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Interview with Rima Simaite |
Home > Designer Interviews > Rima Simaite |
Editor Frank Scott (FS) from DesignPRWire has interviewed designer Rima Simaite (RS) for A’ Design Award and Competition. You can access the full profile of Rima Simaite 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?
RS: My career as a designer started in an advertising agency. I worked as a graphic designer, later I became the chief designer. I worked in graphic design for eight years, then switched to industrial design and became a product designer and Design Team Leader for an international factory that designed and manufactured bicycles. All those years I admired nature and was interested in landscape design. I deepened my botanical knowledge and studied landscape design. I became a landscape designer and started my own design company.
FS: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
RS: This is a family business, we founded the company together with my husband Rimvydas. Our company is small. I create design projects for private clients and companies. Later, we implement projects, install watering systems, lighting, lawn and other garden elements. Our work is from the idea to the final image.
FS: What is "design" for you?
RS: For me, design means the whole. It includes a human with his character and needs and the entire surrounding environment. Landscape design is a dialogue with the surrounding nature. It is important to understand, delve into the situation and amicably adapt to the surrounding nature. The beauty of the environment created for man with the necessary amenities must not harm or destroy nature. Design projects that are maximally adapted to local natural conditions require much less maintenance, are sustainable and long-lasting.
FS: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
RS: That first moment when you arrive at a new plot, where construction is still going on or there is nothing, and you see a vision of how everything will look in the future. It's a magical moment. Later, you have to develop that vision, convey it to the client, do a lot of research and work that is interesting and enjoyable. In this work, the creative stages replace each other, and that's the best thing. No routine, just creativity!
FS: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
RS: It would be difficult to single out one, because all projects are like children to me. It takes several seasons from idea to implementation, and I get attached to the place and the people. A lot depends on whether we find a common language with the client. We often become friends. One such heartwarming project is the Woodland Garden. A lot of heart and love was put into it. I am very lucky to have clients who are true nature lovers.
FS: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
RS: I started with my own garden project. I needed practice where I could test my theoretical knowledge. Later, this project became a great example for other clients.
FS: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
RS: Plants are the most amazing material. It is living matter that you have to get to know and understand. And even so, plants can behave unexpectedly and create unforeseen situations. Plants form communities, form biodiversity. They are excellent nature teachers.
FS: When do you feel the most creative?
RS: Being in the facility, in the place that needs to be planned. I need to be on the spot, to feel the environment, which often dictates the decisions itself.
FS: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
RS: Design must be understandable. All design solutions have an aesthetic and practical side. It's important to me to get these things right.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
RS: I experience creative joy and satisfaction throughout the process.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
RS: I am happy if everything is successfully implemented and the client is happy. But our projects are never completely finished. It is necessary to periodically visit and assess whether everything is fine. A garden is a living organism and the real result is visible only after a few years.
FS: What makes a design successful?
RS: A successful design must naturally blend into the environment of the area. If the goal is not to create experimental exoticism, the garden must become part of the local landscape.
FS: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
RS: The Design must be harmonious. It has to "talk" with architecture and the surrounding environment.
FS: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
RS: a landscape designer is directly responsible for creating a harmonious environment. It is important to understand the characteristics of the area and the habits of the community and take them into account when developing the project.
FS: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
RS: In many areas of life, the functions of the human mind can be taken over by artificial intelligence. Design is not an exception here, garden design is already being developed on this principle. However, in this field of design, a person is irreplaceable if a unique design is needed. Only a person can feel the environment and make decisions by interacting with the surrounding environment.
FS: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
RS: It was a "Garden Style" Conference 2022 in Vilnius/Lithuania.
FS: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
RS: My desire is to show my works to an international audience. I think A Design Award can provide this opportunity.
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?
RS: I would describe my design style as naturalistic - functional. I study the environment, I adapt the design to a specific area. I use the principles of naturalistic design, but I always assess the client's needs and create an understandable design.
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?
RS: I was born and grew up in the forested southern part of Lithuania. It definitely influenced my design style. Lithuania is a very green country, we have a lot of natural nature, forests, meadows, lakes. This formed the sense of a natural aesthetic. We have all four seasons, so it is a very favorable environment for landscape design. We have a wide selection of plants, and with the warming climate, the list is only getting longer.
FS: How do you work with companies?
RS: Most of my clients are private individuals, but I have to cooperate with companies in the installation of projects. In such cases, I have to manage the project and supervise the work progress.
FS: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
RS: I think the approach to the client and the quality of work should coincide. It is a team effort to achieve one result. There are designers who prefer individual work and this is understandable for a creative personality. But if the project is larger, cooperation and team skills are important.
FS: Can you talk a little about your design process?
RS: I always start with a consultation on the plot, live contact with the client. It is important to clarify all the circumstances, problems and goals. After presenting the design solution ideas to the client and we discuss until we find the best solution. I make 3D visualizations, which help a lot to understand the desired result. I am involved throughout the implementation. I select the materials, make the necessary corrections if needed. I plant plants myself. I always give the client plant lists with care guidelines. After the implementation, I periodically visit the project and advise clients.
FS: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
RS: I really appreciate beautiful things that work well. I have a small stylish coffee machine in my house that makes me happy every morning. I created some of the furniture myself - it's a rustic-style table with metal fittings, a coffee table, a TV table and vintage-style lamps in the summer house.
FS: Can you describe a day in your life?
RS: My work is partly seasonal, so in the winter I work on the computer and in the spring/summer I work in the fresh air. Of course, I have a set time for talking to clients, answering emails and meetings.
FS: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
RS: The landscape design looks very attractive. We see beautiful pictures of gardens and admire the flowers... But the reality is really not so romantic. It's good to create ideas on paper, but the implementation process is black work in the literal sense. A designer has to get his hands dirty and work hard to understand the essence of a project. I would advise not to be afraid of any job and to be ready for big challenges.
FS: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
RS: Being a designer means having a way of self-expression and creativity. It will never be a boring job, because all projects are unique, situations are unique, and clients are different. You will never stop learning and improving, because this field is full of surprises. Negative? I should come up with one, but nothing comes to mind so far.
FS: What is your "golden rule" in design?
RS: Watch and listen. It means exploring the environment, nature and hearing the call.
FS: What skills are most important for a designer?
RS: Aesthetic perception, empathy, imagination, accuracy.
FS: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
RS: I draw the initial ideas by hand. Later I use SketchUp, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Enscape, Excell Programs. I look for ideas in books, I constantly look for the works of famous designers. I am constantly improving my botanical knowledge in courses, webinars. But I find most ideas in nature.
FS: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
RS: Landscape design in our climate zone is seasonal. This means that the design takes place from late autumn to early spring, and the implementation of the works takes place in the warm season. I plan my work accordingly because I know my time limits.
FS: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
RS: Landscape design is created over a longer period of time. Sometimes one season is not enough, larger projects are developed for several years. Of course, it depends on the client's capabilities, faster solutions require a larger budget. Then we don't have to wait for the trees to grow, we can plant mature plants.
FS: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
RS: Often people have knowledge about plants and create gardens themselves. Until the moment comes when no result is satisfactory and you get tired of constant redoing. A designer is expected to have a vision and a plan. The designer must foresee how the design will look in one, five or ten years.
FS: What was your most important job experience?
RS: In every period of my experience I learn very useful things. However, I had to learn the most when I started working independently and became the manager of all processes myself.
FS: Who are some of your clients?
RS: Most of my clients are private individuals. I could be specific, but I have to get their consent.
FS: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
RS: Each part of the work is fascinating in its own way, but I like the visual planning of the spaces the most. This is the beginning of the project, but a very responsible moment, because it determines the entire further course. Correctly arranged functional spaces determine whether the final result will be successful.
FS: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
RS: I plan to have a design team. I would like to share ideas with creative people and find solutions together. I plan to expand my business.
FS: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
RS: I create the design ideas by myself, but that's just part of the job. Implementation is a team effort, where there is also a lot of creativity.
FS: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
RS: I am currently working on a small plot in the city. The project is very interesting to me, because the house being restored is in the interwar style. It was a period of very exceptional architecture in Lithuania. It is necessary to adapt to the architecture, to create privacy and comfort with many functional areas. The project is challenging, but interesting.
FS: How can people contact you?
RS: By email: magiskisodai@gmail.com, on FaceBook: Rima Cesnuleviciute Simaite
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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