Interviews with Alexander Flikshteyn

Over 2o years of experience in the design industry, I've had the privilege of crafting many projects for a diverse clientele, ranging from private companies to residential interiors. As a Pratt Industrial Design graduate, I have a solid foundation to thrive in any project. Understanding the universal nature of design, I approach each project with passion and innovation, infusing creativity and adaptability into my creations.

With years of experience in the industry, I've had the privilege of crafting many projects for a diverse clientele, ranging from private companies to residential interiors. As a Pratt Industrial Design graduate, I have a solid foundation to thrive in any project. Understanding the universal nature of design, I approach each project with passion and great curiosity , infusing creativity and adaptability into my creations.

From a young age, drawing has been my natural form of expression. This love for creation has always remained with me. Also having family members in the field was very instrumental to influence and guide me on my path. The educational institution and major I chose was the closest extension of my deep appreciation for objects, interiors and architecture including film and became a seamless extension of my artistic journey.

In design, I thrive on problem-solving and improvement. This leads me to my favorite part: conceptual ideation. It involves everything from quick sketching on napkins for inspiration to exploring ideas through 3D computer-generated imagery, including the use of cutting-edge AI technology. The process continues with scaled CAD drawings, ensuring feasibility. Each new project stems from thorough investigation and research, and the style naturally emerges as an outcome.

I find great joy in exploring uncharted possibilities and adding my own unique twist to them. It is incredibly exciting to transform a mere thought into a tangible creation that will endure and positively impact the lives of others. From the initial spark of an idea onto a piece of paper, the journey towards reality is incredibly fulfilling for me.

As a kid I always loved exploring and had a great sense of adventure and curiosity. I think to be a creator you need these attributes.

My interest lies in designing furniture that blends technology relevant to the present with that of the near future. With the abrupt change in the world, I'm keen on adapting and creating objects that shape the new world. The evolving design will reflect new ways of interaction, work, and play.

Adapt into your learning as many new AI tools as you can but also there is wisdom in old school drawing and building by hand. So just be curious and learn all you can.

Make sure you love the process because like any profession there is the romantic side but also the tedious part. But if you love what you it will always give you the edge through any obstacles.

Meditation 20 minutes, good coffee :) make a list plan for the day and get to work. Not very unique :)

My natural curiosity is always exploring publications, environments peers projects but when you feel comfortable with your voice as a designer its not a problem. Artists, designers we all borrow from nature, history or each other its what we do with the information that gives us this unique point of view.

Design is an expression, its a language it solves a problem, creates a feeling and tells a story. To me good design does all three in the most efficient way. May it impactful but only what's necessary not too much not too little. Like a beautiful song every note is necessary.

I feel it. And I try to get feedback too.

I've designed building facades, such as hotels, restaurants private residential homes.

I like a lot of great guys out there Tadao Ando, Antonio Gaudi, Le Corbusier, I.M. Pei, Phillip Johnson list goes on.

I come from an immigrant family that travelled across the world to United States where I grew up. I love where I live but, I consider myself a citizen of the world and I believe because of technology we all have access to information. I do have great aspirations to contribute to the world and help shape it and improve it for the better.

Its all about synergy, listening is the most important skill to have working with people even if you disagree just the acknowledgement of understanding the opposing point of view is already a great dynamic because sometimes great things happen from opposing views as long as there is mutual respect ,passion and curiosity and openness to learning.

I design for various clients every day that improves their lives and exponentially imroves the lives of other that are affected by them. However I am always open and interested in contributing to the world with any exciting and interesting opportunity to come my way.

The A Design Award is a great organization providing a wonderful platform for designers, artists creators across the world. This is important because it underlines how important our work is and it contributes to the world culture of excellence and bettering our world. I found the organization very pro active and the communication extremely helpful.

Drawing has always been a natural form of expression for me since childhood. The artistic influence of my older sibling further fueled my passion. As I grew older, design felt like a seamless transition for me. That's why I decided to apply to Pratt Institute for Industrial Design. I believed it would provide me with a comprehensive education, encompassing all the elements I was interested in.

I am motivated by the opportunity to create something new, something that didn't exist before. I find fulfillment in putting my unique perspective and touch on things, as if I'm making a contribution to the world and helping to shape it. It's this passion for creation and the desire to make a difference that led me to become a designer.

I chose the field absolutely :)

I enjoy designing one of a kind furniture as well as the interior space filled with architectural millwork.

Enjoy the process of creating, if you love what you do the you don't need to do anything else.

The distinction between a good designer and a great designer, in my opinion, lies in the ability to create work that stands the test of time. Just like the enduring quality of Shakespeare's plays or Beethoven's compositions, a great designer's work transcends the present and remains relevant and impactful for generations to come.

What makes a design truly good, in my view, is the story it conveys and the efficiency of its concept. It strikes the right balance, avoiding excess or insufficiency. A good design not only enhances functionality but also inspires aesthetically, improving the way we do things.

Good design is the driving force behind growth and evolution. Design allows us to improve through interaction, problem-solving, and expressing our surroundings. Investing in good design benefits everyone by facilitating progress, enhancing communication, and solving challenges in innovative ways. It is an essential component of our collective development and should be embraced by all.

If given the opportunity, I would design smart, functional, and elegantly simple furniture for Ikea.

Wow, I think I would love to design a Museum or a skyscraper.

Love the process of creation. The rest will fall into place.

So many, Antonio Gaudi, Tadao Ando, Le Corbusier, Eero Sarinen, Frank Ghery, Zaha Hadid the list goes on

Casa Milla, Sagrada Familia Barcelona Spain, Guggenheim Museum Bilboa Spain,Azerbaijan's Heydar Aliyev Center

I feel like my greatest design is still ahead of me. When i finish a design I always feel like I can do better its behind me.

Master your design tools to avoid hindrances in the creative process.

Continuously learn and improve technical skills.

Seek feedback from peers and mentors.

Practice regularly and engage in design challenges.

Expand knowledge beyond design principles.

I love film :) , I still try to dabble with animation here and there.

For me, design is the process of expressing, innovating, and improving objects and surroundings to facilitate growth from the present to the future.

My older brother was my first mentor into the design field followed by instructors and fellow peers.

Becoming a great designer is a result of loving what you do, enjoying the learning process, and constantly striving to improve. It's about embracing growth rather than settling for complacency.

Learning to think with your hands like building and learning new technological software tools.

Show the whole process , hand sketches 3d renderings, mockups and final prototypes.

I'm open to many possibilities however i am focusing on my new furniture pieces.

Financial freedom to create innovating designs that better the world by improving peoples lives and our planet.

Good design, leadership of thought about our future and problem solving.

Design is an outbound expression of who we are and who we are becoming. Our values such as sustainability, innovation and aesthetics.

I am currently designing a few interesting pieces for the home office environment going into the future.

Designing personal furniture pieces gives me the most satisfaction as it combines sculpture, functionality, and innovation, representing a culmination of artistic expression and practicality for the future.

Nothing I am too busy being amazed and fascinated to where we are going. I don't have any preconceived ideas.

Design is heading towards the exciting Renaissance of AI, where the possibilities are endless. Computational algorithms are becoming a powerful tool for designers, enabling them to achieve amazing new forms that were previously difficult to achieve, bringing them closer to nature.

Hard to say there is no set time frame sometimes design comes faster or longer.

Sketching ideas by hand on a piece of paper,pad.

Enjoy the process.

I think its a dual process , we design but are also affected by the world around us

An essential tool , like my hand when i draw.

Auto cad, Sketchup, Photoshop and some AI

An integral role everything must come together to make final product.

Where and when can I get it :)

I'm inspired makes me want to go to the drawing board.

Synergy is important, working with people is not easy but mainly someone who can challenge you but has similar ideals and values for design and process.

Friends, family members and colleagues.

I always read in spurs not sure which affected me and how much. i guess everything does.

Doing it for over 20 years.

I think I would love to speak to the contemporary masters of today . Currently designing for the future because i can relate to them the most.

I'm not famous yet, but its nice to be recognized especially by esteemed panel 250 peers from all over the world.

I like different things, in different places, different moods. Can't answer that specifically always changing.

When i look back at some of my early mockups I get embarrassed sometimes and amazed at the same time how far I've grown.

Good feedback from people you trust is always nice.

Of Corse not I never even thought about it i was just to busy doing what i like and drawing was part of it.

Big question :) I think AI will merge with humans and we will completely reinvent what we have seen up till now

My past designs do not define me as a designer I am looking forward to growing and reinventing myself for the future.

Throughout my childhood, drawing was a natural form of self-expression. As I matured, the decision to pursue design in college became clear, as it combined my love for art, engineering, and creation. This choice allowed me to channel my imagination and artistic abilities into crafting practical, real-world objects, ultimately fulfilling my passion for design.

Design studio adopts a holistic approach to all projects. The process begins with understanding the clients' needs and thoroughly examining the existing conditions and space. The next stage is ideation , generating innovative ideas tailored to the project requirements. Finally, to expedite the manufacturing process, utilizing detailed working drawings to ensure the seamless realization of the designs.

Design is a multifaceted objective that encompasses aesthetic inspiration, user comfort, and individual expression. It serves as a means to tell a story, transport, and inspire, ultimately creating meaningful experiences and solutions for people.

I find the most enjoyment in designing projects that allow for organic development, free from preconceived notions. These projects emerge from their environment and are shaped by the problems they aim to solve, all while maintaining a balance between poetic and sculptural expression. I strive to create timeless designs that draw inspiration from the future while still acknowledging the wisdom of the past.

It's difficult for me to pinpoint a single favorite design, as I have been influenced by numerous exceptional designs from various eras. Early inspirations include French decomodern designers like Jean Prouvé, Charlotte Perriand, and Le Corbusier, followed by the works of Eero Saarinen, Finn Juhl, Isamu Noguchi, George Nakashima, Hans Wegner, Charles Eames, and Marcel Breuer. Additionally, I am captivated by the significant advancements in technology that have allowed us to transition from the mechanical machine age to the digital era, where generative complex computations enable forms to mimic nature and adopt a more organic appearance.

I don't recall frankly :) but probably a custom interior since that was my role at the time for a specific room.

My job was to design interiors for multipurpose environments.

My favorite material is wood, due to its natural organic qualities and its versatility in molding into various forms. Although I began my design journey with hand-drawn sketches, I have since embraced CAD and SketchUp as indispensable tools in my creative process.

When I'm relaxed and inspired and not stressing about anything.

I love the conceptual stage, where you let the imagination run wild and you explore different variations and solutions.

I feel inspired, curious and sometimes special.

I feel pride , sense of fulfillment and excited to do more.

If it solves the problem it aimed for, created a pleasant aesthetic experience and brought meaning and comfort to the people it was designed for.

Its not enough to just solve a problem but the solution should be elegant another words do more with less.

I believe a designer is a leader in what the world will look like and how we will interact with our surroundings. At the same time as a design professional you have a the honor to show people how we can conserve and take care of our planet by making things sustainable.

Its no secret :) AI is here and it is already an integral part of the future which will only get better. I think human mind and AI technology will merge to produce incredible creations previously unexplored because we did not have the computational power of the new innovation we are in a new Renaissance and its exciting for designers. This changes will bring new organic forms that are generative and will resemble new forms that align closer to nature.

Oh since school, A Design Award is my latest. Too busy working:)

I am constantly reading looking and visiting places. Experiencing the environment around me. The brain captures all and than just puts it together.

I am influenced by a lot of things but I am not not sure what my style is because I'm always exploring and trying new things maybe someone from the side can see it better than me.

I live in United States and its a great place to live and design. However I think in todays world with the technology you can be anywhere and be just as inspired.

Mostly I know work on freelance bases hired for a particular project.

Passion, dedication and openness to new ways of thinking. Listening is a great skill to have.

I sketch, than i move onto 3d sketching on the computer and create many different variations until one speaks to me more clearly and than develop it more as i bring it into cad.

1, desk 2. speaker 3. computer 4. chair 5. shelf.

Meditation in the morning 20 minutes, my favorite cup of coffee, I take a shower and do my list for the day have a late afternoon breakfast meal and work till eve.

Embrace the current technology, AI is your tools of the future put your seatbelts on your about to embark on a fascinating future in creativity.

Designer are no different than anyone else , sometimes dealing with people is not easy so you have use psychology, sometimes ideas take time to arrive. But because its something tangible its very rearding.

Don't over complicate.

Drawing, computer visualization

Cad,sketchup, photoshop, my sources are everywhere always looking listening, watching.

You need to take breaks, refresh your mind.

Depends on the individual process, sometimes ideas come easy sometimes it takes longer.

How long will it take? :)

Learning how to work with people and listening.

Business owners, professionals many different types.

I enjoy furniture design becaus i feel its where sculpture art and usefulness and engineering come together.

I want to create more innovative products and bring them into the market

I develop the design myself however I have some people in my life that I can get critique from.

I do but don't want to talk about it yet just want to keep developing it.

My contact info afcidesign@yahoo.com

my mobile 917 541 5656

I think that was all Thank You