Despoke

What made you want to become a designer in the first place?

I came to design via my training as a Silversmith. I was keen to take the sensibilities and style contained in my one off work to a broader audience to make it more accessible. In 1992 I met Alberto Alessi who showed me their factory; he had seen work of mine in an exhibition with two other silversmiths that was touring German museums.

In part it was this encounter that inspired me to move into the area of design or manufacturing. The other reason, was that it was difficult to survive as a silversmith and production offered a way of generating bread and butter, on top of this I was really interested in what you
could do with processes attached to manufacturing such as I had seen at Alessi.
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Exploring the city and its architecture is something I still love to do. I love the idea of the contemporary metropolis, its architecture and skyline. When I saw this lighting system which takes an urban composition, inverts it and mounts it on a ceiling, I was instantly sold.
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Although not a new product, I really love the Hope Light. Its a great example of a rigorous and innovative design and research process to produce an original and striking lamp, although I also feel the graphic and marketing information really let the design down.

Whats most exciting to me is an amazing set of images showing the development of the Hope Light utilising digital prototyping, manufactured by Luceplan and designed by Francisco Gomez-Paz and Paolo Riazzatto.

www.luceplan.com/

Sam graduated from Ravensbourne University in 1998 with a degree in furniture and domestic product design. After graduating he worked for a number of independent designers including Michael Sodeau, before setting up his own studio in 2001.

The studio’s output is as diverse as its approach; each brief is a new beginning and no style or single approach is applied. There are always new problems to solve and new techniques to explore, designing should be a constant evolution.

Working with a range of companies from large multinational brands to smaller, more intimate local collaborations, the studio and its portfolio continue to grow and evolve as new opportunities arise. The studio’s work has been exhibited internationally and is distributed through some of the world’s leading design outlets. His work is regularly featured in the media. Most recently the studio has been awarded the prestigious Blueprint design award for the NET chair.

As well as running the design studio Sam has also taught at a number of British design schools as well as delivering lectures for the British council and the ICA.
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The name Kompott is far to close to the Danish designers Komplot for my liking (think great chairs for HAY) and I originally thought this simple box furniture was by them, but it turns out it has been designed by a collective of polish designers.
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I’m not usually keen on the use of hi-tech composites in domestic furniture. Unless you really need something to be amazingly light or strong – which is not very often in domestic situations, then it’s pointless.
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A 1991 graduate of Wellington Polytechnic School of Design, Ed has worked in a variety of Design consultancies & in-house design studios during his career.

Having worked in in NZ, Australia & China, Ed has been back in NZ for
over 12 years – predominately with Formway Design Studio based in
Wellington.

Formway Design Studio is a internationally recognised research & design
studio who are best known for their work in the highly challenging
commercial furniture sector. Their work is licensed for manufacture by
some of the most successful companies in the United States such as Knoll and Kimball Office.

Ed’s tenure with Formway Design has included leading several significant research & design projects, Design strategy and GM of Marketing. Currently Ed is leading the research consultancy component of Formway Design, leveraging well developed user insight techniques and broadening the studios exposure to sectors well beyond commercial office furniture.
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Image:flyover table

Biography.
Since graduating in 1999 with a BDes in Industrial Design, Jamie McLellan has designed for manufacturers and consultancies in Australasia, the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, Asia and America.

Before establishing his own practise in late 2006, Jamie was most recently employed as Senior Designer to well known Briton, Tom Dixon.

Currently splitting his time between New York and New Zealand, Jamie is working on a wide range of projects, from furniture and lighting to windsurfing equipment, beer taps, coffins, kayaks, bicycles and more.
Click through to the interview…..
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