Duncan Shotton

British designer, artist & inventor.

photo by Alex Abian

Embedding happiness into things

Using themes such as play, wit and illusion, my mission is to add a creative tickle of magic to objects, tools and experiences.

I converge simple ideas with serious product design to add smiles to faces through frictionless and delicate moments of joy.

Clients & Collaborators

Services

As well as a range of self-produced 'Studio Originals', I partner with businesses and agencies in a freelance capacity as a creative catalyst and with general design support. If you're interested in working together, please get in touch.

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A short history

Following a childhood of treehouses and yoyo's, Duncan studied Industrial Design and Technology at Brunel University, London. Following four years at a UK design consultancy, he moved to Tokyo where he set up his own design studio. After six years, 50-something products and multiple kickstarter campaigns later, he returned to England where he now continues his practice in Bristol.

More history...

2018 Re-locate to Bristol, UK
2017 Launch dshott.co.uk 3.0
2016 Launch range of downloadable, printable Christmas wrapping paper on etsy
2016 Publish “Soy Story” film about the Soy Shape manufacture process Japanese craftspeople
2016 Launch Newspaper Tea-Towel
2016 Soy Shape launched and successfully funded on kickstarter
2016 Pink piggy added to the U.F.O soap pump range
2016 Dedicated corner of all our designs curated in Tsutaya Electrics Futakotamagawa (Tokyo)
2016 Publish mini-treehouse vase concept
2016 Special presentation packaging design and Japanese stationery curation for cwpencils
2016 Launch 7 super limited edition, Real Boy “Gold” Push Pins
2016 Instagram collaboration/giveaway with Singaporean food artist @bentomonsters
2016 Launch McDonalds Japan creative instagram content commission
2016 Paris added to the Sticky Page Markers range
2016 Exhibit at Extra Preview #12 at Tabloid, Hinode
2016 Collaboration with Bread Artist “Umi-san” for Japanese crowdfunding campaign
2016 Launch 3 super limited edition, Real Boy “Green” Push Pins
2016 Rainbow Pencil seconds donated to the Pause Draw event ran by Luis Mendo and Adrian Hogan
2016 Year of the monkey creative new year post for instagram
2015 Launch animated card case range
2015 Balloonado pop-up shop in Yoga, Tokyo
2015 3-page magazine interview in Argentinian magazine Reporte Publicidad
2015 20×20 presentation on Project Realboy at Pecha Kucha HQ in Tokyo
2015 Rainbow Pencils feature on Japanese TV show “ZIP”
2015 Publish “Made in Tajimi” film about plate-plate and the Japanese ceramics industry.
2015 Publish first wholesale catalogue
2015 Launch Tokyo Monster stickers
2015 Launch SHOEperhero shoehorn
2015 Exhibit at Active Creators at Tokyo Gift Show
2014 Launch UFO Soap Pumps
2014 Exhibit with Designboom Mart at Tokyo Designers Week
2014 Sticky Page Markers launched and successfully funded on kickstarter
2014 Publish frying-pan IC-card holder concept
2014 Launch barcode cable tidies, designed for EntreX Inc.
2014 Nozomi becomes second permanent member of the team
2014 Relocate studio to Meguro-ku, Tokyo.
2014 Launch of Colour O’Clock
2014 Rainbow Pencils selected as 1 of 20 projects in MoMA x Kickstarter collaboration
2014 Real Boy special, tiny, remote control pop-up shop, in Harajuku, Tokyo
2014 Launch of new colour tape dispensers
2014 Completion of “designer special” kickstarter reward
2014 Plate-Plate featured on TV (WGN Chicago)
2013 Rainbow Pencils described on Fast Company as “A Masterclass in Interaction Design”
2013 Exhibit with Designboom Mart at Tokyo Designers Week
2013 Launch the plate-plate collection
2013 Rainbow Pencils successfully funded through Kickstarter
2013 Launch of Rainbow Pencils on Kickstarter
2013 Exhibit with Kaboomi Studio at Design Festa, Tokyo
2013 Studio wins Gold “Young Design” A’Design Award
2013 Real Boy Pins win Platinum A’Design Award
2013 First pop-up shop, in a tree, in Harajuku, Tokyo
2013 Presentation of portfolio at Chiba Institute of Technology
2012 Exhibit with Designboom Mart at Tokyo Designers Week
2012 Re-locate and establish design studio in Tokyo, Japan (Itabashi-Ku)
2012 Design Week Rising Star award – Finalist
2012 Tape Dispenser featured on TV (Hollyoaks)
2011 Pecha-Kucha presentation at MadeinBrunel, London
2011 Exhibit with Designboom Mart at Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair, Sweden
2011 Exhibit with Poundshop during London Design Week (CLIUNC)
2008 Designer at Kinneir Dufort design consultancy (4 yrs)
2008 Logo published in Los Logos 4
2008 Digimech Clock exhibited behind glass at the Paris Motor Show on the MINI stand
2008 Exhibit at New Designers, London
2008 Exhibit at MadeInBrunel, London
2008 Graduate from Brunel University, London. (B.A Industrial Design & Technology, 1st class)
2007 Freelance Research and Ideation at LG Electronics
2007 Graphic Designer at Penguin Books (DK 10+ dept.)
2007 Designer at j-me (1 yr placement)
2004 Foundation Art & Design, Trowbridge College
1985 Born in Camden, London