I am an artist and designer who wants to blur the line between art and design by challenging our perception of how we understand a particular object.
01Could you please tell us a bit about your design background and education?
I am an artist and designer who wants to blur the line between art and design by challenging our perception of how we understand a particular object.
I find inspiration in everything that surrounds me and translate that into usable artworks. My ultimate goal is to create a certain kind of objects, that are out of standard, for users who need to use them as a reflection of their personalities.
Studying and practicing art I come across with design, to which I was familiar before, but not in the same way as with art. I tended to look and explore only those areas with whom I visually engaged straightforwardly. After that, I realize how close I was to design during my whole artistic process. Since then, I wanted to try to blur the line between art and design in order to help other people see how subtly, but profoundly they connect to each other.
I want to offer people the possibility to see how transcendence can be reached through their direct interaction with materiality.
02What motivates you to design in general, why did you become a designer?
I grew up in a home decorated with art and craftsmanship and I was fascinated at a young age by the beauty of art and design. I remember admiring and analysing for hours curves and patterns in the carved wood of our furniture. I guess when I grew up this passion took over me and now I love to design.
03Did you choose to become a designer, or you were forced to become one?
I chose to be a designer with all of my heart.
04What do you design, what type of designs do you wish to design more of?
Over the years I developed a passion for water and I started designing showers and water related prouducts. Currently I am working on a brand new collection, "Art Lights", which is a limited collection of designs which focuses on home lightning systems. In the near future I would like to design also furniture.
05What distinguishes between a good designer and a great designer?
I guess dedication.
06What makes a good design a really good design, how do you evaluate good design?
Sometimes good designs become really good designs through publicity and sometimes great designs just stand out from other designs.
07What is the value of good design? Why should everyone invest in good design?
I see good design as the future. Why not invest in the future?
08What would you design and who would you design for if you had the time?
I would love to design a throne for the Queen of England and a limited edition Lamborghini car.
09What is the dream project you haven't yet had time to realize?
I want to desing my own home as a total work of art (Gesamtkunstwerk).
10What is your secret recipe of success in design, what is your secret ingredient?
I think key feature of my works lies in the copper wire texture which I create and use as a personal signature.
11What are your favorite designs by other designers, why do you like them?
One of my favorite designs of all time is "The lobster phone" by Salvador Dali. I consider this design a great design because it triggered something in my mind and inspired me further to do my own ideas.
And of course I couldn't forget "Species" series by Patrik Fredrikson & Ian Stallard and "River table" series by Greg Klassen.
12What is your greatest design, which aspects of that design makes you think it is great?
I see all of my designs great and I think the public will have the last word on this issue.
13How could people improve themselves to be better designers, what did you do?
I dedicated myself an I've worked harder on every project.
14If you hadn't become a designer, what would you have done?
Definitely an artist.
15How do you define design, what is design for you?
On a personal level, I believe design orbits around four main key features like: function, innovation, aesthetics and the user’s experience.
16Who helped you to reach these heights, who was your biggest supporter?
My family and my closest friends.
17What helped you to become a great designer?
Support and dedication.
18What were the obstacles you faced before becoming a design master?
The most important obstacles that I wish to overcome were probably the lack of capital and personal studio space.
19How do you think designers should present their work?
Exactly how they want to present it.
20What's your next design project, what should we expect from you in future?
Currently I am working on a brand new shower project, "Taste it", which will be included in Art Showers collection and I also work on a brand new collection "Art Lights" which is a limited collection of designs which focuses on home lightning systems.
21What's your ultimate goal as a designer?
To become one of the greatest designers of all time.
22What people expect from an esteemed designer such as yourself?
Constant innovation, quality and great designs.
23How does design help create a better society?
I noticed design is constantly changing the facade of society. As long as designers are thinking "better design" we will always improve our society.
24What are you currently working on that you are especially excited about?
Currently I am finishing the greatest project of Art Showers collection, wich took me over two years to develop: "The Elephant Shower". The Elephant Shower is a life size work of functional art suitable for large contemporary bathrooms.
25Which design projects gave you the most satisfaction, why?
I think the largest design projects that I have done gave me the most satisfaction because at their beginings they seemed almost impossible to be done.
26What would you like to see changed in design industry in the coming years?
I would like to see my personal input changing something for the better in design industry all over the world.
27Where do you think the design field is headed next?
I think design has entered, some time ago, the era of automatisation and mass production.
28How long does it take you to finalize a design project?
That depends, I have designs that took me over two years to be made. In general I work over six months to develop a good design.
29When you have a new design project, where do you start?
From the beginning with a paper and a pencil.
30What is your life motto as a designer?
"Stick to my vision, to the top is the mission."
31Do you think design sets the trends or trends set the designs?
I believe great ideas sets trends and people follow.
32What is the role of technology when you design?
Technology helps me at different stages of my design process, but it does not do all the work.
33What kind of design software and equipment do you use in your work?
Until now I didn't use any software to help me in my design process. I like to keep it 100% organic.
34What is the role of the color, materials and ambient in design?
Conor, material and ambien are three main key features of design. Without them design will be something else.
35What do you wish people to ask about your design?
"Can I own one?"
36When you see a new great design or product what comes into your mind?
Wow, this is colossal! I want this!
37Who is your ideal design partner? Do you believe in co-design?
I believe in co-design, but until now I didn't had the opportunity to collaborate with any of the designers that I admire, like: Hedi Slimane, Alessandro Michele, Patrik Fredrikson & Ian Stallard, Porsche, Greg Klaassen and many others.
38Which people you interacted had the most influence on your design?
I think one of the most influential person is Tibi Pop.
39Which books you read had the most effect on your design?
There are a lot, I guess. Few that I remember now are: " Complete writings 1959-1975" - Donald Judd, "DesignArt" - Alex Coles, "What is Art?" -Lev Tolstoy.
40How did you develop your skills as a master designer?
In time, always working on new projects.
41Irrelative of time and space, who you would want to meet, talk and discuss with?
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Constantin Brancusi.
42How do you feel about all the awards and recognition you had, is it hard to be famous?
I simply love is and it is like a dream come true. I will have more of it.
43What is your favorite color, place, food, season, thing and brand?
blue, beach salad, summer, love and Lamborghini.
44Please tell us a little memoir, a funny thing you had experienced as a designer?
A funny thing... apart from a couple of close people who supported me everyday, nobody believed I would become a great designer.
45What makes your day great as a designer, how do you motivate yourself?
I always think about the ends of my projects.
46When you were a little child, was it obvious that you would become a great designer?
Probably not, it was obvious I want to become an artist.
47What do you think about future; what do you see will happen in thousand years from now?
We would be more enlightened.
48Please tell us anything you wish your fans to know about you, your design and anything else?
If you want to see more of my works, visit https://www.vladmititelu.com , and stay tuned in !
د ډیزاینر مرکه
38 پوښتنې
Studying and practicing art I come across with design, to which I was familiar before, but not in the same way as with art. I tended to look and explore only those areas with whom I visually engaged straightforwardly.
01Could 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?
Studying and practicing art I come across with design, to which I was familiar before, but not in the same way as with art. I tended to look and explore only those areas with whom I visually engaged straightforwardly. After that, I realize how close I was to design during my whole artistic process. Since then, I wanted to try to blur the line between art and design in order to help other people see how subtly, but profoundly they connect to each other. I embedded this concept in my project because I wanted to let people understand the close relation between art and design through personally experimentation and engagement. I want them to create their own meanings and that will strongly make them aware of that thing that was right under their own eyes, but they could not see it at the time. I want to offer people the possibility to see how transcendence can be reached through their direct interaction with materiality.
02Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
My design studios are located in London, Uk and Bucharest, Romania. The main focus of the works which I developed in these studios are art and design related. Regarding strictly design, I am focused on creating limited series of unique and interactive products that tend to defy the boundaries between art and design with the purpose of bringing them closer.
03What is "design" for you?
On a personal level, I believe design orbits around four main key features like: function, innovation, aesthetics and the user’s experience, I am interested in studying natural and ready-made materials with the purpose of bringing them together in different design projects.
04What kinds of works do you like designing most?
I like designing usable artworks that are unusual, almost surreal.
05What was the first thing you designed for a company?
My first design was a company logo.
06What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
My favourite material is clearly the copper wire, which I like to combine with different materials like concrete,marble,wood.
07When do you feel the most creative?
Probably at night, when it's quiet arround me.
08Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
The interaction is probable one of the most important aspect of every design that I create.
09What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
Freedom and excitement.
10What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
It's like a dream come true every time.
11What makes a design successful?
I believe aesthetics and user experience with the object are the key features to a successful design.
12When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
First, the originality of the aesthetics.
13From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
I think that when it comes to society and environment, every designer should consider using the most environmentally friendly materials or at least design long lasting products which could be recycled after a long time period of use.
14How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
I think design has evolved and would evolve in the hemisphere of automatisation and mass production.
15When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
My last exhibition was in 2015 in Bucharest, Romania. This year I am preparing an exibition in Firenze, Italy.
16Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
I tend to be inspired by everything around me. Whether is nature or urban landscape or a musical instrument, I try to understand it and communicate with it and sometimes I've got that universal understanding with which I work.
17How 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 would describe my style as surreal design. Having a background in fine arts, I've entered design sphere because I was fascinated by this surreal approach of objects. My design style is based on breaking the idea of stereotype and common. I tend to explore the area of multiple possibilities and unusual designes.
18Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
For a year I've been living in London, UK but most of my life I've been living in Romania and I've managed very well to evolve there. At some point I felt limited there and I had to move in London to continue my studies here. I believe that every environment has is pros and cons. As long as I keep searching for the new, it doesn't matter where I live because I tend not to be restricted by the boundaries of one country.
19How do you work with companies?
I don't have that much experience in working with a company, I am in the process of starting my own.
20What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
Try to think "trust the talented" not "famous designer equals profit".
21Can you talk a little about your design process?
My design process is like a journey which I take every time I start designing a new work. The most beautiful aspect of this journey is that it never gets old or boring. A brand new universe is opening for me every single time I come up with an idea of a project. The journey of developing a design is unique and it is never the same as it was for other designs.
22What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
Speaker, phone, desk, shower, lamp.
23Can you describe a day in your life?
Open my eyes, thank lord for the the day, make some coffee.
Drink the coffee in the garden while I check my email and map the day.
After that I listen to some music and start working on my projects.
In the afternoon I take a break to have lunch and continue the designing process until 8 or 9 PM.
In the evening I love to take a long bath while reading or listen to music and "dream" about new design concepts.
24Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
Try not to follow trends and just be one.
25From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
I think a designer should be fully committed to this lifestyle because for me designing is a dedication. The biggest problem for me is "where do I find the capital to start my next project" and I think this is a negative aspect of young designers. Everything else is positive because I love doing what I am doing.
26What is your "golden rule" in design?
"Stick to your mission."
27What skills are most important for a designer?
3D view in space, craftsmanship, dedication, imagination.
28Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
I don't work with a lot of softwares, only photoshop. I use the old school paper and pencil formula and I sketch.
I don't use a lot of tools for my manufacturing process either. I build my maquetes from clay and then I life cast them in different materials. The entire process is manual.
29Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
Sometimes I need to share the tasks because some designs require a lot of time when they are done by a single person. As an emerging designer, it is quite tricky to manage time, but I always find a way.
30How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
That depends, I have designs that took me over two years to be made. In general I work over six months to develop a good design.
31What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
"Wow, how did you do this?"
32What was your most important job experience?
I don't have a particular one, all of them were important.
33Who are some of your clients?
Private clients, mostly.
34What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
Limited edition designs, because they are high class products.
35What are your future plans? What is next for you?
My future plans are to complete Art Showers collection and launch two new design collections on my website. One of which is Art Lights; a limited collection of designs which focuses on home lightning systems.
36Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
I work by myself most of the times.
37Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
Currently I am working on a new shower project, "Taste it", which will be included in Art Showers collection and I also work on a brand new collection, "Art Lights", which is a limited collection of designs which focuses on home lightning systems.
I am also finishing the greatest project of Art Showers collection, wich took me over two years to develop: "The Elephant Shower". The Elephant Shower is a life size work of functional art suitable for large contemporary bathrooms.
38How can people contact you?
People can contact me through my personal website.
https://www.vladmititelu.com
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نورې د ډیزاینرانو مرکې
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