Interview with Ilana Seleznev

Ilana Seleznev ("IS") interviewed on Sunday, 24 October.

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?

IS : 2009, Industrial design, DA , Avni Design Center, Tel-Aviv/Israel 2013, Marketing, MBA, The Open University, , Ra'anana/Israel 2016 ,SIT, Course, IDC, Herzeliya/Israel 2016 - 2018 Master

How did you become a designer?

IS : The truth is that I have been hesitated for a long time and during the traveling in another country, a random conversation on the bar whit some guy I spoke to said to me: "What are you doing?" Wait a minute.. do not tell me .. you're a designer?" And that's how it solved my dilemma :)- because I always thought study design or psychology and to this day I know I'll learn psychology later, these areas overlap in my eyes

What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?

IS : For me, the part of the research and systematic work is very important at first. Then I move to form and then to the function, I work backwards and my whole process is different and based on the tools that I developed for myself at first (now I am teaching others)

Which emotions do you feel when designing?

IS : I am happy to work in my work and I am usually happy to design but its depends on the project to. on it content also, becouse it affects the awareness and thought.

What particular aspects of your background shaped you as a designer?

IS : I think that I love to cleanliness, the fact that I had play whit broken engines when I was little and that I am practical and technical as well.

What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?

IS : My dream is to finish my methodology, to prove that it is good/ necessary and that people around the world will use it. In addition I want to exhibit all over the world and stand on my TED world stage

What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?

IS : Work hard, persistence and Never give up

You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?

IS : Work hard, persistence and Never give up dreaming

What is your day to day look like?

IS : My routine looks like this: wakes up early in the morning, e-mails, uploads something to the social network, goes out to meetings with customers (design) lectures with students and late end in the studio. A long day, varied and different

How do you keep up with latest design trends? To what extent do design trends matter?

IS : Trend is something temporary in my oppinion, I'm updated but less connect to it (just the minimla style).

How do you know if a product or project is well designed? How do you define good design?

IS : In my opinion, the product has two aspects: emotion and function. When they exist in the design product its good and not measured by taste, this design is clear to everyone and has a need in the world.

How do you decide if your design is ready?

IS : I ask questions and by responses I understand where the design stands

What is your biggest design work?

IS : The methodology that I developed and the products developed following the development of my method - Thinking inside the box"

Who is your favourite designer?

IS : I dont have one thing I love, I love a lot of things, I need variety :) But I have some like - Dor Carmon - Israeli designer Zaha Hadid Tom Hancock Tom Dixon Haim Hayon

Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?

IS : Everything is very fast and changing.

Would you tell us more about your work culture and business philosophy?

IS : For me is the combining maths and design. In my opinion, creative and innovative development and design should be based on clear tools and formulas, in other words, on systematic progress and traceable patterns. Our brain relies on patterns in order to make sense of our surroundings and save energy, so why not use these existing tools to make sense of the chaos?” Ilana’s trust ( and develop some method) in mathematical structures also gives her a more relaxed approach to design, as she tells me: “Many professionals go out of their way to find that epiphany moment, that a-ha-moment. There is a lot of pressure on finding the next big thing and having to think outside of the box, but instead, we can use our existing toolbox and take inspiration from the methods and patterns of mathematical and logic rules.” Who said thinking inside the box is bad? Using the right tools, e.g. our brain, is just as inspiring!

What are your philanthropic contributions to society as a designer, artist and architect?

IS : I wish that designers would use the tools that I develop and shape a better world

What positive experiences you had when you attend the A’ Design Award?

IS : The help and support

Ilana Seleznev Profile