We had the distinct pleasure to interview award winning designer Joey van Beek about their original and creative Bar Table design work. Joey van Beek is an award-winning communication designer, that makes our world a better place with their original bar table works.
Joey van Beek ("JVB") answered Design Interview ("DI") questions about their award-winning work Steel U Bar Table. Interview questions prepared by Frank Scott.
JVB : I wanted a design that was based on the passed, created in the present but with the intension to inspire the future. When I was thinking about this kind on an design, one of things that came up to me, was the word emotion. And to be able to create in real life, you need to become physically involved. By combining these two words, I came up with the idea to create the demolition legs by using the clients physical emotion. This way the design truly becomes a part of the client.
JVB : I wanted the concrete legs to look as if there were taken out from a demolition, but at the same time, when the client looks at the design, it reminds the client of the emotion that was used to create it.
JVB : People have ask me if I would sell it. But that is an easy answer, no. Not just because the design marks the start of an lifechanging journey, but also because I am now able to show the concept in real life to my clients.
JVB : The total duration from start to finish took almost two years. The time from idea to starting production was around two months.
JVB : After I had seen the gala video of A’ Design Award, I still had this particular idea in my mind for my office and something inside me just told me to make Steel-U and participate in the competition. It wasn’t a design made specifically for just one client, but a concept to show eventually to the world.
JVB : Steel-U is a design and concept that I am only producing myself. The reason for this is not just the personal connection that it generates with the client, but also that if someone would see this style, that they automatically know it is made by Joey van Beek.
JVB : I wanted to create a design that would work around the demolition expression to the eye, but also to the mental expression of the client.
JVB : Maybe a bit of a short answer, but no. I did check if I could find something similar on the internet, but I did not. Maybe the fact that I could not find any design that did look like it, it did help to continue the realization of the idea.
JVB : The target customer is everyone who want something bold and truly unique. This because they finish the design themselves.
JVB : The fact that it cannot be replicated makes it truly unique. Even if you would find two tabletops who look similar, they are different. Also the client cannot put the same emotion in the demolition. This because the experience from the first leg will also be used in the next one. It truly is one-off.
JVB : Steel-U refers to three things. One is that Steel stands for the main material. Secondly is U that stands for You as a person who makes it. And thirdly, is that Steel-U almost is pronounced as Still You. And that is what it partly is, still a part of you.
JVB : For getting an impression of how the design would look like, I just used pencil and paper. Then for production I use AutoCad.
JVB : The uniqueness of the concept is not just the design itself as far as the looks, but mainly the fact that it cannot be replicated.
JVB : Regarding the idea around the design and concept there was no collaboration. But for making the concrete legs I got the help from my best friend, who is my father, because he had built his own house. During making the first leg he thought and showed me what I needed to know so I could make the second leg myself with him as my mentor by my side checking. This made the process of realizing Steel-U even more amazing.
JVB : For me with this design it is perfectly to combine old and new technology, and not excluding one or another. For example, the legs were drawn with 3D simulation software to come up with specific dimensions but for the realization there was usage of a big hand grinder and forging. So using the right technology was key for this specific end result.
JVB : The research that I did was if I could find some similar design on the internet. This way I knew if my design could be made and be truly unique. Which material I needed to use was purely based on the experience that I have gained within the company that my father and I have.
JVB : Because the tabletop is made from scrap metal, it mend that I not only needed to work with a fixed dimension, but mostly with the fact that the steel plate was all the way around cut with the oxygen-cutting process. Because of this, the top layer is slightly hardened and drilling holes in the sides to mount the legs was not possible. I then decided to make new flat bars with holes and threat in them and weld them to the main steel plate. This way I was now able to assemble Steel-U.
JVB : Because the world of art and design is new to me, I was looking on the internet if I could find information on how the world of design worked. I came across A’ Design Award and noticed there gala-video and tough to myself; wouldn’t it be great to one day also be there? Something inside me told me that I should give it a try and submit. I know now even more than ever that I am very glad I did not ignore it.
JVB : I learned that if you have a vision, despite what others may say or think, you should just go for it. And I do know also that there is still a lot to learn within the world of art and design.
JVB : Actually, no. For me it was a nice interview to do, and I hope that others will enjoy reading it.
