We had the distinct pleasure to interview award winning designer about their original and creative design work. is an award-winning creative designer, that makes our world a better place with their original works.
("") answered Design Interview ("DI") questions about their award-winning work . Interview questions prepared by Frank Scott.
: The inspiration behind my design is the Meccano construction system I used to play with, as a child, in the mid sixties.
: First of all, I wanted to design a chair, chairs being one of the most functional objects we use every day. Second, it was for fun: playing with metal strips, nuts and bolts... And last, I but not least, I wanted to revive a childhood memory.
: I made no future plans for this design. It was a one-off hobby concept and not planned for production. Although I think that, if demand exists, the manufacture of a small batch could be envisaged.
: It took me three or four months to develop the idea, the upscalling of the metal strips and the definition of the basic structure. Then, after production of the aluminium strips, two experimental prototypes were built. I picked the second one (the armchair) as the most 'clean' design and finished a completed prototype. It was kept at my home office for some years, till November 2012, when I finally took some time designing and producing the wood reinforcements that assured a full functional chair.
: The design was not commissioned. It was an inspiration.
: I have no commercial intentions. There are no copyrights. Anyone can built a chair like this one. That was the playability principle of the Meccano construction sets: pick the parts, follow your creativity and build the object.
: I like chairs. I love Meccano. Using my spare time to create objects is a hobby.
: Not really.
: Anyone that, as a boy, had the good fortune of playing with Meccano, will revive his happy childhood memories.
: Well, there are thousands of chair concepts/designs. Do you know any other ressembling this one?...
: I could not use the Meccano name, of course, so I tried a 'clin d'oeil' to the brand, keeping the sound of it.
: I used no design tools other than the original Meccano metal strips, for downscale experiments.
: I think the idea of using Meccano in furniture is quite unusual, of not unique...
: I made the first half dozen metal strips from raw aluminum strips I bought at a DIY store. Then the other were comissioned at a local aluminium shop. The leather cushions were ordered at an upholstery repair shop.
: The design is simple, the frame is a basic isostatic structure, you can do something similar at home if you like. I see no technology in the design...
: No such thing as research, in the traditional meaning of the word, was carried out. I had the original 50 years old metal strips at home, so I just picked the pieces and started playing.
: The most challenging problem to solve was the transverse flexibility of the frame. It took some time to find a nice solution.
: As a final product, full functional in mid December last year, I thought about testing the originality and publicizing the chair.
: I think the basic lesson is that a full functional solution for a nice design concept can take time. Creativity comes not when you want; you cannot order it...
