John Nielsen has spent the last fourteen years working for a diverse set of individuals and companies across the fields of architecture and industrial design. After working for several years as an associate at Knud Holscher Design, John branched out and started John Nielsen Design. In this interview we talked with him about the cross over between architecture and design, his design philosophy and what skills he believes the next generation of Designers will need.
Highlights
- “Industrial designers are getting involved in R&D, often as participants in multidisciplinary collaborations, with architects, engineers and production companies, or being employed in the research and development departments of larger architecture firms.”
- “In less than a decade, we have moved from using pencils and paper as our primary tools to entering the digital age, where computers are not just replacing the pencils but are transforming design and architecture. Scripting, parametric design, animated design and algorithmic design are just a few examples of new methods of generating design, which were unthinkable 10 years ago.”
- “Designers have the opportunity to shape the perception of good design to the public, to communicate globally within the design community, and perhaps most importantly, to interact with the engineering community, the marketing community, the end users, on a informal level.”
1.Hi John, welcome to Design Droplets. Can you please give us a quick run down/introduction on yourself.
I’m a Canadian born, danish industrial designer/architect, whose work lies in the intersection between industrial design and architecture. During the last fourteen years, I have worked on, designed, consulted and developed over thirty products and design concepts for global production companies, private clients, architects and researchers as diverse as Ruko, Louis Poulsen, Philips Lighting, ReFrame and the Harbour of Copenhagen.
My work as an associate at Knud Holscher Design was honored twice with the German iF Designpreis, the Innovationspreis Architektur und Technik, the danish Danske Designpris, the Diploma from Foreningen til Hovedstadens Forskønnelse, and most recently I was awarded Statens Kunstfonds arbejdslegat.
After working for several years as an associate at Knud Holscher Design, I branched out about 5 years ago and started John Nielsen Design.
2. Prior to founding your own firm, John Nielsen Design, you were an architect at several of Denmark’s leading architectural firms. Can you tell us about the transition from working at these firms to working in your own design business?
The transition was fueled by my desire to work closer with the design process, than was possible as an architect – mainly because changes in architect consultancy e-contracts in the last decade have led to architects losing important areas of design competences to other consultants. The kind of specialization I experienced working within the team structure of the larger architect companies, made me feel I was missing out on important parts of the design process. The transition meant a more hands on direct approach to designing, with the added benefit of expanding my field of knowledge and experience.
LP Concept Luminaire 2004
3. Setting up a design business requires a designer to wear many ‘hats’ other than their design one, can you talk about what ‘hats’ you found too be the most critical in setting up your design business?
Time management turned out to be one of the most crucial and critical aspects of being a design start-up. The need to balance the time and effort spent on marketing and acquisition, design work, consultancy work, attempting to gather long-term royalty-based projects, building my network, and setting up new projects and goals, seemed overwhelming once the ball got rolling. It quickly became evident, that becoming my own design manager seemed to be most critical to the success of the business.
4. You are an Industrial Designer and an Architect, can you talk about the cross over between the two professions? How does one inform the other?
In Denmark we have a strong tradition of architects working in both architecture and design, stemming from Arne Jacobsen and later Knud Holscher’s holistic approach to design. Following this tradition, most major Danish architectural offices have been employing in-house designers, mainly in order to furnish their own buildings with their own design. I feel sympathetic towards this tradition, mainly because it explores the relationship between objects and architectural space. The problem is, that production companies find “system design” less desirable today, with market trends moving towards individuality and blending of different styles.
Industrial designers are getting involved in R&D, often as participants in multidisciplinary collaborations, with architects, engineers and production companies, or being employed in the research and development departments of larger architecture firms.
Primarily with developing new building parts with improved structural qualities and new materials that at the same time addresses environmental and energy issues. I have personally participated in the partially EU-funded ReFrame project where the goal was to develop highly insulated window frames, and the crossover from product designer to architect brought great insight to the project.Another emerging area of designer/architect collaboration is industrial ,or prefabricated architecture where the industrial designers’ knowledge about industrialized production methods is valuable. Treating interiors and facades as industrial design, and offering customizable but prefab built may eventually prove to be a way to regain lost consultancy terrain.
Serviceunit for picnicareas for the Danish Road Directorate - Awarded the German IF-designpreis 2005 - Designed as associate at Knud Holscher Design.
5. Can you speak about your Design Philosophy?
My design philosophy is about answering the question: Why design?
Why design? is a powerful question in regards to clarifying the goals for everyone involved in the design process, preserving resources, and strengthening the argumentation for sustainability.
In my pursuit of good design over the years, I’ve discovered that certain events, one or more at a time, seems to always apply.
These events are key to answering the why, when and how we should design, and can be used not only to guide and improve client/designer communication in order to achieve an understanding for real innovation, but also to pinpoint where and when a product opportunity or areas of product opportunity arises.
Key events can be the emergence of:
•New materials /material properties
•New production technologies
•New technologies demanding design answers
•Changes in social, political or environmental issues (i.e. sustainability)
•Observations, either social or from the world of art, that register new patterns of use
•Strategic brand decisions being developed or redeveloped
6. Where do you draw your inspiration from?
I draw my inspiration from the work of creative minds in any field, whether it’s music, science, math, typography, architecture, or design. Especially the design and “micro-architecture” of Prof. Richard Horden, which I find very inspiring with its hybrid between high tech engineering, technologies from the nautical and aviation industries, industrial design and a social statement regarding sustainability and basic human needs. I would love to be able to push my own work in this direction.
The kitchen is the heart of the home – competition - 2004 - 1 workbench, and 3 modular cabinets
7. Utilizing Analytical tools is an important part of your design methodology, could you talk about why it is important for designers to utilize analytical tools along side creative tools in their design projects?
I have found that establishing a common frame of reference helps the initial client/designer understanding.
To try to achieve that, I often talk about product development at Mercedes Benz, which for me is the perfect example of design evolution by analytical approach.Every new generation of cars have the quality of being distinctively Mercedes Benz – instantly recognizable .
This design quality guides me, as designer, to understand the clients brand, by taking brand specific requirements into account. This means not just delivering a design, but trying to answer the clients specific functional, economic and production requirements.When Mercedes states, that they try to predict social trends as far into the future as possible, it reveals, that they want to make more than a means of transportation, they want to to create a desired unique and sought after owners experience that speaks today’s global cultural language. To achieve that MB blends influences emerging from art, culture and architecture with R&D, which focuses the design process on evolution and innovation, while still preserving and enhancing brand values.
For me, a very inspirational methodology which can be applied to every project regardless of scale and complexity. For MB, as well as most major brands, a approach way to create design trends, instead of copying them.
8. You are one of many designers utilizing Twitter and Linkedin. What do you believe are the biggest benefits to the design community of tools like these? How do you think Designers could be utilizing them in the future?
The future of the emerging social medias could possibly dampen at least my personal frustration with the market-driven conservatism of design publishing, with its oversimplified approach to design as merely style, trends or technical.
Designers have the opportunity to shape the perception of good design to the public, to communicate globally within the design community, and perhaps most importantly, to interact with the engineering community, the marketing community, the end users, on a informal level. We can challenge these communities to participate in creating what might be a missing dialogue and understanding between these diverse areas of specialization today. (John’s Twitter & Linkedin)
Waste disposal hatch - 2008
9. What skill set do you think the next generation of Designers will require?
The field of design is rapidly expanding its role into new regions, as its moving from primarily “classic” skills, design, conceptualization and aesthetics. In my field of work I see two important future skill sets.
In less than a decade, we have moved from using pencils and paper as our primary tools to entering the digital age, where computers are not just replacing the pencils but are transforming design and architecture. Scripting, parametric design, animated design and algorithmic design are just a few examples of new methods of generating design, which were unthinkable 10 years ago.
Mastering these new emerging methods of computer-generated design will be required for the next generation of designers, but they must not diminish the importance of understanding the structural implications, the materials involved, and translating those into useful objects,.
Additionally, the skills to communicate and discuss design values are becoming more important. As strategic brand decisions in major companies are being increasingly focused around design, it’s important that designers are able to formulate and express brand values and requirements like ecological awareness and sustainability, internally within the company as well as with external collaborators
10. John, thank you very much for taking the time to talk with us here at design droplets. In closing, do you have any last thoughts or words of advice you would like to share?
Every designer and student of design should seize the opportunity to connect their love for design with their particular cultural or social interests. Design is in everything we touch and form, objects – furniture – architecture – and every crossover imaginable. Creating a career out of your passion is a hard, but rewarding and wonderful thing.
Hellum scouts club house 2006
