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Interview with Alice Kim and Mark Britton |
Home > Designer Interviews > Alice Kim and Mark Britton |
Editor Frank Scott (FS) from DesignPRWire has interviewed designer Alice Kim and Mark Britton (AKAMB) for A’ Design Award and Competition. You can access the full profile of Alice Kim and Mark Britton 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?
AKAMB: We both came to design in very different ways. Alice was initially attracted to the fantastical images in Vogue and Harper's Bazaar as a child. As a teenager, her dad started a finish cabinetry business and she realized she might be able to make a living in a creative field. Mark was always attracted to creating 3D shapes over drawings. He came to realize that his sheltered mid-west upbringing left him starved of exposure to the world and that there were many different (and often better) ways of doing things. They both pursued those initial inspirations through industrial design.
FS: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
AKAMB: Multiply Studio was created to help people become more aware of the objects they surround themselves with- from how it was made, to how it will be used ( and how it won’t be used) to how it will be discarded. We believe in a warmer more enjoyable side of modern design creating objects that can’t be ignored but aren’t gaudy either.
FS: What is "design" for you?
AKAMB: Design is purposeful, considered and original. Without all three of those elements, it is not design. Good design goes further to connect with people on an emotional level. Evoking a feeling that people have strong associations with. Great design surprises.
FS: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
AKAMB: It depends on the day but we like to create objects that people enjoy and delight in.
FS: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
AKAMB: Alice- I don't have just one design. I do love Jean Prouve Mark- aside from our Diamond Wine Trivet, these awesome waterproof globe lamps by Smart & Green
FS: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
AKAMB: Alice-Running shoes Mark-a patented silverware basket for a Maytag dishwasher
FS: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
AKAMB: Alice- I don't have a favorite material because I'm intrigued by how many materials work. So anything I can create something from Mark- I love all natural materials. They always function and feel better than man-made materials
FS: When do you feel the most creative?
AKAMB: Alice- When I'm working with Mark. We bounce idea's off of each other and it always sparks creativity in those brainstorming sessions. Mark-For sure. We always have completely different ways of viewing each other's designs that make them better than they initially are.
FS: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
AKAMB: Alice- How the end user will use it and how they can enjoy it. Mark- I tend to think of designs like an image gradually coming into focus and I love it when everything comes together. Look, use, manufacturing, message, and feel.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
AKAMB: Alice- All sorts of emotions. It ranges from inspired to exciting to frustration and exhaustion. It really depends on what problem I'm trying to solve, but I tend to always circle around and end up excited. Mark- Feels good! Even when it's difficult, I love it!
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
AKAMB: Alice-Appreciative and grateful. Mark- Awesome! Grateful that I got to tap into creativity and pull something from the ether. Why don't more people do this?
FS: What makes a design successful?
AKAMB: Alice- functionality. If it adds the functionality you're looking for as a consumer and doesn't just add clutter to your surroundings, then I think the design is successful. Mark- function- look, use, and responsibility of how something was made. Ultimately if one person appreciates a design I feel grateful I was able to contribute to the world.
FS: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
AKAMB: Alice- Again, functionality. If it doesn't have a valued function I wouldn't understand why it was designed to begin with. Mark- I have to judge if it appeals to me visually first, then I judge on function. Does it work well for what I need? Then how and why was it created and where is it coming from? The last one can change the first two both positively and negatively.
FS: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
AKAMB: Alice- Designers look at the world differently. Much like doctors and scientists advance humanity and the world through science and health, I think designers try and do the same thing with products. There is so much product out there that is wasteful and unused. We have to ask ourselves, "what can we do to help minimize waste, reduce the clutter in our homes, and develop a healthier relationship with our belongings?" Mark- wow, yeah Alice hit that one on the head.
FS: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
AKAMB: Alice- I think the design field is evolving into the more technologically advanced field. Mark- I see the design field spreading out into a lot of different areas and people getting very specialized. While I think this specialization is good in one sense, we can not loose site of the bigger picture. I encourage all designers to go deep in a few areas but to practice their craft widely as well. We can not afford to be myopic with the current and increasing rate of change.
FS: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
AKAMB: We are just getting started so we're planning on showing at West Edge in the fall.
FS: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
AKAMB: It's so important to choose your inspirations carefully. A good deal of our inspiration has come from very few things- our travels and the cities we have lived in, new art exhibits, and new science that we learn about. We also believe that the creative process can be inspiring in itself- like a perpetual motion machine or a self-fulfilling prophecy.
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?
AKAMB: We would describe our style as refined, simple, functional, and pure. For Mark it was from the healthy dose of practicality and uniformity in his mid-west upbringing in contrast to the many original and often superfluous things he has been exposed to in his travels. He has always a strong connection to pure form and material. For Alice it came from growing up with parents that were both creatives in their own right. The taught her appreciation for material, construction and originality.
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?
AKAMB: We live in southern California and we definitely feel like the culture affects our designs. Especially in comparison to places we have visited. We are fortunate to live on the west coast where there is so much beauty and so much going on.
FS: How do you work with companies?
AKAMB: Every company is different but the process can be narrowed down to 4 steps- 1. Gather information 2. Create 3. Refine 4. Execute. The best companies tend to have the process well defined and repeat it at different levels before anything is released.
FS: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
AKAMB: 1. Be open to new solutions. (Be sure to get what you need but often designers will surprise you with new opportunities) 2. Over communicate- be clear about your process, timelines, and goals. 3. Critique little- designers are strong self-correctors. We are by nature excellent listeners hearing both what people say and what they don't.
FS: Can you talk a little about your design process?
AKAMB: As we mentioned before, inspiration is key. Gathering inspiration and information is the most important part of the process. Then we create, often by sketching because it's a faster way to get to visualizing what the end product might be but using the actual materials of the final product can be extremely informative as well. Making "sketches" out of 3D materials is very helpful. Lastly, we refine- so important to step away from the act of creating and look at a design based on its merits.
FS: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
AKAMB: 1. Our Diamond Wine Trivet 2. Waterproof Globe lamps by Smart & Green 3. A set of Crush Bowls from Mutto 4. Our Bertoia Counter Stools from Knoll 5. Our custom drafting table
FS: Can you describe a day in your life?
AKAMB: Coffee, juice, and emails in the morning. The rest of the day creating at the studio/shop until we're too tired to work (and often longer).
FS: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
AKAMB: Develop your intensity. Be open to working with people. Find what you care about and contribute that to society. Ultimately doing things for the greater good is all we have.
FS: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
AKAMB: Alice- some of the positives are that you have control over how you want to the take the direction of the design. Also seeing the end product after all the changes have been made is an amazing feeling. One of the negatives for me is I get stuck in the design process, but these things happen. Sometimes those difficult times help you get to the next step. Mark- Finding new ways to improve and simplify people's lives is very rewarding. I can't think of too many negatives. Sometimes it's difficult when people cling to tradition or are poor communicators but we're only human.
FS: What is your "golden rule" in design?
AKAMB: Alice- Keep going but be aware of what you're going through. A lesson I've learned that helped me get through any ruts in the design process. Mark- Make it function, make it beautiful, make it responsible.
FS: What skills are most important for a designer?
AKAMB: Alice- being aware. To me, that flows through how and what you see in your inspirations, how to follow through with you and how to deal with those times your stuck. Mark- developing your focus and situational awareness. Always asking, "What is needed here?", not necessarily always knowing that answer.
FS: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
AKAMB: Pencils, pens, and paper. We utilize a lot of the final materials we use in "sketch phase" too- wood lately. Also Illustrator, Photoshop, Rhino, etc.
FS: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
AKAMB: Alice- reminding myself what the end goal is. I've learned that working backward from the goal or what needs to be accomplished from the deadline is the best way to manage my time. Mark- always asking, "Is this where my time is best spent right now?"
FS: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
AKAMB: It depends on the project. Sometimes it can take a few hours and sometimes it can take months or even years.
FS: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
AKAMB: Alice- "How do you come up with these things?" Most people have asked me how these ideas come to my head. Mark- yeah, "How do you come up wth that?" I still find that question hard to understand.
FS: What was your most important job experience?
AKAMB: Alice- all of my past design jobs were an important job experience. I was able to take away so much from each place and put all the pieces together. Learned what I can do and what not to do and how to apply it what I'm doing now. Mark- It's always the one I'm doing now.
FS: Who are some of your clients?
AKAMB: Adidas, Converse, Palladium, Brown Shoe, Columbia, Sorel, Olukai, Keen, K-Swiss, Maytag, Fisher-Price. Not the normal clients for a home accessories studio.
FS: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
AKAMB: Alice- I really enjoy coming up with the designs. It's fun to see the vision and the take it to see where it goes. Mark- I love anything creative. I get most excited by using the actual final material to create because it's closer to reality. Those "sketches" can often be more beautiful than the final mass-produced product because they are snapshots of the creative process.
FS: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
AKAMB: We are building a community of independent designers to elevate the creative process and originality. Our designs are secondary to the world knowing about others amazing works that are not from a major brand. Good ideas come from everywhere.
FS: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
AKAMB: We work both ways, often, starting on our individual designs and then coming together and see how we can improve designs.
FS: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
AKAMB: We're working on some natural soft goods for the next season and we're very excited about a collaboration we have coming out with Charm Ceramics.
FS: How can people contact you?
AKAMB: Reach out to us- Mark@multiplymade.com
FS: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
AKAMB: Such good questions. We're thankful to be able to contribute our thoughts to help elevate creative endeavors.
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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