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 KORD card holder was inspired by geometry, simple shapes and clean lines, and designed with great aesthetics and functionality in mind. The idea behind this project was to create a minimalist card holder/wallet that could keep the cards securely inside but which could also easily adapt in thickness as needed and be easily customised on both sides with new/customs designs or client work/logos. Another important aspect of the design was to create a product that would have a minimum impact on the environment. Thus, the two side pieces are made from either Beech wood (sourced from FSC certified suppliers) or a combination of Beech wood and 100% recycled plastic. The two side pieces can also be easily customised (i.e. either engraved or printed) on the entire surface, while the thin elastic cord laced in a zig-zag pattern ensures maximum visibility of the design and a tight hold for the cards inside.
: The main focus for this design work was on aesthetics and functionality, as is the case for most of my designs.
: Depending on the request for this product, mass production would most probably be the next step for this design. However, selling/leasing the production rights is also something I might take into consideration.
: The design process took me around 6-7 months, from the initial sketch to the final prototype, including the few months of testing the different versions.
: Most of my designs are for my own design brand and shop, OONA Studio. So this was the case with the KORD minimalist wallet as well. This design is the end result of my decision to pursue my inspiration. The actual creation process is what motivates me. I love taking my ideas through the various design stages and finally seeing them brought to life.
: Currently the design is produced and sold under my own brand, OONA Studio, but selling / leasing the production rights is not out of the question should I come by an offer that’s too good to pass :).
: The boring corporate gifts like custom pens and agendas :). I wanted to create something different, a conversation starter, something that would draw the attention, a product that would be carried around all the time and which could be easily customised.
: No one in particular for this design work. At least not consciously :).
: Corporate staff and corporate clients for its customisation possibilities. Creatives and design professionals. People with a developed sense of aesthetics and an affinity for design goods. People that embrace the minimalist approach or just like to travel light and carry only the essentials. People that like to stand out from the crowd, that like being different and are not afraid to show it.
: I think it’s the versatility and customisation possibilities of this design. You can use it with only a few credit cards inside if you like to keep things clean and simple but you can also fit a few bills and business cards inside if you like a more functional approach, while still keeping it light and compact.
: The name was inspired by the elastic cord that wraps around the two sides of the wallet and keeps everything tight inside.
: I think it’s the versatility and customisation possibilities of the design.
: Although it can be produced using only hand tools, one of the ideas behind this design was to make use of technology in order to optimise the production and minimise human error. So for best and accurate results, the product was designed to be cut to shape using a CNC laser cutter. In this respect I collaborate with a local workshop from Cluj-Napoca that also helped with the initial prototyping and production.
: Please refer to the previous question in this respect (question no. 14).
: The research for this project was done using Google search and international handmade/design marketplaces in respect of the most common alternatives on the market. Most similar wallets were designed to use a wide elastic band wrapped around the middle to keep the wallet together. This was an issue to me as it limited the possibility for customisation. The solution was to use a thin cord wrapped in a zig-zag pattern to maximise the visible space on each side.
: The main design challenge was to create a card holder/minimalist wallet that could easily adapt in thickness as needed and which could also be easily customised on both sides with new/customs designs or client work/logos. This was achieved by replacing the wide elastic bands used on most similar card holders with a thin, 1 mm elastic cord wrapped around in a zig-zag pattern. The cord acts as a stopper on both sides and the bottom of the wallet. It also ensures a secure hold even when the wallet is used with just one card and allows maximum visibility of any custom design that would be printed on the surface. Also at OONA Studio I focus on creating environmentally conscious pieces of design so this product was no exception. I wanted to offer the possibility of choosing different eco-friendly materials but finding recycled plastic sheets was no easy task. But I was lucky to finally find a producer for such sheets in Italy that also has a distributor in UK willing to sell the material in lower quantities.
: Although I’ve been contacted by A’ Design Award & Competition to submit my work, I had my doubts that it would be good enough to actually win an international prize. So my father had a crucial role in this respect as he was the one that supported me and pushed me in this direction.
