Thirst impressions drink outside the square

A new competition, Drink Outside the Square, is calling for designs for the Thirst Impressions range of high-end coasters for the home.
The competition project, hosted by Thirst Impressions together with the online creative hub, Create or Die, will culminate in an exhibition featuring the work of twenty finalists.

Three winning designs, including a people's choice, will be included in the product range and retailed in boutique stores and online in 2012.

Thirst Impressions launched this year after graphic designer Annabelle Howie discovered a gap in the market for a product that combined the practicality of the often-pilfered cardboard bar coaster with the visual appeal of high-end homewares.

The Australian-made, Sydney-designed coasters are made from plantation stock cardboard, to give them all the liquid-soaking quality of a bar coaster but in designs suitable for the home.

Howie said the aim of the competition was to encourage designers to think about being artistically expressive in a way that was also commercially viable.

"Thirst Impressions is proof that sometimes the best designs are the most obvious," she said.
"The product also opens up the imagination as to the possibilities in functional, yet artistic, design. I hope it inspires other creatives to take the plunge and combine art with a commercially viable product, taking art to the masses. I'm really looking forward to seeing what my product inspires in the budding and established designers who participate in this competition."

Create or Die co-founder Deb Morgan said the partnership was a natural one for the new online collective which aims to support creatives who don’t make their primary living from their art.

The platform meshes online projects and a blog with offline events, projects and exhibitions.
"Create or Die is a platform for people who hold true to the notion that if they are not creating, pieces of them are slowly dying," Morgan said.
"It is for those among us who, due to the pressures of this modern life, spend their time working for a client and haven’t managed to get their own art out there. We look forward to working with Thirst Impressions to bring Drink Outside the Square to life."

The competition launches with entries opening on Sep 1 and closing on Oct 31 with categories for both professionals and students. Winners will be announced on the exhibition's opening night, November 26 with winning products on the market by mid December.