29 March 2024, 14:34
By Furniture News Jul 15, 2016

designjunction supports dyslexia in design

designjunction, to be held from 22nd–25th September 2016, will host the inaugural Dyslexic Design exhibition this year, an exhibition which explores the connection between dyslexia and the creative industries. The project, in support of the British Dyslexia Association, is to celebrate dyslexic designers’ work over five days during the London Design Festival.

The Dyslexic Design exhibition, curated by one of the UK’s leading designers Jim Rokos, will challenge perceptions of dyslexia by accentuating the positive effects of living with dyslexia and its close association with design in a bid to remove the stigma sometimes associated with it.

More than 10 leading designers from multiple design disciplines including product, fashion, illustration, home decor and fine art – all of whom are dyslexic – will showcase their work in a striking temporary curated exhibition at designjunction. Confirmed designers include: Sebastian Bergne, Terence Woodgate, Kristjana S Williams, Tom Raffield, Tina Crawford, Rohan Chhabra, Vitamin, and Jim Rokos.

Dyslexic Designers’ work is enriched with the unexpected, made possible by the thinking of a dyslexic mind. For the first time many of these designers are openly talking about the challenges they face in their career paths, with many of their work also demonstrating unusual three-dimensional thinking.

Throughout the show – which this year will be moving to the spectacular Granary Square at King’s Cross - critical debates on design education, the relationship between dyslexia and lateral thinking, and the relationship between dyslexia and visual thinking will take place. Questions will be raised about if we could make our world more user-friendly for a dyslexic, and whether it would be appropriate to declassify the less common brain structure as a disability.

“It is my belief that I am able to design the way I do, because of my dyslexia and not despite it,” said Dyslexic Design exhibition founder Jim Rokos. “I also firmly believe that other dyslexic designers have idiosyncratic styles because of their dyslexia.

“I am delighted designjunction shares my vision and desire to remove the unwanted and unwarranted stigma sometimes associated with dyslexia and in doing so change perceptions of it. We believe dyslexia is something that drives and inspires creative thought and design.”

designjunction's MD Deborah Spencer says: “This is a subject matter very close to my heart. I had grown up with dyslexia and I believe it played an integral part in leading me down the path of art and design. In some respects this has defined me as a person. It is a great pleasure to support this brilliant project.”

designjunction, now in its sixth year, returns this September as part of the annual London Design Festival. Relocating to a new long-term home in King’s Cross, designjunction will take over the majority of the site, delivering a specially-curated programme of design exhibitions, installations, retail experience, events and workshops based upon the leading theme, Immersed in Design. designjunction is also working closely with the King’s Cross Development and Central Saint Martins, UAL on this year’s event.

To coincide with the exhibition, designjunction will donate a percentage of its 2016 ticket sales to the British Dyslexia Association at the end of the show.

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