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Vacuumglow Clock by VacuumGlow |
Home > Winners > Design #49035 >Interview |
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FS: What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?
VG: The main principle was to create a fine product, the product which doesn´t have any time borders or horizons. We also wanted to follow minimalism, not to make things more difficult than they are. There is a stereotypic view that premium products should be luxurious which equally means that showy and unjustified details should be applied. So only these details can make the product deluxe. We are against it, and we truly believe in a simple and direct design.
FS: What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?
VG: Our main wish was to achieve simplicity and pithiness.
FS: What are your future plans for this award winning design?
VG: It will help us to become even more sure about our design idea and it tells us something about our product even if we have not met a person who doesn’t like it yet.
FS: How long did it take you to design this particular concept?
VG: It takes nearly two months. During this time the main idea of the product came to the mind and took its shape.
FS: Why did you design this particular concept? Was this design commissioned or did you decide to pursuit an inspiration?
VG: No, it was just an inspiration. E.g. we do understand which samples have been already placed on market and in which way we do not want to create a case. And after that every single detail just fitted in. First sales were on pre-order basis, even though there were no photos of the real product. it was a very good news that somebody believed in us and our design vision.
FS: Is your design being produced or used by another company, or do you plan to sell or lease the production rights or do you intent to produce your work yourself?
VG: No, it wasn’t. The design concept was made by two persons: there is the author of design and idea and the was a designer which visualized it and created the first render.
FS: What made you design this particular type of work?
VG: It was a hobby of our CEO, Vadim Garnaev. He is interested in High End devices, e.g. radio tubes. These radio tubes have many things with nixie tubes in common, which we start use in our clocks afterwards. So, then the hobby became a job, and the design which was conceived as private hobby thing became a stylish interior item for many people.
FS: Who is the target customer for his design?
VG: It is a person who appreciate minimalism at external image , on average it´s a man, who appreciates the beauty of the technical items. Our customer mainly likes the brutal models and colors like black or brown. Our target customer knows what he wants and understands that he already have and done enough to get it.
FS: What sets this design apart from other similar or resembling concepts?
VG: The quality of final product and our approach to creating of making process.
FS: How did you come up with the name for this design? What does it mean?
VG: This answer needs some prehistory facts. Every nixie tube contains a vacuum. We decided that vacuum in different languages has almost the same meaning, that is why it is understandable to everyone and everywhere. So, when the first word was found, the next step was to find a second one. At the beginning, we chose light, so the name was Vacuum light. Items to be suitable, but deficiency. We continue thinking and brainstorming. And guess what, we found the new word. And it was a glow. Glow is truly process compared with light. On the one hand VacuumGlow mean nothing, but on the other maybe our brand identification obliged to our pretty successful name.
FS: What is the most unique aspect of your design?
VG: On the one hand our nixie tubes are the most unique part, because they are quite rare nowadays, and they look like vintage items and their light imparts some sort of fragility to the brutal case. It seems to be very fresh and extraordinary. On the other hand, the role of most unique aspect may play every laconic line, because the combination of nixie tubs and metal case is more than only result from their link.
FS: Who did you collaborate with for this design? Did you work with people with technical / specialized skills?
VG: Our clocks are a result of a team work- of designers, engineers and IT-specialists. The idea isn’t enough; it should also be realized and materialized. Due to our production approach and our clear understanding of our aims and clear vision, it worked out and it was materialized by the people with completely different design visions.
FS: What is the role of technology in this particular design?
VG: The main idea of the clock was a combination of the vintage elements and modern technologies. We automated clock’s operation. We also made an App which simplifies the time operation. Just with one button click, you can change the lighting color, time, you can experiment on the visual effects, and due to all the technical opportunities, your clock can be adjusted to your individual taste and interior. In this sense, technologies are an important part of our design, the part of the idea of creation a high-quality product at the intersection of polar flows- vintage and functionalism.
FS: Is your design influenced by data or analytical research in any way? What kind of research did you conduct for making this design?
VG: At the beginning of the project, there was an analytical research which influenced to some extent our design. When there was a willingness to create a product using the lamps, and google helped us: we found hand-made clocks of some private master hands, and we just decided to go further. Indeed, we did it. We are still the only ones who produces such clocks in serial production terms in compliance with the most stringent production standards. We just realized that there was no high-quality product on the market. You can find something simple and only due to lamps-exotic, but there was nothing fresh and fine. So, we refused to make a simple wooden case, which is just too easy. Instead we chose a metal case. We automated the clock’s operation- you won’t meet something like that by hand makers. So, the primary market analysis helped us to definite our product vision and to be sure in our design concept.
FS: What are some of the challenges you faced during the design/realization of your concept?
VG: In order to make our design idea a reality, we had to accept couple of challenges. Our main challenge was to accept our primary design vision and actual results of the production. Production standards in Russia have some specifics, e.g. unwillingness to produce fine designer products according to client’s perception and deadlines. Production side offered us some simple options which are easy to be technically made, but uneasy to visually appreciate. E.g. some of the introduced to us options was a round case, which supposed to be a very creative designer idea, but in fact, we asked for a minimalistic case with a certain cover and got a completely different one. We still have many difficulties with glass-panel production. Lamps apertures are placed too close to each other, which complicates its processing. So just a few are willing to accept this challenge. Thus, to make our fine vision come true, we had to try 3 different places, but in the end, out glass-panel is exactly the same as it should be. The challenge itself is a normal thing, if you know, what you want to achieve. This experience will definitely help us in our future development.
FS: How did you decide to submit your design to an international design competition?
VG: It was accidentally. When you create a product; you want to share it with others. In May 2016, we introduced our product on the one of the biggest international High End products fairs in Munich- HIGH END. We realized that people were interested in our product, we come to know many people from producers to customers. And just accidentally we got to know about this A’design Award competition. The participation conditions, entry list of participants, categories and nominations made us curious. So, we made the decision to participate, and we hope we will be proud of it and get a chance to tell about our achievements.
FS: What did you learn or how did you improve yourself during the designing of this work?
VG: We can probably state that the making process changed or influenced makers. From the idea and hobby, we made simply a brand-new brand and cool product. It took us about a year to work our way up from the possibility to make a product to its actual realization. The most important thing- it became a business and works. Our team is able to embody its ideas and make them interesting to a great variety of people. We have learned to make our idea clear to our target group and even to feel it, which is also a challenge, as it’s very heterogenic in its needs and tastes. We’ve learned to communicate with Russian production sites. We’ve learned not to take it seriously, when somebody tries to convince us that there are cheaper clocks for us to fail and relinquish. We’ve learned to explain the meaning of our product and there is no one who doesn’t like it; or at least we haven’t met this person yet.
FS: Thank you for providing us with this opportunity to interview you.
A' Design Award and Competitions grants rights to press members and bloggers to use parts of this interview. This interview is provided as it is; DesignPRWire and A' Design Award and Competitions cannot be held responsible for the answers given by participating designers.
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