DurrellBishop.com
MAKING/
MANUFACTURING
Line-Us
Robot Drawing Machine
I have always wanted to manufacture an interesting product, and Line-us became a remarkable three-year journey in creating one from the ground up. The idea was sparked by seeing an artist, Tim Lewis, working with mechanical drawing machines. I partnered with my friend Rob Poll to bring it to life. We spent the first year developing prototypes and launching a very successful Kickstarter, the second focused on software development and manufacturing in China, and the final year bringing it to market –often demonstrating it live, in shops and at exhibitions.
2018
Line-Us
With Robert Poll
Robot Drawing Machine
I have always wanted to manufacture an interesting product, and Line-us became a remarkable three-year journey in creating one from the ground up. The idea was sparked by seeing an artist, Tim Lewis, working with mechanical drawing machines. I partnered with my friend Rob Poll to bring it to life. We spent the first year developing prototypes and launching a very successful Kickstarter, the second focused on software development and manufacturing in China, and the final year bringing it to market –often demonstrating it live, in shops and at exhibitions.
2018
Line-Us
With Robert Poll
Lego Animations
Promotional
For the ‘Pound Store’ art initiative at the ICA London, I produced 100 £1 products—a postcard and paper dress-up outfits for LEGO minifigures—each had a printed link to short animations that replaced traditional instruction manuals.
2014
Promotional
For the ‘Pound Store’ art initiative at the ICA London, I produced 100 £1 products—a postcard and paper dress-up outfits for LEGO minifigures—each had a printed link to short animations that replaced traditional instruction manuals.
2014
Bird Box Clock
We designed, manufactured, and sold a fold-up cuckoo alarm clock that charged the iPhone overnight. When the morning alarm sounded, on-screen doors opened to reveal a video of real birds on a nest – waking the user with birdsong.
Part of my on-going exploration of using iPhones as components within dedicated products.
2009
Luckybite
With Tom Hulbert
We designed, manufactured, and sold a fold-up cuckoo alarm clock that charged the iPhone overnight. When the morning alarm sounded, on-screen doors opened to reveal a video of real birds on a nest – waking the user with birdsong.
Part of my on-going exploration of using iPhones as components within dedicated products.
2009
Luckybite
With Tom Hulbert
Chip Programmer
Hardware
We built up considerable experience in electronic hardware for creative designers and recognised the need for simpler ways to work with microcontrollers. We developed and manufactured a cable with modular heads that could program low-cost chips and also provide access to the widely used ‘Basic Stamp’ in art schools. This approach was later superseded by developments from friends at Ivrea, who created ‘Wiring’ and the ‘Arduino’.
2004
Luckybite
With Tom Hulbert and Jonathan Cohen
Hardware
We built up considerable experience in electronic hardware for creative designers and recognised the need for simpler ways to work with microcontrollers. We developed and manufactured a cable with modular heads that could program low-cost chips and also provide access to the widely used ‘Basic Stamp’ in art schools. This approach was later superseded by developments from friends at Ivrea, who created ‘Wiring’ and the ‘Arduino’.
2004
Luckybite
With Tom Hulbert and Jonathan Cohen
Nine Things to Make and Do
CD-ROM
Spent six months working with Andrew Hirniak developing nine games and publishing them on CD-ROM. Each game had illustrated UIs and made you bring something physical to the computer – or generated something new on the computer. It was published and distributed by Digitalogue in Japan.
1994
RCA Research + Interval Research
With Andrew Hirniak, Marcia Mihotich
CD-ROM
Spent six months working with Andrew Hirniak developing nine games and publishing them on CD-ROM. Each game had illustrated UIs and made you bring something physical to the computer – or generated something new on the computer. It was published and distributed by Digitalogue in Japan.
1994
RCA Research + Interval Research
With Andrew Hirniak, Marcia Mihotich
Bakelite Clock
I loved the Bakelite moulding process but was frustrated by the poor quality of the electronics we had used in an earlier Bakelite radio. With Andrew Hirniak, I went on to manufacture 400 finely made Bakelite clocks. They were delivered just as I began my second MA and ended up in storage for ten years. Marcia later refreshed the clock faces, after which they sold steadily through the shop Self, off Brick Lane as well as Paul Smith and the Conran Shop.
1989
With Andrew Hirniak, Marcia Mihotich
I loved the Bakelite moulding process but was frustrated by the poor quality of the electronics we had used in an earlier Bakelite radio. With Andrew Hirniak, I went on to manufacture 400 finely made Bakelite clocks. They were delivered just as I began my second MA and ended up in storage for ten years. Marcia later refreshed the clock faces, after which they sold steadily through the shop Self, off Brick Lane as well as Paul Smith and the Conran Shop.
1989
With Andrew Hirniak, Marcia Mihotich
Working Phone Experiments
Whenever I had time I would create, experimental, working phones. One had two handsets, another was exhibited in Japan and the Pompidou Centre, another rubber phone was used for years in Ron Arad’s shop in Covent Garden.
1988
Whenever I had time I would create, experimental, working phones. One had two handsets, another was exhibited in Japan and the Pompidou Centre, another rubber phone was used for years in Ron Arad’s shop in Covent Garden.
1988
Rubber Calculator
At the age of 24, after completing my RCA MA in Product Design, I co-founded Designers in Production with friends. We brought my MA project – rubber calculator skins – into manufacture, selling through Paul Smith, Next, and the Conran Shop. The company later dissolved, but the team remained close and went on to notable careers, including Colin Burns (who later ran part of IDEO and most recently led Interaction Architecture within Apple Design) and IBM Fellow, Charlie Hill.
1988
Designers in Production
With Colin Burns, Robert Brown and Charlie Hill
At the age of 24, after completing my RCA MA in Product Design, I co-founded Designers in Production with friends. We brought my MA project – rubber calculator skins – into manufacture, selling through Paul Smith, Next, and the Conran Shop. The company later dissolved, but the team remained close and went on to notable careers, including Colin Burns (who later ran part of IDEO and most recently led Interaction Architecture within Apple Design) and IBM Fellow, Charlie Hill.
1988
Designers in Production
With Colin Burns, Robert Brown and Charlie Hill
Wooden Clock
Designes and manufactured a wooden clock with a friend through the Conran Shop.
1988
With Stuart Lambert
Designes and manufactured a wooden clock with a friend through the Conran Shop.
1988
With Stuart Lambert
Bakelite Radio
For my MA Product Design degree show at the RCA, a group of friends manufactured 100 miniature Bakelite radios, each the size of a brooch. We experimented with the material to achieve both bold and subtle colour effects. They all sold on the opening day. At the degree show we were given with ‘no strings attached’ £10,000 to start a company.
1987
ID RCA
With Colin Burns, Robert Brown
For my MA Product Design degree show at the RCA, a group of friends manufactured 100 miniature Bakelite radios, each the size of a brooch. We experimented with the material to achieve both bold and subtle colour effects. They all sold on the opening day. At the degree show we were given with ‘no strings attached’ £10,000 to start a company.
1987
ID RCA
With Colin Burns, Robert Brown
Postcard Radio
This formed part of my interest in small-scale manufacturing and my fascination with how products carry both function and social or cultural meaning.
I created Postcard Radios, where the front could be any postcard you chose, and the back was vacuum-formed over brightly coloured electronics. A single clear circular control on the side managed both volume and on/off.
It was based on the same contrast of façade and mechanism that I had used in an earlier student proposal.
1984
Self-produced
This formed part of my interest in small-scale manufacturing and my fascination with how products carry both function and social or cultural meaning.
I created Postcard Radios, where the front could be any postcard you chose, and the back was vacuum-formed over brightly coloured electronics. A single clear circular control on the side managed both volume and on/off.
It was based on the same contrast of façade and mechanism that I had used in an earlier student proposal.
1984
Self-produced