“A collaboration between Raw Nerve, Creative Lewisham Agency and the London Design Festival, the Deptford Design Market Challenge is bringing together an eclectic mix of 27 of the world’s top designers for an inventive and provocative project.

The designers, who include Conran and Partners, Stuart Haygarth, Martí Guixé, and Based Upon, have each been asked to pick a second-hand object – a paint box, a guitar, a basket of toy soldiers – bought from Deptford Market. Their task is to challenge preconceptions of usefulness and beauty, using their talents to re-work the item, creating something unique, desirable and functional. To view all the items visit the Gallery.

By re-interpreting the discarded, the aim of the Market Challenge is to inspire and encourage designers to think about re-using what is available before creating an entirely new product from scratch. The possibilities for regeneration are endless: compressing or manipulating the object; reengineering it; using it as an image for a website.

The re-designed items, now transformed from humble bargains to design icons, will be displayed at the newly refurbished Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall as part of the London Design Festival, running from 15th – 25th September 2007.” -Deptford Design Challenge