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Interview with Tobias Kappeler |
Home > Designer Interviews > Tobias Kappeler |
Editor Frank Scott (FS) from DesignPRWire has interviewed designer Tobias Kappeler (TK) for A’ Design Award and Competition. You can access the full profile of Tobias Kappeler 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?
TK: I have a cross-disciplinary background in metalwork, construction management, Post-industrial design and Innovation Design Engineering. As a trained metalworker, I know how to precisely work with my hands and use them to rapidly prototype and test ideas. I enjoy the process of making things and building in 3D. However, I wanted to have an impact on people and am interested in emerging technologies which led me to study Post-industrial design with a focus on process design. I did a double master's MSc/MA in Innovation Design Engineering, which taught me the value of experimentation and user testing in all project stages. I did not always know I wanted to be a designer, however, I'm very much enjoying it, and I'm happy I chose this path.
FS: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
TK: I enjoy both physical and digital products - from furniture to mixed reality software. What matters for me is that people can interact with it, and it makes their lives easier and adds a sense of delight.
FS: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
TK: My favourite material is probably metal, specifically steel, stainless steel or aluminium because when deformed correctly, you can create durable and complex structures. And I'm also very familiar with the material which helps. I'm fascinated by immersive technologies as they bring upon a new interaction design paradigm and allow people to interact in a new way while being remote. This can have a significant impact on our planet but also on human interactions, in a positive and negative way.
FS: When do you feel the most creative?
TK: When working with people from different disciplines and we share the same goal or late at night when I'm alone.
FS: Can you talk a little about your design process?
TK: I try to follow an experimental and iterative design process based on user research and feedback. I try to prototype in all stages of the design process, from the first sketches to the final interfaces, with the aim to fail often and fail early. I try not to follow a strict methodology but rather understand and adapt to the context and the situation keeping the end user and the environment in mind.
FS: What is your "golden rule" in design?
TK: To not think outside the box but without a box!
FS: What skills are most important for a designer?
TK: To understand and empathize with the people who you are designing for and what our planetary boundaries are.
FS: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
TK: The early stages of projects which require you to navigate an ambiguous space to define the problem/opportunity. I find these stages very stimulating and enjoy the ideation process and proving if something is worth exploring further.
FS: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
TK: I'm currently working as a UX prototyper at XYZ Reality which leverages augmented reality on the construction site. I enjoy my work, the team and what we do a lot!
FS: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
TK: I work better when collaborating with others as I believe that a multidisciplinary approach provides a more holistic approach to design.
FS: How can people contact you?
TK: Ideally through my website, www.tobiaskappeler.design
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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