Industry Update THE BMA COLUMN
British Ceramic Tile continues to support Plymouth College of Art with a new student project
B
ritish Ceramic Tile, the largest manufacturer of ceramic and glass tiles, has once again partnered with Plymouth College of Art working with the designers of the future on a 2016 class project. BA (hons) Printed Textile Design & Surface Pattern students were invited to test their creativity and work on a class project alongside British Ceramic Tile’s internal design team and head of design, Claire O’Brien. A valuable opportunity to develop practical skills and approach a real life work situation, the students were provided with a creative brief looking at how popular lifestyle and colour trends can be adapted for surface design. Ideas and mood boards were created over a period of two months with the final artwork submitted to British Ceramic Tile for feedback. Two students were given a cash prize as a reward for their ideas and hard work, and a selection of art will be translated into tile designs for the retail market. Claire Nanelli was awarded first prize for “Industrial Seaside.” The inspiration came from a coastal walk and the exploration of historic buildings in her local area. Second place was awarded to Hannah Seward with ”Breath of Fresh Air”, which touched on nature, bringing the outside in through soft textures and calming effects.
Claire Nanelli
British Ceramic Tile’s head of design, Claire, was so impressed with some of the artwork on display, in particular from Claire Nanelli and Ella Foster, the company bought with plans to adapt the designs and create new commercially viable product ranges.
Hannah Seward
“It’s always very rewarding and inspiring when working alongside
students on projects such as these. Their energy, passion and ideas for surface design are to be admired. We saw a wide variety of concepts from the students, all of which were approached in a professional manner. The winners were well deserved and we were struck by one of the designs to such an extent that we will develop it for our product portfolio.” British Ceramic Tile will be carrying on its partnership with Plymouth College of Art and is currently arranging for a selection of students to visit the design studio in Devon this summer.
For further details please call or visit our website.
01626 831391
www.britishceramictile.com
Bathroom product safety rules flouted R
egulations regarding the fitness for purpose, and by implication the safety of bathroom products, are being habitually flouted by unscrupulous manufacturers and importers. This concerning fact was highlighted in a recent European Commission report and it has confirmed what the Bathroom Manufacturers Association has believed for some time.
“This is outrageous and nothing short of a scandal” claims Yvonne Orgill, Chief Executive of the BMA. “Consumers throughout the UK are purchasing bathrooms which they believe to be up-to-standard and safe to use. But, in fact, because they don’t know who made them, or where they came from, they could be spending hard-earned cash on substandard and illegal product.”
Our laws state that those bathroom products which are covered by Harmonised European Standards must have the CE Mark fixed to the product, instructions, or packaging. CE marking is an indicator of a product’s compliance with legislation. It is not a quality mark but it does indicate ‘fitness for purpose.’
Members of the BMA, trustworthy manufacturers of branded bathroom products, embraced the regulations when they became legally binding in 2013. However, devious manufacturers and importers are known to contravene the law and consumers are the worse for it. “The consumer has the right to know that their bathroom products do comply with the regulations and all those in the supply chain - retailers, installers and merchants - need to know their legal obligations,” says Orgill. The report, “Enforcement and Compliance” was published on the DG GROW website
http://ec.europa.eu/DocsRoom/documents/21181 It shows the results of a survey of companies and industry associations throughout Europe. Most of the respondents agreed that there was a high level of non-compliance in industry and 80% of businesses confirmed that non-compliance has a negative impact on their sales and/or market share. “Our industry is being adversely affected and consumers could be being put into harm’s way” says Orgill “The association will continue to be very vocal about the problem and highlight the issues with the relevant authorities.”
www.bathroom-association.org
For more information, please contact BMA on 01782 631619, visit
www.bathroom-association.org or email
info@bathroom-association.org.uk
BKU MARCH 2017 45
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
