Bertjan Pot

Shared Space is a project Bertjan undertook with Frank Bruggerman in 2007 for Tent and Witte de With - 2 art foundations that share a space in Rotterdamn. Bertjan came up with this fantastic oversized patchwork sofa and a persian rug embellised with a simple but effective pattern created from duct-tape pieces melted into the surface of the rug... genius!

My love affair with Dutch design continues.... and again it's another graduate of the Design Academy of Eindhoven that has caught my eye. Bertjan Pot's non-random lights for Moooi would be familiar to most design lovers... but I wasn't aware of his more experimental projects... aaahh there are so many amazing installations and creations on his website! It's a truly unique way of thinking that produces designs like this...

non-random lights for Moooi

Iboedel, 2007 - images from an exhibition designed by Bertjan. A collection of items are displayed under the clear inflatable bubble... (more info about this exhibition on his website).

Carbon Cloud (2005) blurs the distinction between fine art and design - this 3-dimensional structure delicately envelopes 2 shelving units and a bed, creating a border between the real world and a sleeping place.

Old Fruits, Tops and Bottoms (2004) are simple light fittings created from particular old dried fruits (gourds? perhaps?). The inside is painted white to reflect the light, and the outside coated black. Each half is then fitted with a 25watt light globe. These were created in a limited edition and sold in pairs - so you get 2 halves of the same fruit! This simple idea ensures each product is completely unique in shape, yet uniform in style. LOVE it.

More Old Fruits (2004) - the desk lamp versions, using slightly different shaped fruits, were entitled Versatile. The image above has such personality! (more on Bertjan's website)

The Rollercoaster (2005) - amongst other materials, 135 light globes, 30m of electrical cable, and 120m of black ribbon went into this chaotic creation for a Paris shop window.

Bertjan Pot's website is well worth a look... his unique designs are truly inspiring, but also his commentary and captions are candid and really entertaining :)

There are such incredibly talented alumni coming out of The Design Academy of Eindhoven! Other favourite graduates (who I've mentioned here before) include food designer Marije Vogelzang (and her inspired 'eating design' business and restaurant - Proef) and the incredible Christien Meindertsma.

DMY Youngsters/ DMY International Design Festival, Berlin

DMY Youngsters at Arena warehouse space

In his second viewing of Berlin’s DMY design festival, contributer James Conway takes in a warehouse full of up-and-coming talent at the DMY Youngsters exhibition....

Where once the Berlin Wall met the River Spree and East German soldiers watched over a barren death strip, children now play and trees thrive in the spring sunshine. A stone’s throw away in Arena’s cavernous warehouse space, the recent DMY Youngsters exhibition of contemporary design proved that the next generation of creative spirit is just as flourishing. The centrepiece of the new DMY festival, this was less a trade fair than an explosion of ingenuity.

Electric Tiger Land shoe by Dutch agency Freedom of Creation for Onitsuka Tiger (top),
and stools by Oskar Zieta (bottom)

Berlin isn’t Milan, and thankfully it doesn’t try to be. There’s a radical, questioning spirit here which has much more interesting things to do than furnish ski lodges for oligarchs. However with a minimal 60,000 euro contribution from the government, a reliance on commercial sponsors has seen many designers smuggling their vision into the marketplace rather than sneering from the margins. Bombay Sapphire got together with top international names like Tom Dixon and Karim Rashid, while mineral water producer Vöslauer sponsored the Viennese Walking-Chair Design Studio to make a magical, glacial bower out of its empty bottles.

PET Light Show by Walking-Chair Design Studio (left) and Mesdames Plissés light by Petra Wüstling (right)

Other designers turned banal materials into new products in similarly ingenious ways. Sponges became lights, tyres became wallets, coat hangers became wall sconces, plastic buckets were transformed into modular storage systems and that humble kindergarten staple the Paddle Pop stick was worked into a dizzying helix. “Less aesthetics more ethics” urged a neon sign above one of the festival venues, but the range of stylish recycling on offer showed you needn’t sacrifice one for the other.

Plastic buckets form a storage system for 10 Liter Design by Burgshop (left), straws and other
recycled matter form various sculptural screens, lights and room dividers (right)

One of the hits of the festival was Aylin Kayser and Christian Metzner’s IKARUS Wax Lamp, a light fixture which melts under the heat of its bulb and drips down to the floor. As the pieces slowly and elegantly self-destruct, they assume the shape of deadly deep-sea creatures or poisonous mushrooms. While it’s a hypnotic sight, it makes an expensive lighting solution, especially if you forget to move the rug out of the way first…

There were all sorts of ways to interact: one stall offered to iron your money (the logical consequence of money laundering?), the Megapixel Project allowed the public to create their own designs which were instantly displayed on the walls of a plastic pavilion in vivid LED and .ini was lending out its adult-sized tricycles for hooning around the hall. Students from a Potsdam design school invited visitors to write down problems posed by the urban environment, which they then brain-stormed (the unwelcome deposits from Berlin’s many dogs was a recurring complaint).

top left - the Megapixel Project, top right - Aylin Kayser and Christian Metzner’s IKARUS Wax Lamp (this image only from the DMY website), and bottom image - Oh! Logo Money Ironing.

Local outfit genauso.und.anders° (“exactly the same and different”) showed storage systems with removable acrylic panels in seasonal colours; just the thing to prevent a pre-dawn raid by the design police when that directional orange is suddenly OUT OUT OUT. Some thoughtful interpretations of furniture staples didn’t shout as loudly as others, but in the case of teams like Springpatt, the quality was impossible to ignore.

While DMY has yet to establish itself on the world circuit and doesn’t pretend to offer a global overview, there was a compelling range of international talent. A strong showing from South Korea included Kwon Jae-Min’s graceful table with embedded lamp, whose polished wooden curves alluded to classic mid-century design without quite solving the problem of the unsightly power cord. Nearby a mildly terrifying chair constructed out of bandages and pitchforks seemed to be a narrative of some dire farming mishap. Sitting comfortably?

right - Container system by genauso.und.anders°, left - table with lamp by Korean designer Kwon Jae-Min

slightly scary bandaged, spiky chairs - sorry no photo credit for this one...

Berlin’s strategic position attracted a number of Eastern European teams. Poland’s poor solve design problems you never knew you had with wit and flair, with offerings like their easy-assembly chair (or “asstool” as they prefer to call it). Meanwhile Slovakia’s creater_2008 group turned potato peeling into something you might actually want to do.

As the festival wound down it was already being hailed as a hit with critics, international buyers and the general public, so everything points to a re-run in ’09, when we’ll hopefully see some Australians in amongst the global talent.

But for now, there’s only so much of this weapons grade creativity you can take in, to say nothing of the talks, the walking tours, the open studios, the parties and everything else. Time to cool off? As luck would have it, the answer is just outside, as the serene, beautifully designed Badeschiff pool floats on the river, glinting seductively in the afternoon sun. And there you have the essence of Berlin: cool, clever and open to everyone.

left - v-lenzer chair by Ingo Wuntke, right - slick, angular pieces by Hausen Winkel Schaub

left - unidentified objects by Prime, right - table by Joachim Frost

Another huge thankyou to James for this fantastic round-up and all the amazing photos.

Some more excellent shots of Berlin DMY O8 can be found at Core 77 here.

Interview - Volker Haug

Volker Haug

Volker Haug is one Melbourne lighting designer to watch - and if you haven't heard his name yet, get ready to be hearing a lot more of it. After starting his professional life in landscape gardening and then hairdressing, (all the while tinkering with lighting design on the side), Volker's work is finally making waves both here an overseas. Interestingly, it was an article posted by The Coolhunter late last year that was the launching pad for Volker's current success... he literally went from creating his pieces by hand out of his garage here in Richmond, to receiving orders and inquiries from as far as the US and China! Yay for design blogs!

Volker's designs strike the perfect balance between raw minimalism and the unexpected. His work uses simple, clean lines, but combines this slick aesthetic with punchy colours and kooky shapes... classy yet full of personality. I love seeing design that it completely unlike anything else on the market, and Volker's work is truly unique. I'm convinced his pieces will become very well known very soon indeed!

Also, I think it's worth mentioning that Volker Haug is not just a great lighting designer, he's also a great interviewee! He responded to my request for an interview in lightening-fast time, sent me the best photos (and lots of them!), and supplied great shots of himself (very rare for a designer!). He was also super friendly :) Thanks so much Volker!

Rudolf

single antlers

Apparently you are a trained hairdresser, and self-taught designer… which is an interesting basis for what you’re doing now! Tell me a little about your background - what path led you to what you’re doing now?

I was always into lighting from very early age on - from flicking switches on and off to the degree that my parents had to tape them down.

I electrocuted myself at age 7 - maybe a spark for life?!

After school I didn’t really know what to do as ‘lighting design’ is not really a recognised job, so I didn’t know how to approach that subject. Instead I became a landscape gardener, then a hairdresser, which lasted for 15 years.

I kept up lighting design as a hobby through the years, which grew stronger and stronger, and one day I met Geoffrey Mance - the most approachable and amazing lighting designer, who saw lighting very similarly to myself. I got a job with him, and started my own business after 1.5 years.

It’s been said in the press that the turnaround moment for your lighting design business came when The Coolhunter website promoted your work late last year, generating a lot of interest both here and overseas. Is this accurate? How would you say that singular event has propelled your business? What other factors have contributed to your success?

That’s correct, god save the coolhunter!

As the coolhunter is one of the biggest national and international design blogs I’ve been told, word (and picture) spreads far, all over the world really. I had at least 20 media enquiries - the most random ones at times like Greek marieclaire, Argentinean playboy as well as a Chinese airline magazine to name just a few.

I also go a few jobs out of that including lighting for a fine dining restaurant in San Francisco!

Other factors I think are the fact that what I do is often seen as a bit crazy and ‘different’ (as much as I hate the word) and that’s seems to be what people go for, lucky me!

table jewellery

What were your initial goals when you started making lights? Were you ever intending for your designs to become commercially distributed and for it to become your full-time job?

In my dream world I always wanted it to be a real full time job and career, and finally its heading that way, which I still can’t really believe at times.

I still get nervous when people want to distribute my designs especially commercially because its exposed to anyone and everyone then - I guess designs always reflect your personality but I guess in time I’ll get used to it.

Which designers, artists or creative people are you inspired by?

My ultra guru is Ingo Maurer - the most amazing German lighting designer. I’d love to meet him some time.

Besides him I adored Geoffrey Mance as I mentioned earlier. Basically I admire anyone who is unique & creative and can make a living out of that!

4 arm antler

Where else do you find inspiration – travel, books, film, the internet etc?

Yes travel is number one, have done quite a bit already but, as you do, you only ever realise that the world is sooo much bigger than we initially think.

I love films, especially art house, don’t get the chance to see enough films but can be very inspired through the right ones.

What does a typical day at work involve for you?

At the moment I’m spending too much time in front of the computer answering e mails, book keeping, and following up on things, which I generally don’t mind - but all in reason.

Once I’m down in the studio I love it and don’t ever want to see daylight again.

What are you most proud of professionally?

Hmm, I guess me being me and seeming to have a good connection and networking ability with all sorts of different people, which enriches my life in both business and private relationships.

What's the best thing about your job?

Being my own boss

And the worst?

Being my own boss ;-)

What would be your dream project?

A project that involves working with other designers that are on the same wave length as me.

I think you can only go so far being on your own and it’s a healthy thing being involved with other creative people who will mutually bring out the best in oneself.

2 arm antler

What are you looking forward to – professionally or personally?

Personally: I’m looking forward to be able to draw a wage from my business which might happen sometime in the near future if things keep going as well as they are at present.

I think that will be a big reward for the hard yards one puts in and is something that continues you to keep going.

Professionally: I’d like to (and have to) move into a bigger workshop as my current one is far too small for me as it is.

That would help as well feeling more professional and being able to employ people in the future.

nuts for you - clear

Melbourne Questions –

Where do you shop for the tools of your trade?

Many of the hot things are imported from Germany.

I also LOVE Bunnings (I’ve got a trade card)!!!

What/where was the last great meal you ate in Melbourne?

Oh I LOVE eating out, so its hard, one of my most favorite meals in Melbourne is the Tom Cooper pizza at ‘pizza meine liebe’ in Northcote, the best pizza in town for sure!

Where would we find you on a typical Saturday morning?

Some people who will read this answer will know where, for other it’s a mystery! ;-)

Melbourne’s best kept secret?

… should stay secret!

Wow pendants - side view and inside views

For many more images of Volker's incredible work please do visit his website. His work is stocked at The National Design Centre at Fed Square, Tongue and Groove (84 Smith st, Collingwood), Village Idiom (34 Anderson St Yarraville) and at OBJX in Brisbane.

Milan 2008 favourites

Lampara by Rodolfa Gracia Yus for Cafe Bistro - seen at the Remade in Italy exhibit - via DesignBoom

As I mentioned the other day, Milan Design Week came and went this year with lightening speed... I'm still catching up on all the photo galleries, and can't understand how the lucky Salone-goers get to everything in 5 days... and still party all night! It seems to me like you'd need at least 2 weeks to see it all!

Core 77 has the best coverage of Milan Design Week 08, in my opinion. Features include a comprehensive photo gallery (306 images) and a great little collection of 'drive by' videos of individual exhibits (the closest you can get to being there without being there!). Core 77 coverage always maintains a great balance between all the big-name important stuff, and the fun stuff - parties, kooky satellite events and, of course, a fair chunk of all-important people watching! This year they've also got a round up of ALL their Milan posts in one place, listed by category and content. No more wading through advertisements to get to the good stuff. Love it.

Other great round-ups at Inhabitat, DesignBoom (massive photo collection here grouped into categories by designer) and MocoLoco.... some more of my fave pics from all over below.

Urchin hand knitted woolen poufs by Christien Meindertsma - shown at TuttoBeNe - top image via inhabitat, bottom image from Core 77

Bouquet Chair by Tokujin Yoshioka for Moroso - via Inhabitat

Guerrilla Containers by Stone Designs - from the Spanish design exhibit - via Core 77

Layers by Richard Hutten - via DesignBoom (look familiar??)

Merijn Van Essen’s Grow Sphere encourages human interactions with plants by lighting up when you approach the sphere - via inhabitat

corian loves missoni - via designboom

Veneer Bag by Cecilie Manz for Japanese company E & Y - via Core 77

Plaited Fence (those are plastic bags...!) by Martin Azua for Droog - via Inhabitat

Saving Grace glass light shades (designed around energy saving light globes) by Adrian Rovero for Droog - via Inhabitat

George - oak three tiered chest of drawers by Gareth Neal

Interview - Carl Jones

Rackless Pannier bags for Knog - images from Knog catalogue

Rackless Pannier initial prototype - all remaining images courtesy Carl Jones

Pannier design drawings

Signage for NAB (client - Harkess-Ord)

Speaker Concept for Quest Audio

Pogo-Loco concept(!)

(TWO interviews in one week? You betcha!)

I must admit I didn't know much about Carl Jones until he responded to my interview. It was a case of someone at work saying 'you've gotta interview this guy'.... and I really didn't know much about him except that he had designed some stuff for Melbourne bag company Knog. ANYWAY after reading his interview I took an instant liking to this mysterious Carl Jones character. He seems like a truly great guy. He's a thoughtful designer, with a real interest in sustainable design and using his craft to make a difference in the world. What could be more inspiring than that?

(I'm also a sucker for a good technical drawing, and his website's got plenty!)

I loved his story about the communities in Africa with access to underground water, but with no source of power to pump it up. Carl recounts how the designers on this project solved the problem by building human powered merry-go-rounds. By playing on this play equipment, the kids in these communities were able to simultaneously provide a constant source of power to draw water! Wow. What a great project!

The PlayPump System - image PlayPumps International

Read on to find out more about Carl's job, his inspirations his favorite spot in the public toilet on level 35 of the Sofitel on Collins Street!

Tell me a little about your background - what did you study and what path led you to what you’re doing now?

When I finished school, I felt that I wanted to do some sort of design. I applied for architecture, interior design, landscape architecture. I had never heard of industrial design. I eventually got into construction management, which sounded similar on paper to architecture... after all it was about building buildings right?

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I found out that was about the only similarity... there was no creativity anywhere in this field. All it required was interpreting someone else’s creative endeavours & then getting it built.

As a hobby, I always kept a sketch book & would be coming up with little inventions... solutions to problems or things that could be done better. I eventually decided to take a leap of faith & turn my hobby into a career, so I researched what would best help me achieve this. ‘Industrial Design’ came the answer back. So I put a folio together & applied for the course & was accepted into RMIT.

During the course I became friends with Mike Chijoff, another mature age student & together we started up a partnership, JONESCHIJOFF. We aim to specialise in green product design & are currently formulating our design process to ensure that the most sustainable product / system is achieved. We are working as consultative product designers with a handful of good clients & have started up our own product development. We are also both teaching Industrial Design at RMIT (to stay creatively fertile).

What are some of your projects/clients that we might be familiar with?

The more familiar named ones are; Knog (bike accessories), Quest audio, Anamalz (environmentally-friendly toys), The Condom Kingdom, Harkess-Ord (who do signage for NAB, MLC, Nielsen, Kodak, VW)

When you approach a brief initially, where do you turn for inspiration – do you scour books, magazines or the web? Do you pay attention to trends in the broader design world like fashion, architecture etc?

I suppose it depends on the project. They vary wildly. We usually begin most projects with a brainstorming session, because you can come up with so many solutions in such a short space of time. For inspiration, we usually get hints from the client or the decision-makers, as to what they like & where they’d like to see things going & then head off from there. No point designing something that you think looks ultra-sleek & minimalistic when the client was expecting something Baroque.

Which designers, artists or creative people are you inspired by?

I’m not much into the big household design names (who are more names more for their unique styling finesse), although I think Raymond Loewy was an incredible designer. I’m more into amusing designs, like most of the stuff Droog do. My favourite product at the moment is the ‘Terra-Grass’ armchair.

Terra Grass Armchair via inhabitat

It is die-cut cardboard that all slots together like ribs. All you do is plonk this down on your lawn in a nice shady place, add soil between the ribs & sprinkle grass seeds on top. I think the packaging even becomes the ribs, so no waste. It’s got everything I like in good design; sustainability, humour, simplicity & a great idea turned into a reality.

What does a typical day at work involve for you? How is your time divided between drawing with pencil and paper, sitting in front of a computer, and knocking up prototypes in a workshop?

Administration & emailing counts for a fair whack. Design time involves brainstorming, hand-drawn 3D sketching, 2D sketching on Illustrator, photo-visuals / overlays for signage projects, sanding blue foam for form concepts, 3D CAD modelling, producing technical drawings, filling out specifications & BOM’s, putting packages together for the client or the manufacturer.

Do you ever feel disadvantaged or limited by being based in Australia? Do you have experience with international manufacturing or distribution? Do you have aspirations to reach more of the world with your designs, or are you happy to design mainly for the Australian market?

No, on the contrary... I feel at an advantage. One of the main things is that you need to offer a broad range of services & be a ‘jack-of-all-trades’, which means that no two projects are exactly the same & that you don’t get pigeon-holed, becoming just a ‘sports-shoe designer’. Variety is the spice of life. With communications & transport as it is, it is possible to do business anywhere. We talk to manufacturers in China on a daily basis over Skype, email & ftp.

For our own product development, we intend on selling this to already established brands, who already have a trusted brand name & a worldwide distribution network. We would like to gain some international clients though, as I think one selling point is the ability to do work while they are asleep & then have it ready for them at their start of business.

What are you most proud of professionally?

My first product on the market... a rackless pannier bag that I designed & sold to Knog. A standard pannier bag requires a metal rack permanently installed to your bicycle. You then buy usually a pair of bags that you hang off either side of this rack. What I designed was a bag with an integral aluminium frame in it, initially dubbed the Calzone as it folds in half like the pizza of the same name. The frame connects to the bike at 3 points via nylon jubilee clips or hose clamps; 2 fitted down near the wheel axle & 1 above the brake callipers. The bag’s frame has legs at the bottom that slot into the bottom 2 jubilee clips & a slide out hook at the top that slots into the top clip. When you have finished riding around, you simply unclip the top hook & lift the bag out, zip the 2 compartments together, pull out the backpack straps & attach them & wear the bag like a normal backpack. The clips stay on the bike. You can even buy separate clips to fit to a second bike & you can swap the bag between them.

These are now commercially available through Knog & can be found in most bike shops. They are part of ‘the Dogs’ range of bags & are now 2 products: the Boxer & Neat Dog. The Boxer is the backpack version & the Neat Dog turns into a suitbag, so targeted towards the white-collar bicycle commuter. Both bags cater for up to a 15.4” laptop. Development sketches & prototypes can be found on my personal website.

What's the best thing about your job?

Being my own boss & doing something that I love.

And the worst?

Accounting & doing BAS statements.

What would be your dream project?

I like a challenge & coming up with a unique solution to a tough problem. One of my favourite design projects that I have read about was a problem in remote parts of Africa that had no power. Communities in these areas had access to underground water via wells, but had no source of power to pump it up. The designers on this project solved the problem by building human powered merry-go-rounds. The kids of these communities, having no other source of childhood entertainment played on them all day long, providing a constant source of power to draw water. I would love to work on something like this.

image PlayPumps International

What are you looking forward to – professionally or personally?

Personally, I’m looking forward to one day starting a family with my wife & being a father. Professionally, our goal is to become leaders in sustainable industrial design.

Melbourne Questions –

What/where was the last great meal you ate in Melbourne?

Ginger Boy in the city. Had a banquet there... tried a bit of everything. It was sensational.

Where do you shop in Melbourne for workshop supplies, art materials or other tools of your trade?

Melbourne Artist Supplies or Eckersley’s for paper, pens, Copics, etc. Dinkum’s to get stuff printed out, Solid Solutions for blue foam. For rapid prototypers we use Rapid Concepts, Concentric, RapidPro, Arptech.

Where would we find you on a typical Saturday morning?

Down at the Richmond market on Gleadell street or riding down Beach Road on my racer (training for Round the Bay this year).

Melbourne’s best kept secret?

The public toilet on level 35 of the Sofitel on Collins Street. It has to be one of the best urinating views of Melbourne.

Nendo

'Alice's Tea Party' was held at Ozone Living Design Center in Shinjuku, Tokyo, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of English tea brand Lipton’s presence in Japan. This incredible event design featured custom made shrunken and oversized furniture - inspired by Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. I think this is my favourite of Nendo's projects, and won them a Gold Award at the JCD design awards.

Chocolate-pencils - a collaboration with Japanese patissier Tsujiguchi Hironobu. diners can shave the chocolate shavings onto their dessert using the sharpener. 'Pencil filings are usually the unwanted remains of sharpening a pencil, but in this case, they're the star!'

'Meguro Office' interior fit-out in Tokyo

Some examples of Nendo's product design. On the left - 'Ribbon' stool produced by Cappellini (winner of a red dot award 2007), on the right - Bowls from Nendo's 2006 '1% series'.

Unique climbing wall design for the exclusive Illoiha fitness club in Omotesando, Tokyo. Winner again of a gold award at the JCD design awards 2006.

I first read about Japanese design outfit Nendo in *Wallpaper magazine a year or two ago, and they struck a chord with me immediately. I was so inspired by their multidisciplinary approach - their impressive portfolio of work includes architecture, interior design, event design, furniture design, product design and graphic design. I LOVE this varied approach to design! It's worth a visit to their website to trawl through through their portfolio... such an impressive and varied collection. It must be an incredible place to work!

Nendo is made up of 6 designers from varied backgrounds - but Oki Sato, who set up the company in 2002, is an architect. He created Nendo only 2 years after completing his architecture degree in Tokyo, and I just read on his website that he was born in 1977 - which means he's only 30!! Aggh.

One of Nendo's ongoing projects is their 1% series - a series of products made in limited editions of only 100, so that consumers can experience 'the joy of owning 1%'! (pieces from this collection available at the 1% website)

ps) There's an interview with Oki Sato here (Mocoloco).

Interview - Nick Rennie

Stick Desk Light - 2006

There's no doubt about it. Nick Rennie is an over-achiever. He graduated from Industrial Design at RMIT in 1998, showed his work at the Milan Furniture fair for the first time in 2000, and since then has consistently shown his work internationally, and forged relationships with some of the major names in furniture and product design all over the world. He was included in the 'Freestyle' Australian design exhibition that toured Australia last year, and he's certainly no stranger to the press - his successes in the international market have been highly publicised, probably because this is a hurdle that so many talented Aussie designers just don't seem to crack.

Nick's introduction to the international design world was propelled initially through his association with The Melbourne Movement - a group of young designers working under the tutorage of Kjell Grant, head of furniture design at RMIT. It was his association with The Melbourne Movement that made it possible for Nick to show his work in Milan in 2000 and 2001. In 2002 Nick set up his own design firm - Happy Finish Design, and exhibited solo for the first time.

He's still based in Melbourne, and despite his overwhelming achievements, he's consistently described as an unaffected, down-to-earth, laid back guy. Despite being in the throes of preparing for the Milan Furniture Fair in April, Nick was really receptive to my request for this interview and I appreciate it! Here Nick shares his creative inspirations, and gives a fantastic insight into the challenges Australian designers face on the international stage. Thanks Nick!

Butterfly wall sconce - 2007

Dimple Cup and Bottle - 2006

Mori Shelving - 2006

Tell me a little about your background - what did you study and what path led you to what you’re doing now?

I studied Industrial Design at RMIT, but realised early on that product and car design weren’t really my strong points, and that furniture and lighting was what I was meant to do.

One of your most documented achievements has been your success in creating relationships with international companies from very early on in your career. How were you able to exhibit at Milan in your graduating year? How would you say this singular event has propelled your business?

Under the guidance of Kjell Grant (head of furniture design at RMIT) I travelled to Milan in 2000 and again in 2001 for group showings, firstly with an RMIT exhibit and in 2001 with the Melbourne movement - a group showing of young designers curated by Kjell Grant. These experiences led me to see that for what I do this was the place to be and gain the best exposure I had to continue down this path. In 2002 I showed internationally for the first time as Happy Finish design.

Have you ever felt disadvantaged in the global market because you’re based in Australia? How do you overcome this distance?

Without question... The distance and timezones are a huge disadvantage, but you have to look past that and see the up side. Australian design is now starting to gather an international reputation for being fresh in their approach to design. When I first went to Europe the only designer they knew was Marc Newson, now there is a core group of designers pushing the boundaries of Australian design and the attitude is slowly changing.

From the outset, you chose to start your own business rather than work for someone else. What informed this decision, and has it worked well for you? Would you recommend this approach to emerging designers?

I wouldn’t say this is the best method, purely for financial reasons, but it’s a great way to learn your strength and weaknesses. For me I think it is beginning to work out well. You have to be incredibly motivated and not knowing when the next pay cheque will arrive is a real strain. Its not like you get up, go to work, come home and switch off. If something needs to be done, there’s no one else to do it. After saying that though, its great because all your ideas are yours and don’t belong to someone else.

Are there any particular designers, artists or creative people you look up to or are inspired by?

Locally I am inspired by fellow designers travelling the path I am on. In particular Helen Kontouris and Simone LeAmon. Other local creatives include director Michael Gracey, writer Nick Lord, both of whom have been integral in allowing me to follow my dreams.

Internationally I am inspired by the work of Jasper Morrison, Konstantin Grcic, Naoto Fukasawa, Sam Hecht and my Japanese friends FAT. Jin Kuramoto and Yusuke Seki.

What does a typical day at work involve for you?

Anything from five to twenty hours of work seven days a week.

What are you most proud of professionally?

The fact that I have been able to stick with it. At times its not much fun, but then you realise why your doing it and it gets you through. Its taken 8 years of hard work, making a loss or just breaking even, but now its looking promising. But after saying that the real work is only just beginning.

Where do you find inspiration?

Through watching people interact. I like to try and infuse emotion into my designs. Jumping in puddles as a child, or kicking mushrooms over. These types of experiences.

What's the best thing about your job?

You live your dream every day.

And the worst?

Where do I start! Not having a regular income would be the main one I guess.

What would be your dream project?

Something where you get paid up front and not wait three months for when and if the royalties to kick in.

Where do you see yourself professionally in 5 years time?

Hopefully still doing what I love. Spending time both here and overseas.

What are you looking forward to – professionally or personally?