See Why Designgoat is Ahead of the Herd

Ireland’s new wave of creative talent – including hot design duo Designgoat – is being showcased at the National Craft Gallery?

?Fresh?Talent??opened last week at the National Craft Gallery in Kilkenny – a showcase for the new wave of designers who have emerged since 2011, with a special focus on the crossover and diversity of disciplines they are engaged in.

With this in mind, we take a little step back to appreciate one company we feel embodies these qualities with a quiet confidence: Designgoat.

For us, Designgoat’s work, attitude and approach is a true display of what design should be – not pigeonholed, but a process of exploration and learning. When you look at the range of projects Ahmad and Cian have undertaken and delivered – from the interiors at Dublin coffee shop 3FE to the branding and packaging of Bean & Goose chocolate, it seems alien to slot them into the ‘early stage practitioners’ category, and only reinforces the crazy?talent?and professionalism exemplified by this wave of Irish designers.

It also reminds us that although these designers may be still establishing themselves somewhat, they have a very valuable collection of experiences that have led them to this point. Ian Walton of Notion design studio brought this to our attention at the recent?Blueprints talks, and summed it up nicely: “We were a start-up company, not start-up people.?

?Fresh Talent? is running at the National Craft Gallery until March 18.

wearedesigngoat.com; nationalcraftgallery.ie

For more on this, check out our Best of Irish Design feature in the?current issue.

Sheenagh Green for @Image_Interiors