Designers of the Year 2020: Introducing Our Industrial Design Judges

Just over two weeks left to get your entries into Western Living’s 2020 Designers of the Year!

Put your work in front of world-renowned judges€”including these four on our just-announced Industrial Design judging panel. Get to know them below, and then get your entry ready: the deadline for DOTY 2020 is April 1. 

Byron and Dexter Peart, Goodee

In 2017, acclaimed designers and curators Byron and Dexter Peart set out on a new mission. After founding the acclaimed brand WANT les Essentiels in 2007, the duo set out on a new venture with the same aim of launching and developing meaningful brands. This time, however, the pair decided to work exclusively with products and items that make a strong social or environmental impact. GOODEE is a B-Corp certified, home and lifestyle marketplace and online destination for curated products and stories from around the globe, that connect at the intersection of good design and good purpose. With a fast-growing team split between Montreal and New York, Byron and Dexter act as the lead curators for the platform, which is set to become a global e-commerce platform and storytelling destination.

Massimo Buster Minale Founder, Buster + Punch

London architect and industrial designer Massimo Buster Minale launched the Buster + Punch label in 2012. Following a career at Foster & Partners, Richard Rogers and his own agency, Minale + Mann, Minale subsequently carved out a reputation with his precision-cut lighting and beautifully crafted hardware. His passion for making extraordinary products as truly accessible as possible, is matched only by his interest in motorcycles, metalwork and music.

Matthew McCormick, Matthew McCormick Studio

Matthew McCormick Studio is a contemporary design company based in Vancouver, BC established in 2013.

A lifelong €œtinkerer€ in creative endeavours, Matthew McCormick has always had an affinity towards lighting and the varied interpretations it makes in a space. In fact, it was this affinity that turned the design of Matthew's Vancouver home into one of his first, large-scale design projects where he brought in iconic pieces in parallel with hand-made fixtures of his own. However, it wasn€™t until a chance encounter through a local restaurant that opened up the possibility for his first commissioned piece, after which his career direction became clear in focusing his talents. One project soon landed another, very quickly becoming a full-time obsession (and business).

Today, Matthew believes in infusing passion into every project. It has been his driving force in amassing an impressive body of work is a short time, which can be found across North America and abroad. From simple, stand-alone fixtures to large-scale illuminated art installations, he is now scaling up to explore new calls for commission across the Europe, Asia and Australia.