The goal of the Tools for Everyday life project is to engage people as physically skilled operators of functional products rather than passive spectators of a designed experience. By imbuing everyday items with qualities of good tools and workshop equipment the intention is to design products that are a physical pleasure to use.

The project draws it’s designers from the community of practice that surrounds BA(hons) 3D Design and the post graduate Designers in Residence scheme at Northumbria University.

The Tools for Everyday Life project and the briefs it sets to the designers result in both commercially viable artefacts and opportunities for designers to articulate their positions on the creation of things in general and the relationship between craft knowledge and product design more specifically. Launching the artefacts at Trade fairs alongside established design brands, and presenting them for sale, places the products firmly in a commercial context.

The project is documented and reflected upon through its website and the irregularly published newspaper The Northern Tool.

Here’s a bit on Core77 about the project and a review at SightUnseen.

The art work for the promotional beermats and posters are by Neil Conley.