Designing to Win Learnings Gallery August 2023

Designing to Win Gallery 2023

Glass & Grass

As part of Flower Thinking's Designing to Win program, a group of floral designers, artists and arrangers responded to a competition-style schedule with the theme Glass & Grass.

Join us for a tour of the submissions from some of the designers who participated.

We hope you'll enjoy the work and be inspired to advance your floral competion skills too.

David Berger
My inspiration was a fluted glass vase and the grasses along a path where I walk my dogs ... A new found respect developed for the vast botanical family that grass is a part of.
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Hannah Bleckley
The first inspiration was the hoop, this then led the design shape followed by the blue bottle linking to the blue Eryngium sp.
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Wendy Drury
Following the design brief and theme, I chose materials that best met the Glass and Grass theme. I tried a variety of colors to complement the design.
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Gwen Hartley
Wanting to recycle left over cut off glass sheet in my workroom, I had to incorporate grass component. I used two pieces glass with grass in between sealed with silicon double sided tape.
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Jill Hoskin
I decided to use a narrow glass container for the brief. Long strands of grass were bound together with wire and manipulated into curved lines that I was able to place inside the container as well as on the outside. I enjoyed the challenge!
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Irene S McIndoe
Choice of a locally made leadlight emerald green glass box proved challenging with strong glass colour to unify scale and proportion of plant materials and keep within allotted space.
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Priya Shah
I had an insight after my first submission to do something different as had never used the container and with Mark’s advice developed this design.
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Linda Taneja
Sustainability and a love for weaving was the inspiration for this design. All elements were grown in our home garden or from friends gardens. There is no wire used in the design - all bindings with New Zealand Flax.
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Celéste de Villiers
I took as my inspiration Grass, glass and water - Nature's richness
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Reviews of Designing to Win from Designers and Audience Members

Designing to Win Uncommon Threads

Designing to Win Uncommon Threads. The course provided the unusual opportunity to respond to a competition brief not once but twice. Using Mark’s detailed ebook as a guide to interpreting a marking scheme and competition brief. All participants produced a design. In a group forum we all received Mark’s insights and expert analysis, including advice on improvements and modifications. Producing a second design with this feedback. Mark held a second forum discussing the second design interpretation from the feedback given. Such a study in floral design and self improvement. Flower Thinking and Mark provide designers to tools to make considered choices in floral designing. I look forward to the next course and learning journey.

Uncommon Threads

I enjoyed the critiqued detail of the 1st design presented by participants in the theme Uncommon Threads. 2nd design was changed to improve its presentation to fill the brief of an opening Event for a fashion boutique.

"Designing to win" is a winner

The intriguing theme,"Uncommon threads", captured my attention and thinking. I initially thought this short course,"Designing to win", would be too challenging. I found that it was actually comprehensive, well organized and structured, and rewarding eventually. This course was about understanding the rules and schedule of a competition. It was about learning how to evaluate one's design for a competition against an essential list of marking criteria for judging. Mark conducted two virtual discussion forums fluently, meticulously and constructively by giving clear analysis with concise explanations. He posed questions and made suggestions on each participant's design in #1 submission. The task of improving/adjusting/changing in order to achieve a better outcome became the necessary challenge for #2 submission.
The learnings from all the other submissions was just as important as those of mine. After having completed this course, I gained a better understanding of the entire process of designing to win and the crucial decision making that hinged on the points/marks for judging. The "wow factor" which can contribute to winning can be achieved by more critical evaluation of a design. Learning to be a better designer is always my aim in participating in Mark's courses. I truly felt that I achieved it and it was a likely "win" for me. The instructional eBooks and video tutorials on competitions were valuable bonuses given after completion of the course.

Thank you, Mark, for this great opportunity to learn from you.

Designing to win uncommon threads

Excellent course, I learnt a lot just need to put it into practice now.😊

I thought it was a good title with lots of scope for interpretation.

I thought it was a great course! I learnt a lot from the in depth evaluations of each design, and I think the true value of the course can be seen in the huge improvements of all the submitted designs. Thank you Mark.

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Frédéric Dupré

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Bart Hassam

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Designing to Win | Glass and Grass

A cohort of floral designers, floral artists, flower arrangers and florists respond to a competition-style schedule with the theme Glass & Grass.

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A celebration of the natural world through graceful, flowing lines with dynamic, rhythmic qualities. Irene’s profound respect for plant materials is exemplified by the meticulous workmanship, technique and attention to detail of this collection.

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Sketching is a versatile tool for communicating your ideas and thoughts to other designers, clients and collaborators.

Keith Stanley | Momentum

Structural botanical design is Keith Stanley's passion. In addition to creating large scale displays and conducting demonstrations and workshops, Keith is also an International Master Florist and a certified teacher of the Sogetsu School of Ikebana.

Annita Bokobli | Juxtaposition

Annita's work is characterised by bold structures balanced with careful placements. Twice champion of the Interflora Australia Cup competitions. In addition to running a successful retail florist, she is well regarded as a teacher and demonstrator of floral design.