Joe Ellwood

Joseph Ellwood is an interdisciplinary designer and maker. He set up his practice Six Dots Design in 2020. In 2022 the studio launched its first collection called ‘Contemporary Vanity’. The pieces in the collection are laser cut from aluminium using a distributed manufacturing service, reducing wasted machine time and material. The collection and company aims to give more people access to hand made, circularly designed objects that represent our current generation. 

Since releasing this collection, I have gained a much more detailed understanding of what it means to design, make and sell a product that sustains a business. This project, therefore, has been an exploration of theory and practice to understand what power I have as a small business owner to combat our societies ecological issues.

This project proposes that making and selling handmade objects, furniture and architecture in small batches locally, is a radical act that can shift systems of value within our society and create a more sustainable future. This project initially operates in the context of London but proposes a system that could operate in any town or city.

I am proposing a system of production that prioritizes material quality and sourcing, fair labor rates and a local exchange of products. 

In this system contemporary technology, and an acceptance of imperfection and a lower standard of finish enables products to be made by skilled artisans in the city and the pieces to be sold at prices that are competitive to the high street.