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Interview with Julia Eliseeva |
Home > Designer Interviews > Julia Eliseeva |
Editor Frank Scott (FS) from DesignPRWire has interviewed designer Julia Eliseeva (JE) for A’ Design Award and Competition. You can access the full profile of Julia Eliseeva by clicking here.
FS: Could 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?
JE: I graduated from the International Design School in 2015 and since then I have been engaged only in design. As a child, I dreamed of becoming an architect, but later I forgot about it. However, desire to create became more intense over the years. I was engaged in photography for more than 10 years. It was an analog and digital photography, experiments with Lomography, Polaroid and photographic enlarger. I created my own photo projects in the genre Art Fashion, participated in exhibitions, cooperated with designers, stylists, models. I became a member of the Union of Photo Artists of Russia. At some point, photography was not enough for me. Desire to realize my aesthetic sense became extremely high. In 2013, the path to my childhood dream of becoming an architect began. Now I am an interior designer, and furniture is a small architecture.
FS: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
JE: My design studio “Genesis Interiors” is me. I work on all tasks by my own. The design studio was named as a tribute to my favorite music band “Genesis”.
FS: What is "design" for you?
JE: All that surrounds us is design. Design is the use of new technologies, co-creation under the guidance of nature. We complement the beauty of nature, adding our own spirit to it.Design is functional art which must be beautiful and comfortable. It is a practice task solution in a beautiful and contemporary way.
FS: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
JE: Сase goods, different kind of tables.
FS: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
JE: That is acrylic stone's showroom interior. My customer asked me to design a few products of acrylic stone and gave me 3 suitcases of samples. My task was to design a reception desk, kitchen cabinets, a shower tray, a sink, a fireplace portal, a conference table, wall panels, flower pots, a room divider and to combine them into a holistic interior.I was inspired with italian modernism and Gio Ponti's heritage. It means I should use much color and geometric patterns. I wanted to apply an acrylic stone like no one before, and to create a more utilitarian interior, to emphasize the color and seamless material, rather than its sculpturesque properties. Unfortunately, the project wasn’t realized.
FS: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
JE: Acrylic stone, glass, metal.
FS: When do you feel the most creative?
JE: When I am acknowledged by my customer and I am asked to do my best design.
FS: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
JE: Proportions, ergonomics, the correlation of colors and textures.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
JE: In the beginning when creative search starts I feel myself mediocrity but in the end when decision is found I feel myself genius.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
JE: Total happiness.
FS: What makes a design successful?
JE: If design has an idea, it is bound to succeed.
FS: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
JE: I cannot describe it with words, I have no mental criteria. Design either amazes or not.
FS: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
JE: All that surrounds us is design. Good design trains taste. I believe that if person is surrounded with great items from his childhood he will not agree for bad design in future. Because his inner standards are high already.
FS: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
JE: I think future of design is in synthesis of art, music, psychology, body consciousness, sacral geometry. Using rules of fractal geometry, we will able to create very complicated models of space. That geometry allows to combine all arts and sciences into the one connected entire.
FS: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
JE: My inspiration comes from observing the world around me. For a designer, it's very important to see a lot, because everything you see sticks deep inside, and then it transforms into something new. I do not think you need to do something special with yourself, search for some inspiration specially to create an object. Because everything new is a mutation and you are not able to affect it. All you need is to be in tune with it and to accumulate different aesthetic experience. But sometimes you need to reset your mind to zero, become empty to create something new.
FS: How 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?
JE: I describe my design style as simple, laconic, but spectacular. I prefer to combine different geometric forms, materials and colors. My perception of design was greatly influenced by Dutch neo-plasticism, Italian modernism, Russian avant-garde and Japanese minimalism.
FS: Where 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?
JE: I live in Saint-Petersburg, Russia. Definitely, my design is affected with heritage of Russian avant-garde. In my opinion, it was a golden time in Russian art because in that moment evolving of Russian design and architecture was in tune with world one. Unfortunately, common level of Russian design today doesn’t appropriate to the world level. Nowadays to do real work in design very difficult because there must be demand for good design. Existing demand is not enough.
FS: How do you work with companies?
JE: I have never worked with furniture manufacturers as a designer. But I would like to get request to produce my product and inclusion of them into the manufacturer's catalogue.
FS: Can you talk a little about your design process?
JE: My approach in design is pretty practice. All decisions appear during working process. To create something, I need to set to work. Before that there must be a specific problem that needs solving with design. I cannot plan things. Design comes into the world and that's all. Or not comes. Searching of form can take a few days. I need time to get emotional clarity about the design is good or not.
FS: Can you describe a day in your life?
JE: In the morning I take my daughter to kindergarten, then I work and do my businesses. In the evening I spend time with my daughter again.
FS: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
JE: Do not accept a compromise with yourself. Doubt and be unique.
FS: What is your "golden rule" in design?
JE: Good design is less design.
FS: What skills are most important for a designer?
JE: Education, intuition, sense of taste, ability to doubt, ability to transform one’s background and to create something new on its base.
FS: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
JE: For designing I use SketchUp Pro and Revit Architecture. It is the most useful tools for me.
FS: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
JE: It takes a few days.
FS: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
JE: How much does it cost, Julia?
FS: Who are some of your clients?
JE: Owners of small and medium-sized businesses, with whom you can communicate directly without stakeholders. For successful interaction, it is necessary to have direct contact with the person making decisions.
FS: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
JE: First of all, I am an interior designer and I like designing spaces. Most of all I am interested in commercial interiors because they are more conceptual in their core. Exactly conceptual interiors I can fill with pieces of furniture designed by me specially for a particular space. Exactly author furniture makes interior unique. If interior has an idea, it is bound to succeed.
FS: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
JE: I develop my design myself.
FS: How can people contact you?
JE: Via e-mail: hello@genesis-interiors.ru
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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