Clerkenwell Day1

EMERGING MATERIAL TRENDS

Day One of Clerkenwell Design Week at Workbench kicked off with a fantastic start as we welcomed internationally renowned materials expert and author Chris Lefteri to our showroom for an inspiring breakfast talk on Emerging Material Trends.

With an impressive portfolio that includes collaborations with Google, Amazon, and Speedo, Chris is one of the leading voices in forecasting material trends, exploring future applications, and critically evaluating sustainability beyond the buzzwords.

Chris unveiled a brand-new seminar exploring emerging material trends - highlighting shifts in form, texture, and colour. He also led a thought-provoking discussion on the role of AI in design, not from the usual "Will it replace designers?" angle, but through a more nuanced lens: how AI is shaping our aesthetic preferences, influencing design language, and subtly steering our emotional response to materials and colours.

This fresh take on AI’s impact was both enlightening and timely - reminding us that the way we interpret and engage with design is evolving just as rapidly as the technology behind it.

We were thrilled to host such an insightful session and are already looking forward to welcoming Chris back next year!

You can find out more about Chris at https://www.chrislefteri.com