People Will Always Need Plates was created by Hannah Dipper and Robin Farquhar and launched in 2004. I love the title of this company, its simple, to the point and honest, much like their products.
Hannah and Robin use their illustrations, which are largely influenced by architecture, on a range of plates, mugs and prints amongst other things. After researching into the company and enjoying the ‘window shopping’ experience of browsing their products online I noticed a distinctive British feeling that comes across in the designs. The subtle way that architecture, London and cars are appreciated though the simplistic style of the drawing is great, I particularly like the underlining patriotic tone without having to have a union jack printed all over everything. I find the products thought provoking; take the “Little Fluffy Clouds” Giclee Print for instance, which relates cars to their relative carbon dioxide outputs. Or the “1930s Modernist Seaside Villas” range that illustrates pre war homes around the British coastline. For me, the products demand attention, are they beautiful and functional they require a certain level of appreciation, there seems to be something to ‘get’ when looking at the design. People Will Always Need Plates are not only thought provoking, but witty – I love the “All the Cars” range which portrays “The four ages of driving man, starting with first car Mini, first company car Cortina, family tank Volvo and mid-life crisis Porsche.”
The company itself uses, “high quality, low volume batch production to create witty, thoughtful and stylish products as a direct antithesis to the current proliferation of cheap, throwaway design.” As I’ve said before, I really do feel that this approach to product design and manufacturing is something to take note of. For me, there is a certain satisfaction that comes with buying a product for my home that I know is made with passion and quality. As well as employing this ethos, I also find the themes People Will Always Need Plates illustrate very appealing and I love the way they make me think. Its great to see buildings that are favorites of the designers on display as well as some lesser-known feats of architecture and the splashes of colours used against the simple clean designs over white are just the icing on the cake for me.
The successful range of ceramic-ware and home accessories ooze a slick urban design that wouldn’t be out of place in any home and because of the design themes there is something for everyone. Hannah and Robin have also designed lines for clients such as Habitat, Conran & partners, Heals and Royal Doulton. I’m not surprised given their varied background; Hannah is a ceramist and has extensive industrial ceramics experience whilst Robin studied industrial design at Brunel. The pair are able to offer an extensive service through People Will Always Need Plates giving a complete design service.
