It's a bit of a Catch-22 for emerging industrial designers. Without a portfolio of products under their belt it's almost impossible to put original designs into production because Canada's secondary industry is so miniscule. Still many designers don't sit around waiting for the phone to ring. Instead they develop new concepts from scratch, source the materials, sub-contract the manufacturing and thus nurture a new design from cradle to working prototype. It's a risky business since time and money is involved and there is no guarantee of success.

Every once in a while a clever designer hits a home run. Two years ago, Matthew Kroeker launched Splinter bench at IDS Prototype: New Ideas for the Home.  The wood seating system fits together like a jigsaw puzzle and was picked up by Jane Hamley Wells, a furniture manufacturer in Chicago.  Last month Interior Design awarded Splinter a merit award for best residential seating in 2007. Industrial designer Derek McLeod is another regular at IDS Prototype. Because of his talent and entrepreneurial spirit his clients include Speke/Klein and Seating Systems International. He's currently in negotiation with an Italian manufacturer to produce Sum, his elegant walnut chair, which he showed at Prototype 07. Also fortunate is Natalie Kruch. 

Last year at IDS, she exhibited an adorable accent table wrapped in balloons as part of the University of Alberta display.  Umbra is now manufacturing the design and it's available at the company's new downtown Toronto store.

Next month, Prototype is celebrating its fifth anniversary at IDS. The juried competition/exhibition provides the opportunity for rising designers (and some fairly established ones too) to strut their stuff to the media, industry, and design savvy consumers. Highlights include: Nature's Dryer, a picturesque tree-shaped clothes dryer for the outdoors. Geoffrey Lilge, who famously co-founded Pure Design, which is now sadly defunct, is introducing his brand new Grand sling chair.  Patrick Turner and Andrea Pearson, better known as Thout, are exhibiting their playful Beanbench. Also not to be missed is Crawford Noble's Helmet table, made of Corian and, yes, a modified MK2 helmet. Come see these designs and more at the Prototype exhibit at IDS on February 21-24. Tom Dixon, Arne Quinze and Peter Huiberts of Frame magazine will judge the Best Prototype.