Interviewe mat Rvndsgn

I received my BFA in Industrial Design in 2007 from Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids MI, USA. I've worked for the past 12 years for numerous companies including Steelcase, Honda, Harley Davidson, HNI Furniture and others including many conceptual designs.

I started my college career in graphic design, I've always had a penchant for art and that seemed like a logical move. After a couple years in school my father took me to a design and engineering firm to talk to me about what they did and I knew that was for me. Kendall College was right up the street, so I applied and started the next fall. I credit my parents for encouraging my artistic endeavors, and my father for teaching me to work with my hands.

Every project starts the same way; I review the brief and just start brainstorming which includes sketching and CAD modeling. I like to utilize new technology a lot in designs and jump to CAD quickly. For me, aesthetics, solving the problem and manufacturability are the most important aspects of any design.

For me, the best part of a new design is early in the process when the blue sky, sometimes crazy ideas are free flowing. While I always work within the brief, the constraints seem further away in the early weeks of a new project. Sometimes the crazy idea can be molded into something feasible or it might spark a completely new idea. That is exciting.

While I was always drawing while growing up, I didn't take a lot of art classes until college. However, in high school and college I worked for my father at his millwork company. Working with my hands with different machinery, tools, and materials really taught me a lot about model making and an appreciation of how things go together.

Right now I am focused on my day job, launching the watch brand, and supporting my wife in her MFA pursuits. I don't know if i really have a 5 year plan or anything, I'd like to focus on the brand I'm trying to build and I'd love to collaborate with my wife on another project. We designed our home together and worked well together.

Design is a "thinking career". It doesn't matter much if someone can sketch better than you, or has been rendering skills. Those can be practiced and perfected (and SHOULD be!). The most important thing is how you think, how you approach a problem and solve it. The sketching and rendering etc, is what will get you in the door, so they are definitely important, but those are tools to explain your thought process and communicate your ideas to get your idea sold.

Never be satisfied. A design can always be improved, the key is knowing when the appropriate amount of time has been spent. Don't waste extra time on a poor idea.

I start everyday scrolling through a custom RSS feed I have that is mainly design focused, you never know where inspiration will come from. After that each day is different. I could be sitting in meetings all day or behind a computer. Depending on the project, I could be researching as well.

I think keeping up on the trends is very important, and I use a custom RSS feed to read from many different design sites. However interpreting the trends into your own voice and designing something timeless is much better than something trendy.

Sometimes you can just feel that something is right. I've worked on a couple recent projects that from initial concept to final product, didn't change much at all. To me that shows the thought was on target and we had the resources (engineering, manufacturing, marketing) we needed to realize the product. Everything lined up. It's cliche, but I really like Dieter Rams 10 Principles. A beautiful product that solves a problem or is new or useful in some way is a good design in my eyes.

Usually the timeline the product is on is what defines when the design is done. If its a specular or open ended product sometimes its nice to let it sit for a while so I can work on something else and come back later. Sometimes a little time away can help work through an issue, or improve a design.

I've worked on many multi-year projects, but I think the largest project I've worked on was my personal home. My wife and I designed our home together over many years. We started with tons of inspirational images and research, sketched and modeled a number of ideas, and when we were ready, we hired a builder and bounced some of our ideas off him. It was a process of honing down and refining, and in the end, we couldn't be happier.

Some of my favorite designers would be Patricia Urquiola, Marc Newson, Yves Behar, Konstantin Grcic. Johny Ive is probably the most influential in the past 20 years, especially to students.

I love our home town of Grand Rapids Michigan. It's the second largest city in Michigan, but it isn't large like Chicago for example. It has everything we could want and its very accessible and progressive. It's also home to ArtPrize, which is the worlds largest art competition I believe.

Working alone can be lonely. I always like the collaborative process. Good ideas can come from anywhere so having others around is very beneficial. Culture is also super important. Having the right people makes all the difference.

I've done lots of small design projects for individuals or small companies. Most recently I helped develop a website for a nonprofit.

The recognition from winning a competition is always nice. In today's world seemingly run by social media, breaking into that scene and getting your name out there could be very helpful for a new brand. Being selected as Designer of the Day would magnify that potential.

I earned a BFA in Industrial Design from Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids Michigan. I've worked for over a decade mostly in the contract furniture industry.

Solving problems and improving peoples' lives. It's motivating to see designs that exist only to improve lives, as opposed to making money.

I chose design after 3 years in college.

Mostly furniture with some wearables and transportation concepts.

Work constantly. That doesn't mean pen to paper every second of the day, but always be aware. Question things you see or products you use. See the inspiration all around you. Live a design life, integrate the aspects of design into your life.

Solving problems in a beautiful way while pushing the limits of what was done before.

I think a beautiful object is what gets itself recognized, but after the initial reaction, the products has to be well made and function perfectly. Everything goes hand in hand, you can't have something beautiful that falls apart the first time you use it.

Good design pushes us forward.

I'm enamored with some of the big names out there. I'd love to design a chair for Vitra or Established & Sons in the future.

As my son grows, I'd like to build and electric motorcycle with him. Something crazy.

Work harder than the next guy. Be accessible and approachable. No ego.

Marc Newson, Patricia Urquiola, Errolson Hugh, Johnny Ive, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec.

I love the Bouroullec's Slow Chair from Vitra. It's beautiful and amazingly comfortable.

I'm really proud of the watch we are currently developing. I'm excited to see that through, and see how it preforms commercially.

I've asked myself that question many times, I honestly don't know.

My parents have always supported me, I couldn't have gotten here without them. My wife, who is also a designer, has also helped me greatly, whether its to bounce ideas off, or supporting me while I worked crazy hours, she has always been there.

I had a lot of support and great professors during school. After school, the people I worked for were great mentors.

Hopefully commercializing our watches. After that, who knows.

Design can solve issues that nothing else can. Whether that is providing homes to those who need it, or eliminating waste going into the environment.

Our M1 watch.

An even greater push for a cradle to cradle approach. Design to disassembly and recyclability or reusability.

Hopefully more inclusion as more women and minorities enter the field. More diversification will make for a better field of design.

Depends on the project, but I'm used to 6 months to 2 years.

Research. Whether that is first or second hand research with users, or inspirational image searches. We always start with research to start crafting a story.

Both. I think they are both very connected.

I'm a techno-nerd. So design is integral while I'm designing, but can also be a great inspiration.

Macbook Pro, Rhino 3D and Keyshot are the tools I use most.

Colors can either inspire passion for a product, or prematurely date a product. For that reason, color needs to selected with the utmost of care.

Honestly, my wife. She is great at challenging me for the best solutions. And we dont always see eye to eye. No body just wants a yes man around, I want to hear if my initial thought is wrong. Fail faster to succeed sooner.

Practice, practice, practice. Striving for the best solution.

Hawking. Physics amaze me.

Awards and recognition are nice, but in the end, a great product is worth more.

Black. Paris. Autumn. College Football. Apple.

When a design REALLY comes together. When you know you've hit the exact right solution. That is always very satisfying.

I was always curious and drawing all the time. I don't know if it was obvious to anyone what my career path would be. It took me 3 years in college to switch to design.

Hopefully as a species have stopped fighting and have finally decided to clean up the earth, otherwise I don't think we will be here.

I grew up curious and drawing all the time. It wasn't until I discovered Industrial Design during my third year of college, that I immediately made an appointment at Kendall College of Art and Design to learn more. I knew right away this was what I wanted to do.

RVNDSGN designed the first 3D printed watch in 2011. Today we are partnered with Swiss engineering and manufacturing companies to bring our next line of timepieces to the market. As a firm, we focus on solving problems and designing minimal, beautiful products.

Design is all about identifying the problem or opportunity and solving those problems to improve peoples interactions with the product.

Furniture and watches.

Some of my favorite designs are the ones that dont change a lot from conceptualization to final product. That tends to mean that everything lined up, timing, engineering, manufacturing, price. Some of the seating products I've worked on like the Trillia Stool for Gunlocke and Vicinity Lounge for Allsteel worked out that way.

I worked on desking systems as an intern for a large furniture company in Michigan.

CAD can both be a great tool, or a great crutch. If CAD is used as A tool in the process, instead of the ONLY tool, you can do great things with it.

I need to be inspired. That can come from anywhere. Some cool picture of nature, or a sweet car rolling by. The mess of toys after our kids have been playing. Inspiration is everywhere.

The early, blue-sky conceptualization is my favorite part of the design process. Being able to interpret the brief in the least constricting time is my favorite and most creative.

When a design really comes together on every aspect, price, manufacturing, engineering, marketing, and design; that really leads to a lot of excitement.

Pride, I guess. As long as the client is happy, we are happy.

I think the most successful designs fit the need at a reachable price. Design doesn't need to be expensive or use exotic materials to work. The most successful products are the ones that the most people can use, and the right price can make a product much more accessible.

Usually if the design effectively solves a problem, closely followed by its aesthetics.

Most of the things we create and consume are not necessary. With that in mind, environmentally conscious decisions should always be at the front of a designers mind. From selecting materials, to manufacturing processes, to shipping. The least environmentally impactful methods should always be considered.

I'm excited to see more and more females enter the field. I think the more diverse design becomes, the better it becomes.

NeoCon in Chicago.

As answered above, inspiration can come from anywhere.

Minimalist. I think the challenge of crating something simple, either in function or aesthetics can be very challenging, and when it works out, it's fantastic.

Michigan. We are located in the heart of the contract furniture industry, so there is a lot of history in our backyard.

From beginning to end. From before there is even a brief, to after launch.

There is a growing movement for design thinking across company's executives. There is a reason for that. Any company ignoring design is ignoring potential growth in their future.

Robot vacuum, Vitra Slow Chair, our home (designed by myself and my wife), our patio fire pit, bar height table for entertaining.

problem solving and innovative thinking.

Pen, paper, Rhino 3D, Keyshot, photoshop.

I don't think designers can sit down and shoot out 50 amazing designs just because they were asked to. Sure, you can do it, but most of them will be bad. Design takes time and thought. Thinking through solutions and collaboration always lead to a better product.

It depends on the project, usually 6 months to 2 years in my experience.

Where do you get your ideas?

My current ones.

Conceptualization and blue-sky thinking.

Not sure, but I'm excited to go wherever my work leads me.

The M1 Timepiece is currently in development.

Usually through LinkedIn, or email through our website.