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Faith Standing Lamp by Attila Stromajer |
Home > Winners > Design #59437 >Interview |
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FS: What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?
AS: “Faith” was inspired by our need to believe in something. No matter which culture we look at we will find that it is a universal need of human kind to have faith in something: either in himself, or in transcendence or in a religious concept. In ancient times faith was present in people’s homes in the form of sacred symbols. Nowadays, these seem to be fading from our present culture. Yet, we are longing more and more to hold onto something stable and eternal in our ever changing fast-paced and information-packed world. Our lamp, Faith, symbolizes this need. It got its statue-like shape from this idea. The lamp resembles two praying hands, the early symbol of turning upwards. The multiplied pieces indicate that we are all part of aunity pointing towards the same direction. It also reflects upon the fact that we build our own system of belief from our own experience. The hole inside the lamp shows that the essence of this faith is unique for everybody. We need to fill it with meaning for ourselves. In the middle we find emptiness and stillness which help us reach a meditative state. While ancient traditions used small lamps and candles, our”Faith” is different: suiting our modern time it has leds and its size represents the monumentality of faith and transcendence. In the middle we do not find material or light but emptiness, stillness and silence which help us reach a meditativestate. The metal bottom does not only multiply the visual experience but it show our faith is reflected in all our actions and that we are also reflected in our faith. The intensity of the light is adjustable, which expresses the role faith has in our lives: our changeable dynamism, our hopes and the light that shines on our paths. We can look at “Faith” both as a lamp and as a decoration that creates the ambiance for contemplation.
FS: What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?
AS: We had a dual purpose with this lamp. On the one part, I wanted to create an esthetic and usable design. On the other hand we wanted to create something to be more than it is, more than only a furniture and object. We would like to communicate with our designs. We do not want to create heartless products, we wanted to create designs which speak to us, which impact us. Stroodesgin has a foundation and purpose to make our objects or designs represent something more than mere materiality. Without a misunderstanding, we do not want to teach or educate. My aim is to create pieces of quality furniture that apart from fulfilling their functions add something to our lives emotionally. I believe that our furniture has an impact on us, triggering feelings and thoughts in us. It effects our well-being and inspires us. Therefore, while designing I make use of my knowledge I gained as a psychologist about the needs and drives of human beings. Besides being conscious during the procedure, I also like to rely on my intuitions. I look at furniture pieces as our partners in life. My goal is to help people realize that these are much more than objects. They should be seen as an important part of our every day lives and should reflect our personality.
FS: What are your future plans for this award winning design?
AS: The aim is to communicating with people, the world through our design, is to get more orders to accomplish many of my plans and to continue what we have started. In addition, we would like to sell our designs as a product as well, because we did not work so much for it to be in a warehouse or anything like that.
FS: How long did it take you to design this particular concept?
AS: The geometry and the features of the lamp, the executing of the hidden lighting was very complicated. It took two year to get from the original idea to the final product.
FS: Why did you design this particular concept? Was this design commissioned or did you decide to pursuit an inspiration?
AS: No, this was not a commissioned design, it was based on my own idea.
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?
AS: No I intend to produce my work myself.
FS: What made you design this particular type of work?
AS: We were dedicated to create a piece that does not segregate people by the institutionalized forms of faith. By concentrating on the universal need of mankind to believe in something, we wanted to find the common parts, the parts that bind us together on the level of society. It was challenging to focus on the universality of this basic need for faith instead of turning to specific religions.
FS: Where there any other designs and/or designers that helped the influence the design of your work?
AS: It was completely my own idea.
FS: Who is the target customer for his design?
AS: I think this lamp is suitable for in a flat too, but I can mostly imagine in communal areas, restaurants, bars, salons, halls as a decoration and mood lamp.
FS: What sets this design apart from other similar or resembling concepts?
AS: I did not see a similar lamp yet, but it's pretty subjective what is similar or resembling. This lamp can be used as a standing and ambiant lamp, as a reading lamp, or it can be placed on the wall too with a console. This lamp creates the ambiance for contemplation and symbolizes the significance of faith modified to suit our modern time. The diversely adjustable illuminants give many options for altering the lights expanding the mode of action from soft mood to full illumination. In addition to being a lamp, we wanted to communicate with this, it has a symbolic meaning.
FS: How did you come up with the name for this design? What does it mean?
AS: I think I have answered this questions before.
FS: Which design tools did you use when you were working on this project?
AS: At the first stage I do the planning mentally. I play with the ideas, variations, and give them a lot of thinking. Then I make one – or to be honest a hundred- rough sketches so that I would not forget the ideas. Later I sort the better ones to further develop them. After that I start the research. I also make sure not to design something that already exists. There is no challenge in copying. Then I go on with modelling some sketches in 3D program to check their feasibility. Then I continue designing. The final and hardest stage is when I finalize the model considering the advice of the executors. This covers economical use of material and technological solutions as well. I often do the modelling with wood, clay or paper.
FS: What is the most unique aspect of your design?
AS: I think the shape of the lamp and the concept which is behind of it and the both together.
FS: Who did you collaborate with for this design? Did you work with people with technical / specialized skills?
AS: Yes, I collaborated with joiners and a lighting professional.
FS: What is the role of technology in this particular design?
AS: This lamp has three hidden LED circuits: outside, inside and bottom. Wiring these was a huge challenge technically. You can switch and set the LEDs separately or together and the light intensity too by a remote control. That provides extraordinary variation options for adjusting the lights, thus expanding the mode of action from soft mood lighting to full illumination. By the fan-like rotation of the parts it provides a new visual experience from every different angle.
FS: Is your design influenced by data or analytical research in any way? What kind of research did you conduct for making this design?
AS: I started out by using organic forms that are built up of layers like onion. I transformed these into geometric forms, multiplied and rotated them. I wanted to symbolize that we are all embedded in some bigger unity. As a psychologists we studied the findings on faith, beliefs, metacommunication and sacred objects used in homes.
FS: What are some of the challenges you faced during the design/realization of your concept?
AS: The geometry of the lamp was very complex and was difficult to bring to life. It was challenging to find the suitable angles, to plan and carry out the precise joining, to instal and hide the electrical device, LEDS, the wiring, the battery and the switch. We were also focusing on maximalizing the work’s functionality while respecting the design. The special surface treatment of each piece before the assembling was rather time consuming
FS: How did you decide to submit your design to an international design competition?
AS: I wanted to put myself to the test on an international scale. Our company could also benefit from the marketing power of this competition if the design is ranked high.
FS: What did you learn or how did you improve yourself during the designing of this work?
AS: I learned from this project that it is hard work to get from the concept to the final piece and to keep this process and collaboration free of stress. As I see it, the main challenges are in the small but important details. Also, it is difficult to find the „perfect” version for even a well-developed design. To improve myself I did some research on the internet, read professional books, studied drawing, maths and geometry. I also learned about 3D softwares and the techniques of joinery.
FS: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
AS: I wanted to thank everybody who was involved in this project: Melinda Kalcsó: conceptual co-designer and consultant, Szergej Szergeev: constructor, executor. Photos: ASM Foto: Norbert Szilas, Marcell Mizik, Video and some of the photos: Imre Szalai.
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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