Designer Interview

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Interview with Didier Wolff at Friday 28th of February 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?
DW: I previously worked with image, creation and design. In fact, I have been writing, acting, sculpting, photo shooting since the earlier stages of my life. Design counts strongly among the various fields of my sensitivity. Getting my pilot license brought me closer to the aviation world, leading me naturally to associate design and aviation. The common denominator of my past experiences is a continuous search for beauty. Through the creation of posters, the gallery and the streets were the open public areas. Now, with the design of aircraft liveries, the gallery is the open sky.
Happy Design Studio is a logical continuation of my rich experience. It has already gotten a fantastically encouraging response from all parties involved in the aeronautical industry.

FS: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
DW: Founded in 2010 in Strasbourg, France, Happy Design Studio has become a reference in original taylor made liveries on any type of aircraft. Our dedicated team shares the same passion for a job well done. Ultimately, our aim is to be as proud of the livery as the aircraft’s owner. Happy Design Studio manages the entire design project and supervises the painting of the aircraft on behalf of our worldwide client base, by relying on a large and very qualified network of technical partners. Because each and every design is created on an accurate 3D model, all technical constraints associated with the final painting of the aircraft are taken into consideration from the start, in order to ensure that the result will perfectly match the initial project.

FS: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
DW: A sticky octopus toy's packaging

FS: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
DW: Paper, stencils and blue bic pencils

FS: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
DW: I do not pretend to define any mainstream. There are thousands of designers out there and luckily not one unique direction for art.

FS: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
DW: Be brief in description and let the designer explore new routes you would not have imagined.

FS: Can you talk a little about your design process?
DW: Home made recipes, no one's allowed in the kitchen.

FS: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
DW: A giant Red & White rocket of Tintin

FS: Can you describe a day in your life?
DW: Come on!

FS: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
DW: Definitively forget all initial briefings, work from instinct, because the aircraft, as an object, speaks by itself. It sets its own movements, strength, like muscles remarkably wrapping a body. These essential criteria will give a natural birth to the Design, and only after that first deep set of work do I go back to the initial specifications, not before.

FS: What is your "golden rule" in design?
DW: Same as Q.25

FS: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
DW: The usual computer graphic softwares (Maya, Mental Ray, Photoshop & Illustrator)

FS: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
DW: Both are so mixed up that I have a hard time to differentiate moments when I work from moments where I am not. I would love to manage this matter!

FS: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
DW: From 2 to 6 months, each project is of very different nature.

FS: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
DW: Do you create interior Designs?

FS: What was your most important job experience?
DW: Dassault Rafale Fighter, its acrobatics enhance the design.

FS: Who are some of your clients?
DW: Private Jet owners, Airlines, Aircraft Manufacturers, Military Air Forces.

FS: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
DW: Myself

FS: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
DW: The different designs I am working on are under NDA at this point, but I can tell you what my desire would be for one of the next. All our clients are men. I would love to design an aircraft livery for a woman.

FS: How can people contact you?
DW: www.happydesign.net

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

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