This series, COLLECTIBLE In-Depth, unveils the backstage of contemporary creation. Tackling various topics from personal designer processes to the position of collectible design on the global design market, COLLECTIBLE In-Depth offers different views to suit all tastes. Today we speak with Richard Healy from Relay Design Projects. 

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COLLECTIBLE: How did you get into collectible design? Why did you start your gallery?

Richard Healy: Relay Design Projects is a commissioning platform for new design. It was established out of the desire to create space for experimentation, allowing artists & designers resources to produce work outside of their regular remit - through the use of new materials, processes or formats. 

It is that experimental nature of the platform that couples so well with the collectible design community. The commissioned artists & designers not only gain an audience, but also a community of patrons keen to support these exploratory new bodies of design - and keen to purchase the first offerings created from them.

C: What are the key questions you ask yourself before starting to conceptualize a round of commission?

RH: The selection of the second cohort of artists & designers focused on those pushing the boundaries of material use in their fields of expertise - whether that be product design, ceramics, or architecture. Although the brief is left open, preferring to prioritise space & resources, often exciting design themes emerge. In this collection, shown at Collectible 2024, the designers have individually sought to experiment with combinations of dual materials, occasionally opting for unlikely pairings. For example, reclaimed clay waste is combined with precision-cut steel in Niveau Zero Atelier’s commission. This is displayed alongside Jihyun Kim’s terracotta structures suspended almost weightlessly with colourful ceramic glazes. These hand-built works are in contrast to the machined finishes of HAHA studio’s etched aluminium series of lighting and furniture. These etched surfaces in turn compliment EBBA’s boldly ribbed oak coffee tables which are combined with ceramic legs, produced while on a residency funded by Relay Design Projects.

Together, this second collection of commissions exemplifies Relay Design Projects desire to support design innovation - each commission seeking to push the boundary of material use.

C: How do you communicate collectible design’s unique characteristics in your exhibitions?

RH: It is really important for Relay Design Projects to document the processes of making these new bodies of work. Works are accompanied by videos and photographic documentation, as well as interviews with the artists & designers. The desire is to create a record of new design processes, methodologies and craft techniques. This archive in turn becomes a resource for emerging designers, curators and writers.

C: What can collectible design bring to the daily lives of the people who collect? 

RH:  We like to think of our collectors as patrons. When a collector purchases a piece of work from us they are creating advocacy for new work, encouraging the artists whilst supporting a space for risk & experimentation. The benefits of patronage can be deeply gratifying, as those relationships between the artist and the collector can last a lifetime. We hope Relay Design Projects successfully creates a space for these burgeoning relationships