Designer Interview

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Interview with Despina Souhlas at Wednesday 30th of September 2015

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?
DS: I had always enjoyed art and math so I combined the two and pursued architecture. Interior design, furniture and product design became natural extensions of my initial passion.

FS: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
DS: Creating a unique space for each of our clients is our primary goal. We are fortunate to have clients that allow us to pursue new concepts for traditional program requirements.

FS: What is "design" for you?
DS: Designing a solution to an issue is liberating, so design is a form of freedom for me. It's not exclusive to buildings or spaces or products, it's limitless.

FS: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
DS: I mostly enjoy designing sculptural items that solve a problem.

FS: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
DS: It's difficult for me to choose a favorite, there's so much beautiful design.

FS: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
DS: Interior residential space

FS: When do you feel the most creative?
DS: It has no recurring schedule, it varies depending on what I'm reading, watching or doing.

FS: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
DS: Balancing function with form

FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
DS: So many emotions play into design. The excitement of starting the design, frustration and determination when it is not quite where is should be and the satisfaction when it all comes together in the end.

FS: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
DS: Understanding the proportions found in nature and how relevant they are to every aspect of life is a powerful source of inspiration.

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?
DS:

FS: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
DS: We look to nature for inspiration, not just imagery, but the proportions.

FS: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
DS: Design is limitless. The fact that design never ends can also be frustrating since it is a constant search for perfection which I don't feel can be achieved. Every human design lends itself to improvement at some point during it's existence.

FS: What skills are most important for a designer?
DS: A knowledge of history, a knowledge of or innate ability towards proportions, communication through sketching, but mostly an understanding of what is necessary for the design task at hand.

FS: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
DS: depending on what it is, sometimes 5 minutes, sometimes 5 months

FS: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
DS: How much will it cost?

FS: What was your most important job experience?
DS: Working in an architectural firm with architects and interior designers helped me to understand how the industry functions. It also helped determine how I wanted to function thin the design world with my own firm.

FS: Who are some of your clients?
DS: We have had the privilege of working with very interesting and creative clients including art gallery owners, film directors/producers, traders, freelance photographers, financial consultants/analysts...for private and commercial spaces.

FS: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
DS: I like all types of design work.

FS: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
DS: sometimes alone, but often with a team member

FS: How can people contact you?
DS: despina@studioess.com

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

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