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Interview with Sebastiaan Van beest |
Home > Designer Interviews > Sebastiaan Van beest |
Editor Frank Scott (FS) from DesignPRWire has interviewed designer Sebastiaan Van beest (SVB) for A’ Design Award and Competition. You can access the full profile of Sebastiaan Van beest 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?
SVB: I have always been into art and design, whether it be painting, sculpting or music production. From a very young age I always had a pencil in my hand and was drawing. Not until recently did I really take the time to follow my life long dream of starting a furniture design company and try to make a living doing what I truly am passionate about. I still make music on the side as that is my other passion, but furniture design has definitely taken the forefront.
FS: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
SVB: Ooak Design, which stands for "one of a kind" was thought up years ago. I only recently made it official by starting the company under that name .
FS: What is "design" for you?
SVB: Design is everything for me. I can not look at anything without studying the design and how I could improve that design. I find myself un able to sleep often as my brain just won't stop designing, hence I have a sketch book right next to my bed.
FS: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
SVB: I absolutely love light sculptures and it is something I want to spend more time exploring.
FS: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
SVB: There are so many stunning designs out there and as far as my own designs go, I only love them briefly, then I move on and start the next project.
FS: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
SVB: I have never had the opportunity to design anything for a company yet.
FS: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
SVB: Wood will always be my favorite material, but I have recently really fallen in love with acrylics and am using them in a lot of my future projects.
FS: When do you feel the most creative?
SVB: It comes and goes. Some days its right when I wake up and some times its late at night.
FS: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
SVB: I focus a lot on the flow of the object and how to make the biggest impact with the least amount of material.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
SVB: I am super focused so not much time for emotions, but I do tend to get a little excited from time to time when I really like what I've come up with.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
SVB: satisfaction mostly and then I always have a moment of, "wow did I just design and build that" followed by lots of excitement.
FS: What makes a design successful?
SVB: It has to be both pleasing to look at and functional.
FS: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
SVB: The overall flow of any object is most important for me, function is second.
FS: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
SVB: As a designer, I try to create happiness and promote creativity through my designs. I want people to look at what I made and feel joy and/or motivation.
FS: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
SVB: I haven't given this much thought. I usually just lock myself off from the rest of the world when I'm designing and building. I would like to see more and more sustainable products and designs made from recycled and repurposed materials.
FS: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
SVB: I have not had the opportunity for an exhibition yet.
FS: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
SVB: I love scrolling through photos of beautiful furniture online. This is my main source for creative inspiration. Second is my dream to make a living out of this and that really pushes me to do my best every time.
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?
SVB: minimalism. I love the use of negative space. this is something I really learned from making music. Sometimes the loudest notes are the ones not played. I love detailed finished that aren't always easy to spot. Less is more and I love little subtle touches that sometimes you have to search for.
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?
SVB: Here in Vancouver, Canada, we live in a very multicultural society and have a very large Asian influence. Japanese minimalism has always been something I have been interested in. I also believe in feng shui and that every object emits energy and that the placement of objects with in a room can greatly impact your mood. everything should have a positive flow.
FS: How do you work with companies?
SVB: I have only produced for none corporate clients.
FS: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
SVB: Do your research. Find a designer of which their designs excite you.
FS: Can you talk a little about your design process?
SVB: I design everything in my head, then I go to the shop and start building. Usually through out the build I make a bunch of changes till I am happy with the design. Then I draw the blueprints.
FS: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
SVB: I love my watches. I have recently gone though a big move and sold everything. So I am living very minimal at the moment. We did just buy a very nice silver velvet sofa.
FS: Can you describe a day in your life?
SVB: tons of coffee as soon as I roll out of bed, then straight to work either on my renovations or in the shop on a new design. I usually work 12 or more hours every day and then spend the rest of my day with my partner.
FS: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
SVB: Well technically, even though I am almost 40, I am a young designer as I just recently decided to follow my dream. That being said, what I've learnt from life is take chances, never be afraid to fail, failure breeds success. Most importantly, do not lose track of why you are a designer. It's not about money or fame, it's about creating and making beautiful things. Always be humble and try to learn as much as you can from others. Don't talk, listen instead. As much as you think you know, there is always more to learn. There will always be people that won't like or understand your design, but there is always an equal amount of people that will. Focus on yourself, eat well, stay in motion and enjoy life. It's harder to create beauty when you're not happy.
FS: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
SVB: I love creating anything and everything. It gives me a huge sense of fulfillment. The only downside is an over active brain, but that too can be very positive.
FS: What is your "golden rule" in design?
SVB: Form and function. It can not just look good, it needs to work!
FS: What skills are most important for a designer?
SVB: Follow through and the ability to stay focused to get the job done.
FS: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
SVB: I design every thing in my head. Sometimes I use a pencil and paper. I have been playing around a little bit with sketchup, but find I am fastest when just designing in my head and making adjustments during the build.
FS: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
SVB: Well I have a girlfriend and they also require a bit of quality time. I love what I do, so for me it is not work. I am in the shop all day and when done, I spend whatever free time I have with my better half. She is 100% supportive of what I do and loves that I spend so much time on what I love doing.
FS: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
SVB: sometimes it can take 5 minutes and sometimes it takes days.
FS: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
SVB: Can you make me one, but not for that price...
FS: What was your most important job experience?
SVB: carpenter. Learning to use all the tools properly to take what's in my head and make it a reality.
FS: Who are some of your clients?
SVB: Thus far I have only built furniture for friends and friends of friends.
FS: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
SVB: Industrial design. I love designing things that get used on a daily basis.
FS: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
SVB: Winning this award has definitely given me a huge boost to really follow my dreams and take this company to the next level. I want a big warehouse space where I am able to employ creatives and give the m the space to create.
FS: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
SVB: Everything from design to build is done by me.
FS: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
SVB: I am currently exploring the use of colored acrylics in a lot of my new pieces. I think neon is about to make a come back and I want to add a little bit of crazy to my designs.
FS: How can people contact you?
SVB: All of my contact information is listed on ooakdesigns.ca
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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