Interview with Aliki Rovithi
In 2007, Aliki Rovithi and Foant Asour founded their creative studio DEDE DextrousDesign which still to this day hosts their never ending love for debate and experimentation.
Designer of the Day Interview
19 March 2018
After graduating from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki with a degree in mathematics, I received a BA (Hons) in industrial and product design from the Middlesex University (AKTO - Athens branch). Foant Asour -my colleague-attended the Arabic high school in Athens and received a higher diploma in industrial and product design from the Middlesex University (AKTO - Athens branch). In 2007, we founded the Athens-based, award winning, creative studio DEDE DextrousDesign. We have participated in numerous design exhibitions in Greece as well as SaloneSatellite 2010 in Milan, Tendence 2012 of Messe Frankfurt and Biennale Interieur 2014 in Kortrijk, Belgium. Out work has been featured in prestigious design publications worldwide and has also been presented at the Design Show of the Canton Fair 2011 in Guangzhou, China, A’ design award exhibition 2012 in Como, Italy and Chennai, India, Torino Design Week 2013, INDEX 2014 in Dubai, UAE and SaloneSatellite 20 years of new creativity 2017.
We decided to deal with industrial design as we both realized - each at a different stage in his life - that we feel strongly about the need to communicate our ideas.Through industrial design, we have been given the opportunity to realize these ideas by understanding people and their needs, cultivating our creative thinking and using humor and conceptual approach as powerful designing tools.
With every new concept or idea, as a raw material, as it kneads and evolves, we try to design - in addition to the form or function of an object - an inherent emotional bond between the user and the object, which will last in time. We prefer computer aided design and renderings, but as pleasing and rewarding the above process is, the moment of realization of the prototypes is equally challenging. The moment you are enthusiastically watching everything you have thought, designed and imagined to become reality, while at the same time problems arise which need to be managed quickly and aptly.
We both regard design as a user- centered and experience-oriented process. Dealing with a design project is a complex, cross-disciplinary process, and although our different interpretation of things might initially lead to disagreements, these exact disagreements boost our creativity and motivation! As the design process matures, fluid communication, mutual understanding and constant knowledge exchange deepen and enrich our collective effort. After all, we are delighted that the nature of our profession contributes greatly to the level of moral satisfaction and self-fulfillment and therefore contributes positively to the quality of our lives.
Although we did not know the existence of this profession as children, now that we "grew up," many of the elements necessary in our profession, such as imagination, the unorthodox perception of things, playful mood and humor, nourish and activate the child inside us. Furthermore, our childhood's interest in science and drawing was in accord with our love for construction and experimentation, still to this day.
Our dream design project, which we have already conceived, but do not possess the resources to implement, is the humanitarian aid package with integrated vegetable seeds, "The HAP Project". It is a box made of recycled / recyclable cardboard, with embedded vegetable seeds. After being torn to pieces - each side contains a different type of vegetable - the packaging shall be buried, to create a garden that will supply each family in the refugee settlement with fresh produce. This will improve their poor nutrition and will help restore mental serenity through their work with land. HAP minimizes refuse volume and helps save a large quantity of fresh alimentary aid foodstuffs. We do really hope that a large packaging company operating within the framework of Corporate Social Responsibility will be interested in implementing - on a large scale - the production and distribution of these packages that can drastically contribute to improving the physical and mental health of our fellow citizens around the world that have been hit by natural disasters, war, violence or persecution.
We believe that the creative process is a prominent and complex activity of human existence. Every young person who wants to be involved in this process through industrial design should have his eyes open, be inventive, love and understand people and their needs and systematically cultivate his natural curiosity by looking at things in depth.
We strongly believe that there shouldn’t be a segregation between “design” and “environmentally conscious design”. Each design practice and manufacturing process should respond to the social, environmental, and economic challenges that our planet is facing. Consuming as little natural resources and raw materials as possible, according to the "dematerialization" approach that our times require, has been an ongoing concern of ours since the beginning of our involvement in design. All of our products are made of long- lasting, recyclable or low- impact materials and we prefer types of wood that can be harvested from sustainably managed forests. Furthermore, every piece of our large size furniture is designed to be collapsible, enabling flat packaging and thus the reduction of its carbon footprint.
Our daily routine is that there is no daily routine! Each project requires a different approach, involves varying and dissimilar stages of design and implementation that hold for us many surprises, sometimes pleasant and other times unpleasant!
Nowadays, current consumer behavior has moved away from real human needs and focuses on the individual and the prestige he enjoys from the use of specific products. The aesthetics of everyday objects acquire special dimensions as it satisfies the psychological and emotional needs of the consumer and thus promotes the quality of his life. In this context, we stick with our own personal design style, but always keeping in mind the latest design trends.
Really good design aside from its conceptual background, provides a context for interaction and features functional qualities as well, to facilitate our daily lives in ingenious ways. It is also a drastic way to approach people and inspire them to think under a different light.
Although we carry an artistic background as well, as industrial designers we have to operate within the strictly commercial and profit- driven requirements of mass production. These exact requirements, may force us sometimes to deliver products differentiated from the ones originally designed. Thus, we use to keep an open tab in our minds, because we love to explore different materials, either traditional or technologically advanced, implement new and unique manufacturing techniques and express our thoughts in alternative ways across a wide range of creative media.
We love to attract positive consumer behavior by designing and developing large-scale interactive installations for major brands and organizations. The fact that makes it so special is that along this process, we manage to offer integrated, innovative and unique design services, providing effective solutions coupled with professionalism and timely execution. Overcoming any obstacle and making a brand memorable to an extensive audience is our biggest challenge.
Dutch design is our favourite. It has evolved very quickly into a pioneering force in European design, and while it is simple and functional, it never lacks experimentation and humor. We also believe that Afroditi Krassa, a Greek-born, London-based designer created some of the most significant and category-defining hospitality design projects of the past decade, infusing every space with timeless value.
Although my design partner Foant Asour and I share a similar approach to creative problem solving, he is the analyst and I am the synthesist. Foant dwells into any occurring problem, and faces every detail separately by implementing alternative solutions, away from boring and worn out design schemas. I, on the other hand, take a step back, attempting to obtain an overall view of the bigger picture and its context in order to perceive it from novel perspectives. After all, when two minds are engaged in the same task, they accomplish a common goal at a significantly faster pace.
Design Legend Interview
21 October 2016
After graduating from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki with a degree in mathematics, I received
a BA (Hons) in industrial and product design from the Middlesex University (AKTO - Athens branch).
Foant Asour and I, both industrial designers, founded the Athens-based, award winning,
creative studio DEDE DextrousDesign in 2007.
We have participated in numerous design exhibitions in Greece as well as SaloneSatellite 2010 in Milan,
Tendence 2012 of Messe Frankfurt and Biennale Interieur 2014 in Kortrijk, Belgium. Our work has been
featured in prestigious design publications worldwide and has also been presented at the Design Show
of the Canton Fair 2011 in Guangzhou, China, A’ design award exhibition 2012 in Como, Italy and Chennai,
India, Torino Design Week 2013 and INDEX 2014 in Dubai, UAE.
a BA (Hons) in industrial and product design from the Middlesex University (AKTO - Athens branch).
Foant Asour and I, both industrial designers, founded the Athens-based, award winning,
creative studio DEDE DextrousDesign in 2007.
We have participated in numerous design exhibitions in Greece as well as SaloneSatellite 2010 in Milan,
Tendence 2012 of Messe Frankfurt and Biennale Interieur 2014 in Kortrijk, Belgium. Our work has been
featured in prestigious design publications worldwide and has also been presented at the Design Show
of the Canton Fair 2011 in Guangzhou, China, A’ design award exhibition 2012 in Como, Italy and Chennai,
India, Torino Design Week 2013 and INDEX 2014 in Dubai, UAE.
I became a designer because I regard design as a user- centred and experience-oriented process and I love to express my thoughts in alternative ways across a wide range of creative media.
As an industrial and product designer, I try to perceive things from novel perspectives and create more of design projects that deliver messages in effective and memorable ways.
They should have a never ending love for debate and experimentation.
Really good design aside from its conceptual background, provides a context for interaction and
features functional qualities as well, to facilitate our daily lives in ingenious ways.
features functional qualities as well, to facilitate our daily lives in ingenious ways.
Should I had to point out the common denominator of my inspiration- my secret recipe- that would be the underlying humor within each one of my design concepts and my attempt to design engaging experiences that trigger the user’s positive emotional response.
"Get the hang of it" bag best represents my clear, humoristic and functional view on things and also responds to the social, environmental, and economic challenges that our planet is facing.
It is a drastic way to approach people and inspire them to think under a different light.
With Foant Asour, my design partner, we share a similar approach to creative problem solving, and everyday he helps me communicate my thoughts and beliefs.
Although I carry an artistic background as well, as industrial designer I have to operate within the strictly commercial and profit- driven requirements of mass production. These exact requirements are the obstacles I had to overcome, in order to support, realize and establish my designs.
My ultimate goal for the future and my biggest anxiety so far, is not to stop loving what I do, and remain able to keep on giving an open and enthusiastic welcome to new things.
Consuming as little natural resources and raw materials as possible, according to the "dematerialization" approach that our times require, has been an ongoing concern of mine since the beginning of my involvement in design. Environmentally conscious design does help create a better, sustainable and viable society.
Using conceptual approach and intuitively understood humor as starting points for the designing of my products, I aim at building strong emotional bonds between the user and the product’s context of use.
I do believe in co-design and my ideal design partner is Foant Asour. Dealing with a design project is a complex, cross-disciplinary process, and although our different interpretation of things might initially lead to disagreements, these exact disagreements boost our creativity and motivation! As the design process matures, fluid communication, mutual understanding and constant knowledge exchange deepen and enrich our collective effort. After all, when two minds are engaged in the same task, they accomplish a common goal at a significantly faster pace.
I keep my eyes wide open, I love and listen to people and I cultivate creative thinking on a daily basis by examining things in-depth. I also dwell into any occurring design problem, and face every detail separately by implementing alternative solutions, away from boring and worn out design schemas.
All of my products are made of long- lasting, recyclable or low- impact materials and I prefer types of wood that can be harvested from sustainably managed forests. Furthermore, every piece of my large size furniture is designed to be collapsible, enabling flat packaging and thus the reduction of its carbon footprint.
Designer Interview
31 May 2011
My partner Foant Asour and I formed an Athens based industrial design team called DEDE DextrousDesign.
We have been working together since 2007 and we have participated in the “DESIGN 2009” and the “DESIGN LAB 2010” design exhibitions in Athens as well as in the “GREEN DESIGN FESTIVAL 2010”, an open-air event, that explores sustainable design in all forms and applications, and suggests a friendlier, towards the environment, way of life.
From the 14th to the 19th of April 2010, we participated in the international fair for young designers SALONESATELLITE 2010, in Milan.
Later on, we received the RED DOT award:design concept 2010 for the “THIS SIDE UP” table and our design item "GET THE HANG OF IT" bag recently won the Platinum A' Design award 2010.
I was born in Athens, Greece. I received a university degree in mathematics from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece and a BA (Hons) in industrial and product design from the Middlesex University(Athens branch). Foant Asour was born in Athens, Greece. He attended the arabic high school in Athens and received a higher diploma in industrial and product design from the Middlesex University(Athens branch).
We have been working together since 2007 and we have participated in the “DESIGN 2009” and the “DESIGN LAB 2010” design exhibitions in Athens as well as in the “GREEN DESIGN FESTIVAL 2010”, an open-air event, that explores sustainable design in all forms and applications, and suggests a friendlier, towards the environment, way of life.
From the 14th to the 19th of April 2010, we participated in the international fair for young designers SALONESATELLITE 2010, in Milan.
Later on, we received the RED DOT award:design concept 2010 for the “THIS SIDE UP” table and our design item "GET THE HANG OF IT" bag recently won the Platinum A' Design award 2010.
I was born in Athens, Greece. I received a university degree in mathematics from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece and a BA (Hons) in industrial and product design from the Middlesex University(Athens branch). Foant Asour was born in Athens, Greece. He attended the arabic high school in Athens and received a higher diploma in industrial and product design from the Middlesex University(Athens branch).
We believe that "design" derives from the fundamental understanding of why something exists.
Our most favorite design is our "This side up table" that looks like a carton box and in some ways it is as useful as a carton box!
It’s lightweight and easy to move, you can stash all the junk under it when your mother-in-law shows up unexpectedly, and you can place your magazines and remote controls that occupy the top of the table, on the four side panels.
The “this side up” table won the RED DOT award:design concept 2010 and was presented at SALONESATELLITE 2010 in Milan.
It’s lightweight and easy to move, you can stash all the junk under it when your mother-in-law shows up unexpectedly, and you can place your magazines and remote controls that occupy the top of the table, on the four side panels.
The “this side up” table won the RED DOT award:design concept 2010 and was presented at SALONESATELLITE 2010 in Milan.
Exploring unconventional alternatives and avoiding familiar solutions
leads to novel ideas. When we design, we try to look at things critically and profoundly, in order to perceive situations from innovative perspectives.
leads to novel ideas. When we design, we try to look at things critically and profoundly, in order to perceive situations from innovative perspectives.
Creative thinking is a captivating human aspect. We feel content and blessed because through designing we can understand the world around us and communicate our thoughts and beliefs.
Although as designers, we have an artistic background as well , we work in a commercial environment that bears a great deal of considerations on the design process. When our designs are realized, these considerations meet
our expectations and for that we feel excited and satisfied.
our expectations and for that we feel excited and satisfied.
Ecologically friendly practices should be incorporated in every aspect of design. There mustn't be a segregation between "design" and "sustainable design", as it is self- evident that any design process should comply with the principles of economic, social, and ecological sustainability.
We oftenly approach design through humor. Although humor is culturally-specific, the essence of humor addresses to the conceptual framework of many diverse user communities.
Using intuitively understood humor as a starting point for the designing of our products, we build strong bonds between the product and its context of use.
Humor is deeply planted into our language and thought thus we use it in order to conceive abstract concepts.
In this way humor consists a powerful designing tool for the creation of products.
Using intuitively understood humor as a starting point for the designing of our products, we build strong bonds between the product and its context of use.
Humor is deeply planted into our language and thought thus we use it in order to conceive abstract concepts.
In this way humor consists a powerful designing tool for the creation of products.
A designer should keep his eyes wide open, love and listen to people and cultivate his creative thought on a daily basis by examining things in-depth.
You can check out our work at www.dede.gr and contact us at info@dede.gr