During my years as editor of Design Magazine, and after that as a freelance design and architecture critic, I found myself attending uninspiring conferences and exhibitions. There was a shortage of interesting events. So I started a company, Design Analysis International (DAI), together with Peter Dormer and Jonathan Glancey in London, Steven Holt in the US, and Tadanori Nagasawa in Tokyo.
Our model was the film industry. We acted as design producers, and would create events that contained an idea, a storyline, a venue, designers of various kinds, and a sponsor to pay for it.
Asahi Shimbun (Tokyo) 1987 International symposium on science, innovation and design.
Axis Gallery (Tokyo) 1987 An exhibition of 'live prototypes', called Leading Edge, in which 40 designers created prototypes with support from manufacturers. Shown in Tokyo and Osaka .
European Commission (Paris) 1989 Interactivity and Environments (Paris and Inverness) 1989 Centre Europeenne de Technoculture international conferences , with University of Paris VIII
Centre Pompidou, Paris 1989 Image and Object - Nouveau Design de Londres featured in the CentrePompidou exhibition and catalogue series 'The Avant Gardes of Europe'. With Japan Airlines.
Alfred Dunhill Limited London and Klondike 1989 The Englishman's Companion Exhibition for Dunhill on its 80th anniversary; curated by Jonathan Glancey and designed by Nigel Coates
British Medical Association, London 1989 Mirror of Medicine Exhibition for the 150th anniversary the BritishMedical Journal; curator Peter Dormer
British Broadcasting Corporation 1990 Research and commentator on the BBC Design Awards programmes in 1990, 1992
Architectural Association, Brussels and London 1992 T-Zone Exhibition of Japanese architecture and video, with RiicheMiyake, also at the Tramway Gallery in Glasgow.
Mitsui, Tokyo 1991 Crafts In Architecture A series of exhibitions for architects on such topics as hand-made paper, and textiles.Produced with Peter Dormer
Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Vienna, Leipsig, Turin, Brussels) 1992 The Inventive Spirit, a touring art, technology and design exhibition, was a Brussels centrepiece during Britain's six-month EC Presidency.
Peter Dormer curated.
Victoria and Albert Museum London 1992 Sovereign Research and procurement (in ten months, from start to opening) of the national exhibition at the to commemorate The Queen's 40th anniversary as sovereign. Designed by Pentagram.
