Interview with Oblikus Design Studio

Oblikus Design Studio ("ODS") interviewed on Monday, 13 August.

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

ODS : We both went to a Vocational High School for Design, the Industrial and Interior Design Department. Afterwards we both studied Industrial Design at the Faculty of Applied Arts in Belgrade. We were classmates in both schools and we were the two out of four students in total admitted in the department that year. We have been working in different creative fields such as interior design, graphic design and marketing. We decided to form a studio 5 years ago and pursuit our passion for product design initially working on self initiated projects. After receiving several design awards we continued working with clients and businesses form our country.

How did you become a designer?

ODS : Creative people are multi talented persons. The love for art was there from the early school days, we painted and drew well, played an instrument, were good at geometry.. Then we learned about professions which are built on applied arts and immediately were drawn into them. The idea of being able to create aesthetical object that can help people and solve some problems, wow! This passion is ever growing since those early school days.

What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?

ODS : The Design Thinking has become more popular as a term outside the design industry lately. We find this process very intuitive and natural. We try to truly identify the need to be solved, we try to ideate widely and prototype as early as possible. We always consult engineers and technology experts along the way to see where the current technical boundaries are and try to challenge them. And we are not afraid to question the concept and iterate very late in the development process. We think that the idea and the approach to the problem are the most important aspects of the process, tools are there to help you reach the goal. The more you master them, the better.

Which emotions do you feel when designing?

ODS : Design is a process and we have different emotions throughout all stages. There is empathy, passion, a positive drive to continue the pursuit for the solution. And sometimes stress and excitement when things reach production. This curve goes up and down as the proces advances. Overall it is a very enjoyable journey.

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

ODS : We think that everyone has many talents and interests. Those interests, hobbies or passions shape our personalities and become strong assets in professional work and give unique perspectives. Miroslav has always been interested in mechanics and technical aspects of how things are being made. Tamara was engaged with many different interests wile growing up, from piano playing to human rights activism.

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

ODS : We plan to engage more directly with manufacturers. The dream project would be some smart medical product that will hopefully help people in everyday health care.

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

ODS : We would like to stress the importance of getting involved in the industry as early as possible. The essence is learned at schools but the biggest knowledge comes from real projects. It is common for designers to be involved with very different projects in terms of technology, experience and context. We would encourage young designers to gain experience through internships or pro bono projects. And of course expand their knowledge outside design – world culture, psychology, technology, even economy and business.

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

ODS : We would encourage fellow colleagues to be persistent in their pursue for what they feel is important. To find like minded individuals, network and collaborate. Also to get involved with the business side of the projects, in our experience it changed so much the way we look at new and upcoming opportunities.

What is your day to day look like?

ODS : We try to do the majority of the most important things in the morning when the energy level si high. We read design news often during the mid-day brakes. A business day is rarely a boring one, but we use the periods of routine work to listen and catch up with podcasts or music.

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

ODS : For us following design trends always had some kid of a negative side. We think designers should be well aware of what is going on in the industry but we always advocate for being true to your self and work carefully with trends.

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

ODS : We think a really good design needs to examine all aspects of the product as a whole.Functionality, user experience, form, technology, aesthetic, the context, the economical side, impact to the environment and the product after life.

How do you decide if your design is ready?

ODS : One of our university professors used to say that design is a process never finished but abandoned at one point. This is such a wisdom, because you can iterate on any project almost indefinitely. So finding the balance between design stages comes with experience. We always have more to learn but it seams to us every time we do thing better and faster than the last time. Project management has a crucial role in product development, in which many parties are involved and directly affect that moment when design is ready.

What is your biggest design work?

ODS : We are certainly proud of our Moonlight luminaires that are permanently featured in the Red Dot Design Museum in Singapore. This is a project that we developed and produced completely on our own. The main principle was to design a lighting object that emphasizes tactile experience of the user with the object. Our focus was user interaction and the use of technology behind the experience. The development proces was really exciting as the technology turned out to be more delicate than we anticipated. For that occasion we were fortunate to have been working with an amazing group of engineers and developers.

Who is your favourite designer?

ODS : We love the legendary Dieter Rams and his designs because they are well thought and honest. In our opinion he is the ultimate icon of product design. When we first learned about his principals in school, it left a great mark with our thinking about product design.

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

ODS : We love to travel and learn about the world this way. Good design is about sharing knowledge and experiences, the more you know the more you wish to learn. We are trying to find a balance between the urban living and nature, technology and healthy habits.

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

ODS : We love to collaborate and always seek for exerts to help is make the best of our projects. In our professional encounters we feel very fortunate every time we work with skilled from other fields. In business we are very easy to work with and we value other peoples time and commitment.

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

ODS : Growing up in a country with a really tough social and economical environment we really experienced first hand how many difficult challenges young people need to overcome in order to make things happen. We always respond to a call for a good cause and engage to share any knowledge of experience we gained. Tamara also teaches at the university and gives enormous efforts beyond curricular requirements to give better education for young generations.

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

ODS : Participating in credible design competitions is a great opportunity for emerging and professional designers to gain recognition and media attention. It is an environment where we can share our visions and personal takes on design with the community. Since the projects can also be concepts, it is a great way of presenting design ideas unbound with some manufacturing capabilities.

Oblikus Design Studio Profile