Designer Interview

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Interview with Claire Requa at Tuesday 7th of January 2014

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?
CR: I attended the Edna Manley School of the Arts in Kingston, Jamaica. I have always had a strong interest and craving almost, to make things, clothes, jewellery, small furniture. When I moved to Denmark, I found that I was interested in doing lighting. Maybe that came out of knowing I would be facing many months in darkness.

FS: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
CR: Accent started as a studio/workshop 18 years ago. There, I made unique lamps, and small soft furnishings, and small furniture make-overs. Then after a major shift in my life, I decided to design lamps that could be made in slightly bigger numbers, than the unika lamps I had been doing before. My signature product, Claire de Lune Chandelier led me down several paths - and to satisfy my earth-saving cravings, I upcycled the waste from the production of the lamp to create a line of jewellery - CLAIRELY, clearly.

FS: What is "design" for you?
CR: Design is something that is functional, pleasing to look at, and well thought out.

FS: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
CR: I enjoy doing lighting - it is nearly always satisfying. I enjoy the challenge of making things work. As is the collection of CLAIRELY a satisfying process. The

FS: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
CR: My chandelier, which is the starting point for all the other products I have done (wall sconces, cushions, room dividers, mirrors, clocks, wallpaper). All with the chandelier as the common design thread. And then came my upcycled jewellery, which came out of wanting to repurpose the acrylic that otherwise would be thrown away.

FS: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
CR: I designed a "scandal" bag for a minister of parliament when Denmark was joining the EU. This bag was a transparent carrier bag with images of the new currency - the EURO.

FS: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
CR: At the moment I enjoy using acrylic. But there are many materials I would like to explore.

FS: When do you feel the most creative?
CR: Early mornings.

FS: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
CR: Functionality is a major player in this.

FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
CR: I have a deep sense of satisfaction.

FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
CR: Definitely elation, and especially when I meet and talk to satisfied customers.

FS: What makes a design successful?
CR: When I cannot find fault with the design or functionality.

FS: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
CR: If the elements are harmonious, if the product does what it claims.

FS: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
CR: We have a responsibility to design with a conscience. We must do our bit to do the right thing for our surroundings, that is, people and environment.

FS: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
CR: I would like to think that designers are thinking - finally - about designing green.

FS: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
CR: My current exhibition is at the National Gallery of Denmark's museum store. I am keen to hold another exhibition in May.

FS: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
CR: My inspiration comes from my life, from nature when I take walks, from wanting to fill a niche that needs filling. Much of my inspiration comes from my travels.

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?
CR: I think avant-garde, contemporary. I like the juxtaposition of old and new, of mixing unexpected ingredients. I like to provoke thought.

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?
CR: Copenhagen. I feel that being raised in Jamaica has given me a colorful approach to designing. This combination of hot and cold, south and north certainly has its challenges. One of the cons is certainly the struggle to have my suppliers and collaborators understand my vision. I tend to think outside the box, to want to do things that haven't been done before.

FS: How do you work with companies?
CR: I have a very hands-on approach. Both with clients and suppliers.

FS: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
CR: Allow the designer to fully explain their vision, and trust that they will deliver a satisfactory end result, even though it may be different than the original starting point. Selection of a good designer can come from learning about the individual.

FS: Can you talk a little about your design process?
CR: The products "live" with me. They live around me in my home in various forms, and I tweak, and tweak until I am relatively satisfied. I test how they make me feel when it's light outside, when it's dark, when I am happy, when I am sad.

FS: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
CR: The Claire de Lune Chandelier, the mirror, I have a Ghost chair, which I enjoy. But we have a lot of second-hand things which have history and stories that we also enjoy.

FS: Can you describe a day in your life?
CR: Up at 7-ish. Straight to the computer, a bit of breakfast, movement between the computer to our basement where products are stored, to my work table to work on items under development, a visit to my supplier to prepare prototypes, back to my computer. Research. To bed about 12:30am

FS: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
CR: Realize that much of getting products to market is about networking, and hard work, and perservering.

FS: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
CR: As a designer that also produces, the business side of getting products to market are taxing. One of the positives is getting feedback from customers. Again, a hands-on type of contact.

FS: What is your "golden rule" in design?
CR: The product must be something I would be happy to have myself, and something that will make me proud to have my name on.

FS: What skills are most important for a designer?
CR: Perseverance is important. Skill? well communication. Being able to communicate to end users.

FS: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
CR: Pencils are great. Adobe CS - couldn't live without it. The internet.

FS: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
CR: Not well, unfortunately. I end up going down several rabbit holes in the course of a day.

FS: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
CR: My chandelier took the better part of one year. My jewellery line CLAIRELY is an ongoing process. I am constantly thinking of pieces that could fit into one or more of the already existing themes I already have done. So these would be new pieces.

FS: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
CR: How do you do it?

FS: What was your most important job experience?
CR: Designing a lamp for a customer that I named POAC-14. This was a self-assembly lamp that gave me the push to do other lamps, and how I got started with Claire de Lune Chandelier.

FS: Who are some of your clients?
CR: Zannier, Illums Bolighus, Chateau de Versailles, Normann Copenhagen, National Gallery of Denmark, ABC Home, NY.

FS: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
CR: I enjoy the challenge of adding to my product line as it is organic, endless and limitless.

FS: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
CR: A new series of lamps.

FS: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
CR: I develop designs myself, but would welcome a collaboration.

FS: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
CR: Starting on the next series of lamps inspired by a different time period than the Chandelier.

FS: How can people contact you?
CR: By email - info@accent.dk

FS: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
CR: Thrilled to have been awarded.

FS: Thank you for providing us with this opportunity to interview you.

A' Design Award & Competition 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 & Competition cannot be held responsible for the answers given by participating designers.

Designer of the Day Interview

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Interview with Claire Requa at Sunday 5th of August 2018

FS: Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?
CR: I am basically a self-taught lighting designer. I enjoy bringing light both physically and metaphorically (if I can).I have always been a craft-maker, ever since I was a teenager. I have a strong passion for recycling, reusing waste, preventing waste, and creating products that are useful, and beautiful to look at.

FS: How did you become a designer?
CR: I am self-taught. I do spend a lot of time thinking about how to improve things, how to bring them to life, the choice of materials.

FS: What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?
CR: It is important that the materials are sourced sustainably where possible. It's important that the product fills a need. Currently I have an interest in prosthetics that are 3D printed and provided for children at an affordable price.

FS: Which emotions do you feel when designing?
CR: There is a great sense of achievement and satisfaction when the product is finished, and even more so when sold.

FS: What particular aspects of your background shaped you as a designer?
CR: Shedding light was important to me coming from the Caribbean - Jamaica. Moving to Denmark where there is not as much light was the starting point for designing lighting. Maybe some desire for more "sun". Interestingly, my brand Claire de Lune means light of the moon. Hmmm, maybe my parents knew something bout this when they named me Claire.

FS: What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?
CR: Having a family member with limb difference has given me inspiration to work with prosthetics printed with 3D. It would be a dream to work with physiotherapists and other health care professionals helping to make aids.

FS: What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?
CR: I have found that it is important to find partners that have skills that I don't possess, so that the business can flourish. Creative skills are one thing, but there are many aspects to getting products to market.

FS: You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?
CR: Work with design all the time. Live with your products, make the world better.

FS: What is your day to day look like?
CR: My day starts with checking my business mails, then I check SO ME. I enjoy getting inspiration when the day is boring, through various sources, like Interesting Engineering, and others.

FS: How do you keep up with latest design trends? To what extent do design trends matter?
CR: I find that I prefer to not follow trends, as they are passing. So rather timeless pieces that maybe don't have immediate sale possibilities, but are more permanent.

FS: How do you know if a product or project is well designed? How do you define good design?
CR: A product is well designed when I cannot find faults with it. It satisfies my criteria of being beautiful, AND useful.

FS: How do you decide if your design is ready?
CR: When it functions.

FS: What is your biggest design work?
CR: Claire de Lune Chandelier is my signature product. It was the start of designing on a somewhat larger scale. I have subsequently, designed and decorated a small cottage - the Gully House. A Scandinavian inspired cottage in Jamaica.

FS: Who is your favourite designer?
CR: I like the cleanness of Philip Starck. Sturlesi is another designer that I always enjoy following. Architects, well, BIG in Denmark does some amazing structures.

FS: Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?
CR: Having been raised in Jamaica, where sunlight, music, are integral parts of ones life, I try to bring that with me wherever I go. I need products that are pleasant to look at, and that function. Important that the functionality is good.

FS: Would you tell us more about your work culture and business philosophy?
CR: I admit that I have an "old-school" attitude to work, which means that some young people might not like to work with me. On the other hand, I am fair, and flexible. I look for keen work ethics, and most of all passion for design, and for completion of work.

FS: What are your philanthropic contributions to society as a designer, artist and architect?
CR: I have provided many internships in my company for young people. As well as donated products for charity. I have also acted as judge for design events.

FS: What positive experiences you had when you attend the A’ Design Award?
CR: One important is the public recording of presenting my product through A' Design Award. The recognition of my fellow international designers, and the actual process of having to put in words (with the help of prompts) what the product is about.

FS: Thank you for providing us with this opportunity to interview you.

A' Design Award & Competition 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 & Competition cannot be held responsible for the answers given by participating designers.