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In my mid-twenties I went into higher education after finally discovering my calling in product design. Even though I got off to a late start I have always considered myself to be creative with an active interest in art…
Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
In my mid-twenties I went into higher education after finally discovering my calling in product design. Even though I got off to a late start I have always considered myself to be creative with an active interest in art and design but only later discovering exactly what branch of that profession I wanted to go down.
What is "design" for you?
Design is everything; everything in life is built and formed from design.
What kinds of works do you like designing most?
I prefer puzzles, problems to solve, things I can learn from.
What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
I don't have one; they're all good for different purposes.
When do you feel the most creative?
I usually get ideas and sparks of inspiration at inappropriate times such as whilst commuting/travelling or in the middle of the night and have to quickly sketch them down before forgetting.
Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
When designing I periodically stop and ask myself if the design fulfils a need "will it fit in, will it be out of place?"
What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
Generally a varying degree of optimism and anticipation generated by the act of trying to get the design on paper or screen to match up to the image already imagined in mind. Almost like waiting for a cake to rise. And if it doesn’t, then its back to the drawing board and that manic sense of optimism and anticipation kicks in again.
What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
Usually a brief sense of relief; the calm before the storm, because after that it usually dawns upon you that designing something is one thing, whether people want it own it is totally another.
What makes a design successful?
One that generates the least amount of complaints from the user.
When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
Whether or not it's fit for purpose and the standard of build quality.
From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
To make things better/To not make things worse.
How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
I feel that designers are increasingly having to do more to impresses people because consumers are constantly being flooded with new products and it has always been heading to the point where many things will have been seen before. But designers having to work harder isn't a bad thing and with the incremental introduction of increasingly accessible digital production processes such as rapid prototyping and CNC milling the potential for creativity looks very promising.
Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
I can't pinpoint any one source of inspiration as I draw from many areas; nature, history, science, even on occasion flippant comments made in passing conversations. I try to expose myself to different sources of inspiration and then filter out the ideas that don't go anywhere afterwards.
How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
I don’t actually have a definitive design style, because my interests continually change and I'm constantly looking to absorb more influences. What I design for myself is different to what I design for other people. If designing for other people then a whorish outlook is best adopted because you're not trying to please yourself but the end user.
What skills are most important for a designer?
Apart from the prerequisites of ability and vision... focus and determination.
How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
It really does depend on the individual project, the size, materials and the processes involved all influence the timescale. I try to devote as much time to a design as possible to do it justice.
How can people contact you?
ncdesign@hotmail.co.uk
