Interview with Elham Mirzapour

Elham Mirzapour ("EM") interviewed on Wednesday, 26 February.

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

EM : I’ve studied Industrial Design at the University. Prior to my studies, I also was engaged in various fields of art such as painting, photography and music. I have always been interested in design and I was eager to learn it academically to choose it as my carrier. That's why I studied Industrial Design at university and it made my life more enjoyable.

How did you become a designer?

EM : I was interested in this field and I tried to expand my design activities and experiences so that currently design is large part of my life.

What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?

EM : I have never been restricted to technique and the use of different techniques has always fascinated me.

Which emotions do you feel when designing?

EM : Creating is always beautiful. When a design process is initiated, it has its own challenges. Along the process, I feel satisfied when I look back and see how my ideas are matured.

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

EM : I believe that some of my personal habits and interests have played a significant role in my career. For example, I have been interested in collections for many years and collecting them and watching them has influenced me. In addition, activities in other fields of art and direct contact with various materials have not been ineffective.

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

EM : Gaining a variety of experiences in various fields of art and studying modern science and technology alongside design and experience. I plan to reach an influential position in design in the future.

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

EM : passionate and purposeful design and gaining as much experience and knowledge as possible.

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

EM : I suggest experiencing and paying attention to the meaning and taking a deep look at the phenomena and details of life. Loving the activity and studying with care and diligence has always led us to success in every field.

What is your day to day look like?

EM : My days are usually different. But I always have some routine in my daily life, such as reading books, reading newspapers and electronic journals and websites to keep up with the latest science and technology and design news in the world. I take care of my flowers and do work projects as well.

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

EM : I always try to keep up with the latest developments in my work through reading and seeing new products and concepts. I believe, every designer should be aware and up-to-date, because I think that all design companies, while being creative and unique, always try to have an aura of features and attributes of that era, which is a collective, global behavior. You have to be aware of this for better design.

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

EM : I believe, good design happens when there is simplicity, attractiveness, creativity and usefulness in a product. Our definition of good design in each product is different than the other. For example, in one product, just a simple and minor change in its redesign process may be excellent and sufficient, but in another product our definition of good design would include major and fundamental changes that influence and change all the perceptions of the audience.

How do you decide if your design is ready?

EM : I consider many sections for each of my projects; then for each of these sections, I consider various challenges and questions which in turn I try to answer each of these sections. In the process of designing, I may go back to a section over and over again and ask myself whether this satisfies me or not. Is this what I was looking for? If the answer is yes, I would put a green tick for confirmation and do the same for other sections as long as no questions is remained.

What is your biggest design work?

EM : All my projects have been satisfying and meaningful at a specific time.

Who is your favourite designer?

EM : There are many designers that I admire a feature of them. For example, I might like perspective of one designer and style and discipline in another.

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

EM : Daily studying about new science and technologies and seeing new designs and gaining experience in different activities is a part of my life. The culture and environment in which we live, whether we want it or not, influences us. For example, in my country, social conditions always forced us to face different challenges and constraints since childhood and this has affected my way of thinking. For example, it has made it easier for me to face design constraints and seek answers, which leads to less pressure on me during the project.

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

EM : I believe in teamwork and prefer it individual work. High precision and focus and discipline is a must in design. I believe, if we spend 100% of our ability in doing something, we will achieve the desired result.

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

EM : As far as possible I try to share the new experiences I get with my new colleague and always encourage them to work harder.

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

EM : It was interesting to me that my design is going to be compared with many other designers' products. This increased my precision and effort and made me examine my product from different perspectives.

Elham Mirzapour Profile