The history of Royal Doulton can be traced back to 1815. And the story of Symmetry started in 2002 in 'The Potteries' - Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. It's a story that in many ways typifies the process that takes Royal Doulton tableware, be it formal or casual, from concept board to tabletop.

Concept Stage

Head of Design Richard Delaney explains, "It really begins with a brief from product management. In this case, we were asked to devise a follow on from the well-established Fusion range with a bone china tableware collection that was both classic and contemporary.

"My then colleague Richard Williams and I created concept boards to begin to define the looks and styles. This research allows design, manufacturing, and marketing to agree on the proposed shape before commencing further development work. We firmly agree on one concept quickly. One that's rooted in a classic English bone china style to meet the interest in formal dining customs. One that's also modern in approach."

Shape Design and Modelling

Symmetry boasts a pure ellipse shape with small apertures, finials, and covers for true modernity. But is also incorporates the grandness of the pedestal foot. It was actually a difficult shape to realise with a bone china ceramic body. But manufacturing were more than ready to proceed with taking the prototypes of teapot, cup and saucer, and plate from paper design to plaster through the rapid prototyping machine. Symmetry was seen as a clear success in its new 3D form.

While the two designers worked on the shapes for the rest of the pattern - such as jugs, bowls, and vegetable dishes - the modelling team created the final modelled piece for items, made on a larger scale to allow for shrinkage during firing. The teapot alone took five days for modeller Ian Grant to complete from detailed technical drawings.

Blocking, Casing, & Mould Making

Once the fully modelled items had been approved by marketing, Symmetry progressed through three more complex stages - blocking, casing, and mould making.

A Plaster of Paris mould - known as a block - is made from the original clay model. This is an exacting process involving callipers and set squares which sees a number of trial samples being cast and fired in a kiln. A silicon rubber case is then made from the master mould or block, paying attention to the very size and efficiency of the case for manufacturing. Finally, production Plaster of Paris moulds are made from each rubber case so that ceramic pieces can finally be created. They must be very durable to produce thousands of plaster moulds during the life of a tableware shape.

Richard Delaney added, "Ceramic pieces could then be cast from the Plaster of Paris mould. Typically, a production mould can be used up to 30 times. After that, the mould is worn out and sent for recycling."

Pattern Work

Once the shape for Symmetry had been approved, pattern development began in earnest with Gwyn Hilton's surface pattern team. It's a structured process that involves surface pattern design, graphic design, colour laboratory work, and printing.

Specialists like Gwyn Hilton also take their cue from the latest trends and fashions - especially data from colour prediction agencies about the right tones for the future. The team then produces several different patterns which are narrowed down with direct input from Royal Doulton's global markets.

In this instance, the simplicity of Symmetry's contemporary approach lent itself to pure white or a choice of gold or platinum trim. Once the patterns were chosen, the artwork was passed on to graphic design to produce colour separations to prepare the film for the printing process. Here, potentially time-consuming and repetitive work was hugely speeded up by the use of computers. Nevertheless, with a complex pattern such as Samsara it can take about four months to complete all the drawings for all the items.

All colours for Royal Doulton patterns are then mixed at the factory in the Colour Laboratory, involving a variety of palettes. The business's own printers then prepare the first transfers using a silk-screen process, ultimately handing over the technical specifications to an external printer once trials are completed to everyone's satisfaction.

Top Quality Tableware

Symmetry is one of dozens of Royal Doulton tableware patterns - both traditional and modern - right from Atlanta to Touch. Richard Delaney says, "Symmetry was launched in 2002 and proved a huge success, making an impressive follow up to Fusion."

Today, Symmetry is something a modern classic for Royal Doulton when it comes to fine dining - a bold tableware style that's complemented by the ellipse-based range of Symmetry Glassware.