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Interview with Elham Mirzapour |
Home > Designer Interviews > Elham Mirzapour |
Editor Frank Scott (FS) from DesignPRWire has interviewed designer Elham Mirzapour (EM) for A’ Design Award and Competition. You can access the full profile of Elham Mirzapour 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?
EM: My childhood and adolescence was spent in an artistic atmosphere and I have had many useful experiences in various branches of art such as painting, music and photography. I was interested in design before university, so I chose Industrial Design at university. While studying at university I gained the knowledge and experience to be the best in my field.
FS: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
EM: I am also working at Arena Design Studio; Now I'm the head of design department at Design Arena Studios. At this studio sustainable design is the approach that we have selected on product design.
FS: What is "design" for you?
EM: Design is an integral part of my life, and the products I design are like my children.
FS: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
EM: I love designing products in categories such as digital and home appliance and furniture.
FS: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
EM: In general, I like good design, no matter what the product is, if it has a good design, I respect it.
FS: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
EM: My first design was for a furniture design company where I designed a library that was built.
FS: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
EM: All of these are important and priorities change according to the project, but I'm more inclined to technology.
FS: When do you feel the most creative?
EM: When I am focused on my upcoming projects and immersed in them, I feel the sense of creativity.
FS: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
EM: Creativity and innovation have always been important to me. But that is not enough. Consistency with form and function and other are requirements that must be met in each product (such as ergonomics, usability, etc.).
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
EM: The design process has always been exciting for me. When I am faced with a difficult challenge and overcome it, I feel pleasant.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
EM: It's a good moment. Because I can see other people's feedback and comments on my work.
FS: What makes a design successful?
EM: When a product makes a deep and emotional connection with the user, and in addition meets the user's needs, it seems to me that the design is a successful design.
FS: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
EM: It can vary depending on each product and its category. But in general, creativity and innovation is an important criterion, and this criterion must interact with others to provide the user a creative, useful and applicable product.
FS: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
EM: A designer must respect the ethical standards and design consciously, then he can truly take care of other important aspects of its product, such as the environment. A designer, like other humans, must be committed to the Earth on which he lives and if he believes in it, his design surely would be an environmentally friendly product.
FS: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
EM: The world is changing and the lifestyle and needs of today's people are different. The design field, as it relates directly to the user, is naturally associated with these changes and evolves to meet new human needs. I think the integrity of technology with human life will be more intense in the future and future designers will be more responsible to maintain this balance.
FS: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
EM: Last month on Kish Island, Iran. My next exhibition was probably the E-Design Group Exhibition.
FS: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
EM: I love astronomy and the cosmos, and I have chosen the character of the astronaut as my own identity because of its abandonment and searching nature, and since it is knowledge enterprise and it lacks belonging, and I try to act as an astronaut in my type of thinking and experience the unknowns. Astronomy has always been a source of inspiration for me. I try to preserve this identity forever in the products that I design.
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?
EM: I have designed many products considering the concept of Space and modern technologies. Overall, my interest in modern technology exploration, as well as astronomy and events of the field, has led me to find different and useful solutions regarding the questions from clients.
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?
EM: I live in Iran but I see no borders on earth. I have always tried not to belong to a particular place and design without belonging. One of the reasons I am interested in space is to get rid of any boundaries and believe that we humans on earth only own one house and that is our planet the Earth. So this cultural influence comes from a lot of things and is not just from the land in which I live. But just looking at the environment and social life, you will find that our lifestyle and the many challenges and limitations we face have naturally affected my mind and my design process so that my mind is more prepared to solve the numerous challenges. So I am more mature facing the problems in the design process. Because my mind has become accustomed to always looking for a solution.
FS: How do you work with companies?
EM: Projects
FS: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
EM: A designer's resume always shows his abilities. In the meantime, I think the people who compete with many designers around the world at prestigious international competitions and receive medals, have in fact shown their competence level which can be a good option.
FS: Can you talk a little about your design process?
EM: The design methods I use for each product vary depending on the product. In this respect I am flexible. But I have spent a lot of time researching and exploring different solutions to the problem and this is what all they have in common. I believe the more time spent on design briefs, the easier it is to continue designing and brainstorming.
FS: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
EM: Designing in the areas of furniture design, lighting, home appliance, interior design, digital device design.
FS: Can you describe a day in your life?
EM: Usually my days are different. But I always have some routine in my daily life, such as reading books, reading newspapers and electronic journals and websites to keep up with the latest news regarding science and technology and design. I take care of my plants and flowers and do my projects.
FS: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
EM: My suggestion is to experience and practice. Great ideas may come to the minds of many people, but one who acts and bringing them to reality is always the winner.
FS: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
EM: Being a designer is a pleasure for anyone who loves design. Sometimes designing a project may take a lot of time and energy from the designer, but if you love it, the potential difficulties are easily tolerated and managed. I personally love design, and because of my patience and ability to manage, I haven't faced a negative point which can be a problem.
FS: What is your "golden rule" in design?
EM: Adherence to ethics, patience, management, and studying the modern science.
FS: What skills are most important for a designer?
EM: Many skills are important to a designer, but I think management skill is the key.
FS: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
EM: Good design is the result of teamwork and everyone in the team can handle a part of the project based on their abilities. The answer to this question can vary different depending on the design of each product, but generally I can mention 3D modeling, rendering and presentation software.
FS: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
EM: Yes it really is, but I think everything is possible with proper planning.
FS: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
EM: It varies depending on the type of project. Some tasks require more time.
FS: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
EM: They are more curious about how my ideas come to my mind and are interested in explaining the ways of cultivating creativity.
FS: What was your most important job experience?
EM: All of my work experiences are of equal value to me.
FS: Who are some of your clients?
EM: Usually home appliance manufacturing companies and furniture companies, as well as knowledge-enterprise startups.
FS: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
EM: I love product design and enjoy the teamwork. Working in a team allows a team to grow simultaneously during a project and to become more mature than before. Anyone within a team can also learn many things that are not easily accessible in individual projects.
FS: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
EM: Success in my favorite field of design and presenting my work internationally. Because as a designer I have a lot to say. I think, the designer's mission is to speak to the world through his products.
FS: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
EM: I have experienced both types of design but team work is more interesting for me.
FS: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
EM: Yes. I am currently working with a furniture company.
FS: How can people contact you?
EM: I am a member of various popular social networks through which people can connect with me. My personal email is also available, and personal website is www.elhammirzapour.com.
FS: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
EM: Thank you for the interview, and finally I’d like to emphasize once again that ethical design can make the world more beautiful than it used to be.
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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