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Interview with Peter Lombard |
Home > Designer Interviews > Peter Lombard |
Editor Frank Scott (FS) from DesignPRWire has interviewed designer Peter Lombard (PL) for A’ Design Award and Competition. You can access the full profile of Peter Lombard 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?
PL: As a teenager, I started designing jewellery and found that I had a flair for the visual arts. I wanted to secure an apprenticeship with a jewellery manufacturer but my father wanted me to study law. The end result was that neither of us saw the fulfilment of those desires. I became a carpenter, joiner and cabinetmaker which was not very fulfilling and so I tried my hand at many professions while always enjoying a little artistic creativity in my spare time.
FS: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
PL: Once I retired from the business world, I set up a little home studio to study digital design and produce unique digital designs on a commission-only basis. I designed mainly business logos and learned about fine art photography and wanted to incorporate it into my work.
FS: What is "design" for you?
PL: Design for me is really about combining things to produce something uniquely beautiful, ugly or unusual but above all evocative. Design must capture the imagination of the audience and lead them on a journey through the story that my design, my art is unfolding.
FS: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
PL: I love designing posters, combining various stages or elements of a story into a static visual representation of the whole story. I love to hear that slight intake of breath from the audience when the work is suddenly revealed, that for me is gold.
FS: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
PL: That is a very subjective and difficult question, each design or project becomes my favourite as I try to produce the best in me for that piece. Having said this, my favourite design was the most satisfying, the creation of a logo introduction animation for my own "PV Media Production" business.
FS: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
PL: The first thing I designed for a company was a company logo and information brochure for Rhodesia Holdings Pty Ltd.
FS: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
PL: I love using camera's for photography, time-lapse and movies and especially enjoy using the Adobe suite to create my designs. I like to combine stills, time-lapse, video and sound design for the most satisfying productions.
FS: When do you feel the most creative?
PL: I feel the most creative when brainstorming ideas with clients. Their passion for their business, hobby or sport inspires me.
FS: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
PL: Impact! While designing my focus is on the initial impact that the piece will have on the audience, it needs to not only have a wow factor but must hold the attention of the viewer as it draws them into the story.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
PL: The emotions that run through me will often be dictated by the piece or project that I am working on, for example; a client once described how they had handcrafted the steering wheel of a kit car from a tree that his mother had planted to commemorate the passing of a loved one. The kit car was a rebuild so there were many stories about the construction but the central piece that brought the whole project together was clearly the steering wheel and it was a very emotive element that needed to be central to the project - the client was so emotional at the completion of the project that I realised that of all the emotions, empathy was the most productive.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
PL: A great sense of satisfaction and contentment.
FS: What makes a design successful?
PL: The story that the design tells, the attention to detail, the ability for the design to connect with the beholder.
FS: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
PL: What is the design's story, what emotions is it trying to evoke and is it doing so successfully?
FS: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
PL: I believe that all designers have a responsibility to contribute positively to both environment and society. Both should be better as a result of our efforts.
FS: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
PL: Design is in every aspect of our existence, technology helps us to communicate thoughts and ideas in a global arena so there is no limit to the future of design.
FS: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
PL: I have a current online exhibition in "Buy Art Now" in Brisbane Australia and I am hoping to have a physical exhibition by years end in Brisbane but it's a bit early to mention the venue or the date.
FS: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
PL: My sources of inspiration come from the people I deal with, from their passion for whatever it is that they are passionate about.
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?
PL: My approach to design is really threefold much like this three-part question, purpose, connection and emotion. My style is three-fold also, eliminate distractions, focus and storytelling. My design style is thought-provoking, clean and engaging - hopefully.
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?
PL: I live in Brisbane, Australia. The vastness and barrenness of the country is intimidating, the population is small so one of the biggest drawbacks is access to voluminous markets. Supply and demand are very challenging in this dynamic. The populace is very supportive and interactive with no shortage of idea's again as a result of this dynamic I feel.
FS: How do you work with companies?
PL: I have a very casual approach to companies and I like to deal with those who have a vested interest in the company otherwise I can't feel the passion and so most that I deal with are small to medium in size. If I can't feel the vested person's passion I won't work with that company, I would be wasting their time and my own.
FS: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
PL: The passionate person in the company should be looking for an empathetic designer. If there is no passion and empathy, any designer will do for a mediocre outcome.
FS: Can you talk a little about your design process?
PL: The most important part of my design process is brainstorming, finding the passion and empathizing with it. Gathering of raw materials in abundance. Filtering the materials until we have a few excellent elements. Manipulating and combining elements to tell the story while evoking the desired emotion. Refining the works to provide choices.
FS: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
PL: 1) My Varidesk is number one on my list allowing me the ability to either stand or sit while working. 2) Foot massager, great to keep the blood flowing while sitting at my desk. 3) LED Strip lighting, fantastic for illuminating my keyboard, mouse etc. while keeping ambient light and reflections away from my computer screen. 4) Noise-cancelling Headphones, great for selecting and working with sound. 5) Background sound filtering software, fantastic for sound design without a recording studio.
FS: Can you describe a day in your life?
PL: I'm an early riser, so my day begins with exercise, cycling, walking, jogging and a little weight training followed by a shower and ablutions. I then take an hour of biblical daily devotion and meditation, usually on the patio. My office is at home so I go in, turn on servers, computers and run maintenance checks while I go through emails and catch the news. I care for my disabled wife so I'll take an hour or so to cater to her needs which will include breakfast, daily devotional and a chapter of bible reading. Then I'll spend about 2-4 hours on the latest projects, depending on interruptions. During the afternoon, I'll spend about an hour or so catering to my wife's needs which will include a light meal followed by a short nap together. I'll then go back to my project for 2-4 hours again depending on interruptions. After preparing dinner, the evening is usually spent with my wife, assisting her with her art projects or preparing for her next day activities. followed by a shower. Once my wife is in bed I usually return to the office to continue with my project or update my wife's medical itinerary, medications and diary notes of her progress. The days will vary considerably depending on the Doctor, Specialist and hospital requirements of my wife and or fieldwork for projects. I attend to the small garden and housework during breaks and prefer to clean as I go. I usually sleep between midnight and 5 am.
FS: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
PL: If you do what you love and love what you do you will never work a day in your life. Look for the passion, empathise and inspiration will come easily. Contentment trumps ambition as satisfaction trumps income.
FS: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
PL: I struggle to separate art and design into positive and negative aspects. There is no greater design than us, everything is a pattern, a design and the only negative I see is the inability of some to recognise this fact.
FS: What is your "golden rule" in design?
PL: One learns through their eyes and ears, not their mouth. Look and Listen for the passion.
FS: What skills are most important for a designer?
PL: Communication and empathy.
FS: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
PL: What do I use? Camera's mainly Sony but a wide selection including a drone, computers iMac & PC iPad etc., scrap pads, easels, lighting equipment, audio equipment, notebooks, paint, pen, pencil, canvas, clay, resin, the internet, adobe suite especially premiere pro, after effects, illustrator, photoshop and Lightroom Classic. Whatever the project calls for but those listed are my go-to tool kit.
FS: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
PL: With great difficulty, particularly when answering questions and entering competitions.
FS: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
PL: This is like asking, "how long is a piece of string?" This can take anything from an hour to a month, depending on the medium and the client's requirements or my own passion if there is no client. I know my limitations and never take on a project that is greater than my ability.
FS: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
PL: What do you think of MY design?
FS: What was your most important job experience?
PL: Designing a long term marketing campaign including product, signage, posters, flyers, uniforms, logo while bringing together five divisions of a national company.
FS: Who are some of your clients?
PL: Rhodesia Holdings Pty Ltd, Rycad Pty Ltd, JWF Glass Fibre industries, Simple Pleasures, Lombard Security Systems and Hardin Brothers.
FS: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
PL: Fine art photography, time-lapse and "interest" movie production. These are timeless visual art forms, can impact the largest audience while invoking the greatest range of emotions. They are the most satisfying especially when combined.
FS: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
PL: To live with purpose, I've never been this old and I'll never be this young again. Time is a gift and I wish to spend it wisely, influencing others to do the same.
FS: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
PL: When creating for myself I do this alone but when designing or creating for others they become my team.
FS: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
PL: I have a current project which is to create a short documentary on the design and construction of automotive parts. This will become the lead into a larger project which will be a documentary about a local automotive construction company using three mediums to produce a particular vehicle design style.
FS: How can people contact you?
PL: I can be contacted via email at artist@peterlombard.com or cell phone Aus +61 417 623 124.
FS: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
PL: I am available for commission projects but only where the client is passionate about their brand or product.
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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