Designer Interview

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Interview with May Khoury at Wednesday 21st of March 2018

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?
MK: I was born & grew up in the city of Ramallah, Palestine, surrounded by friends & family, who were proud of their rich heritage & culture. As a result I developed a passion towards our heritage & traditional crafts & started a small collection. I developed an eye for arts & crafts & was offered to be the director of the Jordan Crafts Center. Through working with more than 30 artisans, I started designing, without any design background,& found myself there . After four years namely 1999,I opened my own company , designing furniture, home accessories , clothing & now jewelry as well. Iam a designer with a mission of reviving our Heritage developing it & promoting it nationally & internationally in the concept of Up cycling I cannot think of any other profession that I would want to be, except a designer, although never planned it.

FS: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
MK: , Badr Adduja; meaning "The Full Moon at Night"is the brand name of my Arts & Crafts center.Inaugurated in 1999 by Her Royal Highness Princess Muna Al-Hussein , is a signature of novel crafts charged with traditional authenticity, handmade with my personal ideas of one of piece. Badr Adduja has been cultivating the talents of over 60 artisans & craftspeople insuring them a stability of income while sustaining their craftsmenship skills towards preserving the richness of Arabian Folk and Heritage. Badr Adduja Brand Trends: - Representing heritage pieces in new perspective that tackles our memories. - Utilizing our old handicrafts aesthetically to blend within our modern life style. - Creating new concepts that have a touch & a signature of our tradition. - Email: badr_adduja@yahoo.com -www.badr-adduja.com.jo -00962795526924

FS: What is "design" for you?
MK: Design is creating a functional art piece, that emphasizes our old heritage pieces, upgrades their values within a new modern perspective,& has a story to tell

FS: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
MK: I like to design furniture for homes & public places with a mission to revive & define our heritage, & ladies attire using the same concept of upcycling.

FS: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
MK: My most favourite design is a single Chair , the back of which is an old Wheat Thresher Wooden Board & the seat ia an upholstered old beduin rug. This creation was displayed in an exhibition sponsored by UNSCO in Milan, & the piece was purchased by the interior designers of Designer Roberto Cavalli.

FS: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
MK: A coffe table & a sidelamp

FS: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
MK: My favourite material is my collection of old crafts(wood, brass, textile, embroidary, straw silver rugs) incorporated with wood & glass.

FS: When do you feel the most creative?
MK: I feel most creative,whenever I come through a beautiful,old, artistic piece of Heritage that attracts my eye. Immediately I start developing a design around it.

FS: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
MK: I focus on proportions, practicality, color & function.

FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
MK: Happiness, satisfaction belonging & nostalgia

FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
MK: Iam mostly thrilled & passionate when I finish designing a piece that gets appreciated by my clients & visitors.

FS: What makes a design successful?
MK: A design is successful if it is unique, functional & has a story behind it.

FS: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
MK: I consider the originality, the mission, the functionality & the concept

FS: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
MK: I personally have a mission & vision behind my work as a designer. It is reviving & defining our heritage, through the creation of art pieces using the concept of up cycling & environment friendly, We participated this year in a seminar & exhibition called Go Green since we follow the concept of upcycling

FS: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
MK: I always have new designs in my show room & I advertise about them to my customers & the local society .My last show was taking part in' The Amman Design Week' (2nd-9th September 2016,sponsored by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdallah of Jordan

FS: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
MK: My collection of old crafts namely, wood, textile, brass & embroidary are my main inspirations. I have so much passion towards what I do, that I continue doing it & it gives me a lot of satisfaction in my life. It is mainly what keeps me energetic, young & full of life.

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?
MK: I follow three trends when designing:Representing heritage pieces in new perspective that tackles our memories. - Utilizing our old handicrafts aesthetically to blend within our modern life style. - Creating new concepts that have a touch & a signature of our traditionAll my creations follow the concept of Up cycling.

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?
MK: I live in Amman, Jordan. Definitely the rich cultural heritage has affected my designs & is emphasized through my creations. A good percentage of Jordanians appreciate my designs,but the western guests & residents are mainly my clients & the comments I get always from them is "This is a museum & not a gallery " & that my gallery & creations should be displayed in the Art & Design capitals of the World

FS: How do you work with companies?
MK: I have designed art pieces of furniture for the suites of a Big 5 Stars hotel in Dubai, as well as the wall pieces for The Suites of The New Fairmont Hotel in Amman Jordan. I also designed & executed all the wall pieces for the 11th & 12th New Renovated Floors of The LandMark Hotel in Amman. Besides that I designed & produced the whole interior of a restaurant that belongs to our family called" VINTAGE". I incorporated old pieces in my designs & displayed a lot of my creations there. The restaurant became a real attraction for its exclusive design & it is the talk of town. with small wall accessories, I suggest a design, do a sample with the cost then agree according to Volume on last price, conditions of payment & time span for delivery.

FS: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
MK: A good designer is someone who can translate the needs of any client, through artistic functional & practical designs that will add something special & unique & make a statement The choice of a designer by the client should not be according to the degrees received but rather to the originality of the design.

FS: Can you talk a little about your design process?
MK: Iam the person who designs everything & since a year I have employed an assistant designer who helps me put together all my ideas & follows up with resourcing of whatever new material we need for our creations. I also have another employee who is talented with his hands & executes for me the last small touches of any creation in house . I should mention that all my designs are commissioned & produced by local artisans in their own workshops with my supervision & material

FS: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
MK: 1-A console with a suzanni2- A coffe table with arabisque design3-A stool upholstered with an old rug4-A wall hanging which is a patchwork from 35 old embroidered palestinian dresses5- A mirror with a stone like frame & old textile.

FS: Can you describe a day in your life?
MK: I wake up early, drink my coffe then walk for half an hour. During my daily walk I think of new creations & try to focus on them. By ten oclock I get to my office where I start my day of work meeting artisans & antique dealers as well as following up by phone or visits with all artisans whom I work with. I try to attend as many art & design exhibitions that take place in my home town & outside the country as well as other cultural activities

FS: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
MK: Having a mission & a vision behind your design is very important.You have to have the eye, the passion, the perseverance & confidence that you can make it.

FS: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
MK: Designing art pieces is a pleasure to me & Iam getting lots of appreciation locally & internationally on these designs Iam most disappointed when my designs are not produced exactly to my expectations & have to send them back again & again.Also with the current Economic situation all over the world, Art is an Accessory rather than a necessity & there are lots of ups & downs concerning sale & financial gain.

FS: What is your "golden rule" in design?
MK: Golden rule in design is originality , practicality & a Fair Price

FS: What skills are most important for a designer?
MK: As far as Iam concerned , you have to have the passion,be gifted with an eye for art & design & the rest follows. I personally have not studied design at all & Iam doing a great job, according to my customers & the whole community.

FS: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
MK: I don't have any tools. I start with the old piece of craft & then I get inspired to continue my design without using any tools myself. Very simple standard tools of carpentry are used by the artisans who produce my designs.

FS: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
MK: It really doesn't take me much time to design . When I formulate my idea, I immediately call the artisan to explain the concept & the operation starts.

FS: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
MK: one day-one week

FS: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
MK: Have you studied design or is it a passion & interest.

FS: What was your most important job experience?
MK: Furnishing & designing "Vintage Restaurant" was my most important experience . It was the first project for me where I created the concept myself & did it all as well.

FS: Who are some of your clients?
MK: Hotels, embassies, cultural places , interior designers, locals, Foreign communities in Jordan & guests of Jordan.

FS: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
MK: Frankly I enjoy all my designs as each of them is unique & one-off.

FS: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
MK: I would like to go outside Jordan & work internationally as a designer.

FS: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
MK: I create my designs by myself with some help & ideas from an assistant designer whom I only employed a year ago, but then I comission certain artisans to produce them with my continuous supervision

FS: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
MK: Yes, Iam preparing new creations of furniture & Home Accessories as I will be participating in The First Jordan Home Expo (24-26 November 2016)

FS: How can people contact you?
MK: My contact details aremay@badr-adduja.com.jobadr_adduja@yahoo.com mobile 00962795526924, www.badr-adduja.com.jo

FS: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
MK: Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdallah of Jordan has awarded me for putting Jordan on the map of International Designers & recognized my efforts after receiving Two Silver & one Gold Award from A Design Award & Competition, Como Italy

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 May Khoury at Wednesday 8th of August 2018

FS: Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?
MK: My experience as a designer might be different from all others, I have become an icon in my country and the region without studying or going to collage for this profession, I found my passion and believed in a mission.My journey started 24 years ago, where I began designing in the concept of up-cycling without choosing this concept, but rather focusing on my mission to incorporate heritage pieces within a modern design to tell the story of that piece to revive and upscale it before it fades away especially to the new generation that unfortunately knows nothing about it.

FS: How did you become a designer?
MK: My journey in design started as the director of one of the biggest and oldest crafts center in Amman, Jordan in 1994.Having an eye for arts and crafts, and dealing with so many artisans who got the know-how in many different materials, I realized my passion and decided on a mission.My mission was preserving and developing our heritage through designing pieces of art where I incorporate the old heritage pieces in furniture, home accessories, and clothing. Four years later I founded my own company (Badr Adduja Arts & Crafts) with the same concept and have been cultivating the talents of over fifty artisans, ensuring them stability of income while sustaining their craftsmanship skills towards preserving the richness of Arabian folk and heritage till this day.

FS: What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?
MK: I'm a designer with a mission of preserving, enriching and developing our heritage and promoting it nationally and internationally in the concept of up-cycling.Up-cycling is returning materials to usable form without degradation to their latent value, in a way as to create a product of higher value and quality than the original.

FS: Which emotions do you feel when designing?
MK: I feel pride in believing in my mission and the commitment to spread awareness among the new generation of this concept of design.Creating the initial idea then receiving the final product is the most exciting and satisfying feeling.It's narrating the story and history of this design and making it functional for a lot to use in their everyday living.

FS: What particular aspects of your background shaped you as a designer?
MK: Having lived in Ramallah, Palestine. A city famous for its hand-embroidered dresses and different hand created home items, I developed a passion towards heritage and I started developing it in different trends:REPRESENTING heritage pieces in a new perspective that tackles our memories.UTILIZING our old handicrafts aesthetically to blend within our modern lifestyle.CREATING new concepts that have a touch of our tradition.My design journey has been very interesting, enjoyable and satisfying as one can notice a real leap in quality and design during my twenty-four years as a designer.

FS: What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?
MK: I feel that the more you do anything, the more you become deep-rooted towards what you create.During the 20 years journey, I have developed my designs with the help of the community around me and different outsiders getting to know what is really more desirable and how to incorporate my creations within different interiors and design one-off and add-on pieces.I want to be remembered as a designer who defined and spread awareness about our traditional heritage through the creations of functional and artistic pieces of furniture and clothes.

FS: What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?
MK: My advice to new designers is to have a mission or a vision.Hard work and persevering is what makes you get there, don't quit!Also to create a production line of whatever they do as this is a more practical and money making than the one piece of.I collect all kinds of books that deal with textiles and handmade items from all around the world, in order to enrich my knowledge and widen my scope in creating to clients globally.

FS: You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?
MK: I am a designer who had followed her passion with a clear mission that I believe in. My vision and passion were very obvious and my mission was appreciated, yet creating one of a kind high-end products in a third world country was not a big priority for people to give interest in, so I advise all artists and designers in this field to cater to the majority in their environment and abroad, not to limit themselves to a certain category of people who appreciate art and are willing to pay for it.

FS: What is your day to day look like?
MK: I start my day with meditation to relax my mind, then I take a walk for forty-five minutes, where I start formulating my idea of design.Since I design in all mixed media, there is always something to create, my office is at the gallery and I do enjoy a lot my customer’s admiration and appreciation of my designs.Receiving a finished piece of my creations excites me so much, especially when it is executed to my satisfaction.

FS: How do you keep up with latest design trends? To what extent do design trends matter?
MK: I always did my own personal designs, not being affected by the fashion international trends. At the moment I’m creating a line which will reflect what is hip & trendy and affordable to attract the young generation.We get inspired by watching the fashion shows of all big and small designers of the world to get the feel of what is fashionable.I will still design a limited quantity of high-end clothes and furniture that are my personal designs style.

FS: How do you know if a product or project is well designed? How do you define good design?
MK: Authentic designs have to be based on a unique idea and a concept. It has to be creative, a creating process that leads to a new and unique result, that is what differentiates creation from imitation.The idea, process, and uniqueness of the product are about how the original idea and concept lives after it leaves the hands of the designer.And all designs have to be beautiful in form and function.

FS: How do you decide if your design is ready?
MK: I am always designing but whenever a piece doesn’t sell then I do improvise on it and generally it sells after that. A design is good and successful if it sells quickly and in quantities. Generally, my creations are designed for a wide variety of clientele and displayed for sale for whoever fits in this style and suits it.Our custom-made designs are the ones that I can say are complete, as the customer tries it more than once and we keep improving it till it looks nearly perfect and up to our expectations.

FS: What is your biggest design work?
MK: Designing the wall pieces of two renovated floors at the Landmark Amman Hotel as well as the lobby was a big honor, as well as the twenty one suites of the Fairmont Hotel, Amman.I am happy that these projects will encourage other Hotels to use my expertise and give me more projects to create pieces that reflect our rich culture and educate the public as each design narrates a story of the origin and usage of the old heritage pieces used.

FS: Who is your favourite designer?
MK: My favorite designer is Zaha Hadeed, I admire and appreciate her designs and innovation, I wish I had met her, God bless her soul.

FS: Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?
MK: I live in Amman, Jordan, one of the richest cities in archeological sites, all my designs have a signature that talks about our rich culture and heritage. being a designer with a mission of preserving our heritage, music inspires me always in my work and motivates me to create.

FS: Would you tell us more about your work culture and business philosophy?
MK: I can say that I am an easy, simple and loving person, who believes in teamwork, I do empower all employees and artisans who work with me, giving them the chance to express themselves and their capabilities, while executing my work, under my supervision. I don’t have any partners, and the positive side of this is having space and allowing myself to create and experiment without any limit, while responsible for the consequence of all of my designs

FS: What are your philanthropic contributions to society as a designer, artist and architect?
MK: I have been an icon as a designer and helped out volunteering to many women organizations using my experience preserve our heritage in the concept of up-cycling.I gave lectures to art and design students on extra curriculum events. I can say that I did make a difference or left an impact on my society, my country and globally.

FS: What positive experiences you had when you attend the A’ Design Award?
MK: A design award empowered me and added to my confidence and self-esteem a designer. It was also a great addition to my CV as a designer when applying for projects. It would be an honor for me to be designer of the day.

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.