Interview with Nepto

Nepto ("Nepto") interviewed on Thursday, 23 May.

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

Nepto : I studied engineering and I worked before for a solar company. So I'm far from any background in art and design. But one component of my life bring me to become an artist/designer/builder : my family. Indeed, my grand father open in the 70's a shop of shoes tailor-made. He created the shoes from the beginning, selected the best leather and skin, designed the shoes for a feet of anyone who wanted it. Then my father was an industrial designer but he was passionate by motorbike. He finally open his shop as well, called motobel, and prepared motorbikes for competitions. He was really good technically but he also always cared about the design and the look of his motorbike. The shape, the colors, the equilibrium in the design was always well selected. After my baccalauréat, I wanted to make a design school in Paris but I finally choose engineering for the job security. I would do a design school but I don't regret at all my formation in engineering. It was pretty useful to understand the mechanical behavior of material and how works a clock movement for example. So, yes I've always wanted to be a designer but it took time to really feel it and become one.

How did you become a designer?

Nepto : I started to become a designer after some years in a research and development area. I had enough experience as a worker and I knew that I had the capacity to make my own company in design and it is what I did.

What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?

Nepto : My design process is quite basic. I always start with some scratch on paper to see how I feel my design. Then I make my design a bit more structured with proper dimension and eventually in 3D with different material. Then I use Illustrator to make a clear 2D design and to integrate colors. At the end I finalise my design with a CAD software and exact dimension.

Which emotions do you feel when designing?

Nepto : I have lots of excitation when I'm designing and I don't take sometime the time to make the things perfectly so I need to come back on it. But I try to go directly where I want to go and I don't want to try tousand things because all is clear in my head. I enjoy the most the first view of the prototypes because you see all the work behind you and you see also the final product. I enjoy also because you can change some tiny details and it is extremely important to do it.

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

Nepto : I think that it's the curiosity and the education that my father bring me. He was really meticulous and I became also like that. All is in the detail in design.

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

Nepto : I want to

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

Nepto : We want to design in 2020 two new collection. One automatic watch based on the SHIELD but with a new shape which will bring event more fineness. The second model will be a watch with some other accessories which will be part of the watch. And then, we would like to make other design products but we have to define it.

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

Nepto : I am myself a young designer, not in age but in experience. Anyway, I think that the most important is to stay open. To make exhibition which can be far from them specificity. Get inspiration from all which is around them, in the street, at a place of a friend of them, in the nature…

What is your day to day look like?

Nepto : I wake up quite late and then I have a proper brunch. I like to eat only two times by day. Then I manage all the administrative stuff, mail, and day check. Then I have my list of to do and I start point by point each of them by priority. sometime the design of the watches, sometime the catalogue to prepare on Indesign, sometime translation of French in English and German, sometime visit of a shop, sometime traveling.... Around 18h, I go to fitness and then I eat again. After eating we have a quick meeting with my partner and I usually work a bit at the evening again. As I drive my company and we are a really small one, I don't have a monthly plan, everything to do is coming so quickly that my list of todo is always full.

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

Nepto : I don't care that much on it. I should maybe a bit more to get even more success in business but I think that it is contre productive and contre creative to do it.

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

Nepto : When judging a design, I think that you have different steps. The first step is the first impression when you arrive in front of the object. This first impression is really important and that's why you have to present your design in the best condition. Then, I need a bit of time to really observe it and see how I react on the design, more in the details. And finally, I need to touch it, to understand how it was made and why.

How do you decide if your design is ready?

Nepto : It's hard to answer to this question. I think a design is never ready.

What is your biggest design work?

Nepto : The two first collection of watches I did last year.

Who is your favourite designer?

Nepto : Frank O'Gehry, Iris Van Herpen

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

Nepto : I love Berlin, it's my favorite city and by Berlin I love electronic music and nightlife. In literature, I'm a big fan of classic books, from the XVI century to the beginning of the XX century. About cinema, I'm really open. To be honest, I don't have a most favorite design. I think, it is monomaniac to have a most favorite design and it stop your creativity. I like in architecture the design of Frank O'gehry, I like the design of Aston Martin for cars, I like the Bauhaus style for interior design... But I don't have a most favorite design. I need to stay open mind about every kind of design around me to keep creativity.

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

Nepto : I think that it's really important to stay open in your work. Better two brain than one. So yes I can work with a co worker and it can be really efficient in thsi way. But I also need my own time to prepare and thing before to do something. If I hire someone, I want him to have an open minded and be able to work on different topic. I need someone curious and who is ready to work hard sometimes and take more time some other time. I don't want to make time shift, you can come whenever you want and leave whenver you want until the work is done.

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

Nepto : To be honest, I would love to but I'm driving my little company and I have really no time for it. But in the future we want to have eco responsability in the product we will propose. I'm also taking care of the people who are producing our watch to be sure they have good condition of work.

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

Nepto : It was a new challenge and so it is always exciting. I like it because it is a competition and I want always to win. I did lots of rugby at a really good level and I'm a competitor. I like it also because you can see what other people are doing.

Nepto Profile