Interview with Nicholas Perillo

I have always been creative and loved to make things as a child. Through my schooling I loved art and tech subjects and made many sculptures. Being a tech lover as well, Industrial Design was a natural progression that enabled me to combine my artistic talents with analytical problem solving and technology. I didn’t even know it was a career path until my final year of school but I haven’t looked back since. Design has become a lifestyle for me. It’s a hobby and it pays the bills which is a nice bonus.

As a young designer my process is constantly evolving. I place a lot of value in establishing the problem to be solved and generating lots of rough concepts. This is a fairly short process however. Once a direction is established the most important part of the design process for me is rapid iterative prototyping. Sketching is useful but I use it mostly as a note taking tool, the real problems are solved with physical and working prototypes. My prototyping process does involve a lot of digital design but mostly in direct modelling programs that allow for rapid design. Speed is essential because it allows me follow tangents and to experiment more rapidly and with more iterations without time consuming parametric restrictions. The many quick and rough prototypes and material experiments inform a final highly resolved physical prototype. A beautiful working prototype to me is better than a thousand beautiful renders.

When I’m designing and I find a good concept I enter an into an intense and unstoppable focus. For me the prototyping process is the most exciting. I love to get my hands dirty and really understand the materials I’m working with. I often question my sanity when trying to execute an ambitious projects in a small timeframe but the final result is always worth it. Finishing and exhibiting a new design after countless hours of hard work is incredibly satisfying.

I grew up in an a very creative environment that valued hard work but at the same time a laid back attitude and a good sense of humour. I think the work ethic this developed has helped me to work incredibly hard but not to take myself too seriously. This is really important for creative work where you really need to let your mind roam free.

My growth path is still unclear. I have intentionally developed a very broad and varied skillet and portfolio that covers a range of design disciplines. This is because I see myself as a multidisciplinary designer and I want to be able to position myself so that I can coordinate complex projects that involve diverse team with very different skill sets. I have recently been doing a lot of work in the interactive installation field which combines the best of art, design, science and engineering to create really captivating experiences. There is a lot to be explored in this space and I think it will keep me occupied for a while.

I’m at the beginning of my career so I can’t say much. I will say to anyone at university to push the boundaries and work hard on projects you are passionate about, you may not get another chance to have full creative control over a project for a while. I went against advice to design my final year project around conventional design job opportunities. Instead I followed in unconventional path that I was very passionate about and this has opened more doors than I could have imagined even existed.

I don’t have enough experience to answer this question with any authority.

I subscribe to a few design newsletters and try to visit as many art and design exhibitions as possible. I don’t really look at trends. I’m not looking for incrimental improvements to keep up with the market. I look for real problems that haven’t been solved yet or that have not seen enough innovation.

https://vimeo.com/258969332

Design for me is something I am still refining the definition for. My work at the moment lies in the realm of 'design art' but I really believe that good design must go well beyond aesthetics and into the whole user experience.

I don't yet have a favourite type of design work. I really enjoy heavily conceptual thinking but even more than that I love to prototype and think in the 3rd dimension.

There are too many to choose from. They are all so fascinating to me and I plan on working with as many as possible. I love working with metal, wood, prototyping with electronics and programming, 3D printing to name just a few.

Late at night just before sleeping (which can get annoying) and also when I'm in the workshop building stuff.

I focus more on solving problems within the prototyping stage. My sketching is still essential but only refined when necessary. I prefer to sketch, then mock up, then revisit the sketching and so on. Once Ive settled on a final product I focus heavily on making it as refined and well made as possible.

I guess I feel very passionate when I'm designing. Especially when I get going on a design and find direction. I become very driven.

I'm very reserved initially until I receive validation that what I have done is good. Then I get a huge rush of pride.

Many factors make a successful design. To begin with it has to be good design. But, no matter how good it is, it must be well presented and well marketed. Otherwise nobody knows its good and it cannot be successful.

Probably Its aesthetic value, closely followed by the quality of the user experience.

I think the design field is becoming a very blurred mixture of many fields. Its is now expected that all things are designed, and I think good designers in the future will have to think as much like an engineer and scientist as they do a designer.

Inspiration for me comes from everywhere. The more I know about other designs and technology and processes the more I am inspired. I try to keep up to date with a number of design blogs and am constantly trawling the internet for new sources.

Positive: you get to shape the world. Negative: Late nights and crazy deadlines.

Gain as much experience as possible so I can launch into the workplace.

My portfilio website is probably the easiest way at the moment. www.nicholas-perillo.com