Designer Interview

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Interview with Taras Zheltyshev at Sunday 23rd of April 2017

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?
TZ: I've got a professional design education but i'm constantly studying and developing new horizonts in Art. I've changed a lot of different professions, eg. I've been trained as an engineer, doctor but finally, I do hope FINALLY i become a designer Well, my whole family is some sort of creative people, they are greatly involved in creating something new, especially in design.

FS: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
TZ: Fiat Lux Studio brings into being industrial art and design. We are targeted to advanced, forward looking customers who want to make their life more ergonomic, vivid, lively and gorgeous. Our highly respected customers care about the environment, society and think about the future the humankind.


FS: What is "design" for you?
TZ: Design is a walk near the universe rim for the surrounding space transformation purpose and quality of life improvement.

FS: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
TZ: I do like to design lamps and lighting equipment.

FS: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
TZ: I especially like Mr. Giorgio Saporiti design and Italian industrial design branch e.g. Gio Ponti and Franco Albini, continued the tradition of "industry" in the design and created "objects for use".

FS: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
TZ: Well it was a table in a shape of a drop in order to use it in a small kitchen.

FS: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
TZ: My favourite material is plastic, wood, metal and alabaster in different their combinations.

FS: When do you feel the most creative?
TZ: I'm creative all the time, and especially creative when i recieve much cash :)

FS: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
TZ: I'm interested in shape, easy manufacturing and use.

FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
TZ: It's a difficult question, but let it be some kind of serenity, joy, love and anticipation.

FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
TZ: Probably anxiety, pride, admiration and delight

FS: What makes a design successful?
TZ: Ыet of such things as lightness, easiness in manufacturing, inner strength and beauty.

FS: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
TZ: Mainly I consider usability and elegant shape.

FS: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
TZ: Designer must quietly improve the quality of peoples lives and do his or her best in order not to harm the enviroment.

FS: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
TZ: Lack of the form itself, unwieldy objects decrease, human thought transformation about the subject, but not as a real object, a kind of change in the perception of a human being.

FS: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
TZ: My last exibition was in Autumn last year, but i do hope i'll hold it this year in Summer.

FS: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
TZ: I'm a very creative person and just i see something that goes around me i see it differently and simply implement my own vision of reality in a new visible form.

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?
TZ: Our design style is a fusion style, but we also support classic and modern styles, giving the beauty of simple objects without breaking or changing its original shape and our approach is based on simplicity and purity of form.

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?
TZ: I live in a great country with rich cultural heritage and its culture is definitely influenced me and my work but I'm open to the world and especially for the European and particularly Italian design.

FS: How do you work with companies?
TZ: Typically,company representatives express their wishes about the future product and as for the design itself and product's functionality, they are at my discretion. Certainly, later we together with the customer discuss the resulting design and come to a single decision.

FS: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
TZ: Thanks thats a very good question. Nowadays there are many good designers and find exactly that whose work will be needed is beyond difficulty. As for me, I would advise company representatives to attend more exhibitions and design competitions similar to your own in order to organize their own design competition and choose the best work.

FS: Can you talk a little about your design process?
TZ: Yes of course. I can describe the design process step by step: 1) We set the goal 2) Provide market research or have a deal with current fashion 3) analyze the gathered information 4) Create thumbnail sketch and share it with the customer 5) Visualize it in the future using modern technology and finally create it in the flesh.

FS: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
TZ: Sofa, TV remote controller, computer mouse, wallpaper and sink.

FS: Can you describe a day in your life?
TZ: My day usually starts at 10 in the morning, I quickly get up, have my breakfast, wash myself, watch the news. Then I go to study or to work where I am till 5 and since 6 o'clock in the evening I return home where I can realize my creative ideas into life, sometimes I can work all night without having any sleep.

FS: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
TZ: I don't remember exactly the latin proverb but in english it sounds like - Keep control of yourself and you'll possess the world.

FS: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
TZ: The designer's path is thorny and difficult, on the one hand you can change the world and on the other hand, many good designers remain unfamous.

FS: What is your "golden rule" in design?
TZ: Do not hurry and provide a competent approach to the work or project you do and a little bit of magic.

FS: What skills are most important for a designer?
TZ: Drawing, vision of colors, shapes and overall composition, imagination.

FS: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
TZ: Gobs of professional literature, numerous examples of design work, 3DMAX, photoshop, Corel but my favorite is a pencil and eraser.

FS: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
TZ: I have a very strict schedule, because I study and work altogether so all my time is written in my schedule and I usually work according to the pre-planned tasks.

FS: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
TZ: It depends on the project or task complexity but usually it takes around a week for a standard design project.

FS: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
TZ: The answer mightnot seem extraordinary - How much is it? What's the price?

FS: What was your most important job experience?
TZ: It's difficult to say all my projects gave smth. to me, I mean in the field of experience and skills but the most unforgettable and useful was the project concerning the future motorcycle. While working on this project I had to think not just about its outlook but also the future power sources, technologies, materials and general concept.

FS: Who are some of your clients?
TZ: Upper and middle class clients who are interested in aesthetics.

FS: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
TZ: It's a quite hard question but I do like the exact process of the design idea implementation.

FS: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
TZ: I'm greatly interested in the future housing design, the future architecture and minimalistic hidden floor lamp.

FS: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
TZ: I usually develop my own design by myself but sometimes I can work as a part of a team.

FS: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
TZ: Now I'm working with a hidden floor lamp. It's a floor lamp that is very compact and easy to use and if you need it you can just push the button and it appears but when you don't need it, it is simply as stealth as possible on the contrast to big, dusty and usually looking standart floor lamps.

FS: How can people contact you?
TZ: People usually contact me via email - taburetka5166@gmail.com or phone, +79138522863, but of course people can find me in my office.

FS: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
TZ: Thank you for such a full questionnaire, I’m really pleased to answer on it. Hope to reveal all the sides of my designing process and even more.

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

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