| THE AWARD |
| CATEGORIES |
| REGISTRATION |
| SUBMIT YOUR WORK |
| ENTRY INSTRUCTIONS |
| TERMS & CONDITIONS |
| PUBLICATIONS |
| DATES & FEES |
| METHODOLOGY |
| CONTACT |
| WINNERS |
| PRESS ROOM |
| GET INVOLVED |
| DESIGN PRIZE |
| DESIGN STORE |
| THE AWARD | JURY | CATEGORIES | REGISTRATION | PRESS | WINNERS | PUBLICATIONS | ENTRY INSTRUCTIONS |
Andromeda Cocktail Table by Djivan Schapira |
Home > Winners > Design #75636 >Interview |
 |
|
FS: What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?
DS: The main principle behind my design is to highlight the natural beauty of a cross-cut of end grain, while also using the individual pieces of end grain collectively as a paint brush. The inspiration came from my one of my father's creation, a Commode where the drawers have discs of end grain randomly embedded in them, which led to my idea of creating a process where I could strategically position those discs and apply that process across different types of furniture or flat surfaces.
FS: What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?
DS: The main focus here was to expand on an idea and push the boundary of how wood and resin can be used harmoniously to blur the line between functional furniture and art.
FS: What are your future plans for this award winning design?
DS: We would like to continue to connect with both private clients as well as commercial designers to embed our furniture and installations in all sorts of locations. The design will evolve at some point - whenever the right time is for me to release my second collection.
FS: How long did it take you to design this particular concept?
DS: After a 10 year apprenticeship in woodworking, and a two-year trial & error learning process of working with resin, the resin/product in it's current form took about 1-2 years.
FS: Why did you design this particular concept? Was this design commissioned or did you decide to pursuit an inspiration?
DS: I designed this piece as part of my larger, debut collection. Andromeda is the most high end piece of the collection, and my debut collection helped us launch ABDB Designs via Kickstarter, which allowed us to secure our first round of funding to continue operations. This design was created in the pursuit of inspiration!
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?
DS: Not currently, we do all designing and manufacturing in-house. If there is the right opportunity to license the production of our designs, it is something we would entertain, but there are no guarantees.
FS: What made you design this particular type of work?
DS: My drive for pursuing this type of design work was to not only come up with a product that had never been seen before but also to prove that craftsmanship is still very much alive in this ever-growing age of industrialization.
FS: Where there any other designs and/or designers that helped the influence the design of your work?
DS: My father, as well as the product design of spaceships and lava lamps which my mother used to collect as I was growing up.
FS: Who is the target customer for his design?
DS: Target customers are high-end private clients, interior designers, and industries include hospitality, residential, restaurant, retail - the list could go on!
FS: What sets this design apart from other similar or resembling concepts?
DS: Wood is most commonly used as veneer which runs along the grain of wood. Very rarely is the cross section used in furniture and I feel it my duty to show the world how beautiful and versatile it can be.
FS: How did you come up with the name for this design? What does it mean?
DS: We came up with the name of this design by taking a long stare at the piece. The combination of vibrantly defined end grain with the table's midnight blue resin reminded us of looking into the starry night's sky. We didn't want to call the table "Milky Way" and Andromeda seemed much more fitting. Most of my designs in general in some way shape or form are inspired my obsession with space and the stars above.
FS: Which design tools did you use when you were working on this project?
DS: Most of my process is proprietary so I cannot dive into this topic too much.
FS: What is the most unique aspect of your design?
DS: I believe the most unique aspect of my design is the coalescence of incorporating natural end grain in a way that highlights its beauty through symmetry.
FS: Who did you collaborate with for this design? Did you work with people with technical / specialized skills?
DS: I bounced ideas off people as designers often do, but for the most part Andromeda was entirely designed and hand produced by myself.
FS: What is the role of technology in this particular design?
DS: Like in every evolving industry technology plays a huge role here. While woodworking is a centuries old profession, resin is a different type of animal. If it weren't for the huge advancements that have been made in the world of resin this project would have proven much more difficult.
FS: Is your design influenced by data or analytical research in any way? What kind of research did you conduct for making this design?
DS: My analytical research predominately lies in the trial and error period used to meticulously find the perfect materials and tools needed to produce my pieces in the way that I envisioned them.
FS: What are some of the challenges you faced during the design/realization of your concept?
DS: Concepts are easy...realizing them is a whole other story. The main challenges came when figuring out a process that would give me the most flexibility in terms of what I could do but not limit me in my hopes to scale my operation. This process is patent pending.
FS: How did you decide to submit your design to an international design competition?
DS: We knew we have something that is not only beautiful but also pushes the boundaries of known design, and wanted to see how it stacks up compared to the world's best!
FS: What did you learn or how did you improve yourself during the designing of this work?
DS: Considering this piece was part of a broader debut collection, it like all my other pieces has been an incredible proof of concept to see if I was indeed able to physically create what my imagination was envisioning. As a young designer, I believe everything I currently work on is improving my abilities. Humans have this incredible ability to never stop learning!
FS: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
DS: Off the top of my head I cannot think of anything. If there are any questions I'll be happy to answer them!
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.
| SOCIAL |
| + Add to Likes / Favorites | Send to My Email | Comment | View Press-Release |
