Whimsically, he designed the form of a relief at the bottom of each plate, which uses the natural properties of each liquid to create a pattern that reveals itself during use. They are also stackable and feature a lip for pouring and draining excess liquid.

According to the designer, “The Flow Series is in line with both the history and aesthetics of Alessi’s design sensibilities and American realities. The plates are simple yet elegant and heighten the experience of the user. A sense of thoughtfulness and tranquility is revealed during use, introducing a delicate sub-narrative to the dining experience. This subtlety epitomizes Alessi’s playful attention to detail and speaks to the future of straightforward, honest design.”

Congratulations James!

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