We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Helen Louisa Sauter ("HLS").
Helen Sauter is a young, passionate designer from Germany. Besides her design skills, she also has a manual work background that enables her to design, plan and produce projects from the beginning to the end. She sees design as a chance to react to all kinds of issues we are facing these days. Finding solutions to such issues, that also enrich everyday life through an appealing aesthetic, is what she loves.
Helen Louisa Sauter Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Helen Louisa Sauter.
Helen Louisa Sauter Design - Heli X Modular Furniture System
Designer Interview of Helen Louisa Sauter:
DI: What is "design" for you?
HLS : Design is the ability to focus creative energie to find easy solutions to all kinds of problems and tasks, in a way that function and aesthetic appear as a coherent unit.
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
HLS : Every interesting task can be exciting, but I believe what I like most is designing furniture and interior furnishings. These design processes are always a lot of fun because you can experiment with building mockups and your own body and surroundings can be used as straightedge for proportions or atmosphere. It feels like you are really creating something for use in everyday life.
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
HLS : The overall impression and how coherent all details fit together.
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
HLS : I love to go outside or sit in the train during the design process. Like this, I can let my eyes wander and discover all kinds of different shapes and patterns passing by.
DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?
HLS : I sketch, build paper or metal mockups and write down all my thoughts before I go into computer visualisation programs such as Rhinoceros or the Adobe Creative suite. Because of my manual work background I then often finalise my designs in a metal workshop, where I test all the technical details before the final design goes into production.
DI: What skills are most important for a designer?
HLS : Self-reflection and an open mind
DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
HLS : A lot of manual tools like sketching, brainstorming, taking notes and building real life mock-ups. Then of course for visualization and details I use software like Rhinoceros 3D and the Adobe Suite: InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop
DI: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
HLS : It always depends on the size of each project and how well-engineered it should be. I often feel like there is always more to improve or overthink, no matter how much time there was. The more time you have to finalize the last steps of a design process the better the outcome.
DI: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
HLS : Every interesting task can be exciting, but I believe what I like most is designing furniture and interior furnishings. These design processes are always a lot of fun because you can experiment with building mockups and your own body and surroundings can be used as straightedge for proportions or atmosphere. It feels like you are really creating something for use in everyday life.
DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
HLS : I develop most of my designs by my self.