Interview
What is design for your life? What does design mean for you?
Good design 'happens' when a need, want or desire is identified within the context of real life and the designer can use a combination of experience and instinct to visualise a solution and then, working with engineers to challenge any constraints, create a beautiful and functional response.
Please describe the changes in design in the last 20 years?
The past 20 years have seen a very steep incline in technological advancement. The internet has made the world smaller and easier to investigate, meaning that ideas and discoveries become knowledge available to everyone. It has also made us aware of how interconnected our lives are, through the global economy, natural environment, technological advancement and many other factors. We are realising how our actions in one place might have consequences for others elsewhere. This has encouraged the evolution of design and, combined with the development of computer aided design (CAD) has allowed designers and engineers to push ideas so much further, faster and to a greater level of functional precision. It allows for the virtual testing of ideas and designs, without the expense and real risk involved in practical testing. Science and technology have combined in the creation of new materials and engineering potential which has had an unbelievable impact on the construction industry in particular. Another change in this period has been the realisation of environmental vulnerability. These relatively new concerns and realisations have also impacted on design and caused us to question and focus hard upon the sustainability of our creations - how to use limited resources efficiently and create lasting design that will not harm us or our surroundings but instead work in harmony with them.
Which designers/ architects have influenced your work the most?
Architects and designers with a strong identity and a reputation for analytical, informed design solutions inspire us and motivate us in various ways. Working at Alsop architects established a great foundation regarding our attitude towards architecture, as he continually demonstrated the success of a bold transition between concept and final product. Other practices impress us with their approach towards organisation and how it affects their design, for example OMA and their cross-disciplinary, horizontal structure of development that leads to truly original design. The systematic exploration of an idea and clear, organised complexity of thought presented in the design development of architects such as BIG and FOA constantly inspire us in evolving our work and communicating it to others.
What's your perception about fashion and design magazines nowadays?
Fashion and design magazines - and now websites and blogs, are vital in inspiring us all - whether or not we are working as designers - to question the design of all aspects of our lives. They encourage us to demand more from even the simplest of experiences and should create an awareness but not necessarily a need. Whilst some magazines are intended only to reassure the reader that its OK to spend money on something they don't really need, a successful design magazine will make us appreciate that although it is always fascinating and inspiring to read about the cutting edge engineering of the latest sports car or the avant garde creations of couture fashion, good design should influence and improve the way we think and how we experience every aspect of our lives.
