We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Mihael Varbanov ("MV").
Mihael Varbanov is a young engineer-designer, entrepreneur and co-founder of Design Studio Love 2 Design, where he and his team visualize and realize the dream interiors of people. With his open minded thinking, he have no barriers and boundaries in the furniture industry. As true visionaries, he achieve his goals through hard work, and his motto is: "There are no impossible things!" Quality is a factor he is betting on in every project.
Mihael Varbanov Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Mihael Varbanov.
Mihael Varbanov Design - S Dent Dental Clinic
Designer Interview of Mihael Varbanov:
DI: Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
MV : From a very young age I like to paint and I studied at my primary school. Then I decided to enroll in a mathematical high school, and after that I decided to combine the two materials in the "Engineering Designer" specialty. And now I'm experiencing my dream as a real designer.
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
MV : With my associate Co-founder, one day we decided to build in Shumen, Bulgaria design studio with a vision for the future furniture integrated technologies.
DI: What is "design" for you?
MV : For me, design is something without any material thing that can not exist. This is the good combination between forms, functionality and aesthetics.
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
MV : I prefer to design whole interiors or furniture products.
DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
MV : My favorite design is the "invisible" or the one that's in sync in the envirement of it.
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
MV : Office serie.
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
MV : My favorite technology is Virtual reality and drones.
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
MV : When I'm inspired by the nature or the love and the positive emotions of the people around me.
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
MV : When designing a design besides the shape, I pay great attention to how the furniture will be produced, delivered and assembled.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
MV : When I design, I feel a sense of satisfaction and inspiration.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
MV : When I first saw the design realized, something in me is shaking and filling with happiness. The feeling is unique.
DI: What makes a design successful?
MV : For a design to be successful, it must comply with all the requirements that have been put in place. To be aesthetically well-behaved and to have proportional forms.
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
MV : Viggins first look at the functionality of the design, then is the molding and the combination of materials.
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
MV : The design is desirable to be environmentally friendly and to have as little waste as possible of the material.
DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
MV : The future of design should be in the direction of environmental and nature conservation.
DI: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
MV : The last exposition, which we took part with the team, is "The world of furniture" in Sofia, Bulgaria (26-30 March 2019). I hope our next participation will be very soon.
DI: How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
MV : Inspired by the design of furniture, I draw from nature and from automobile and aircraft construction, which for me are the highest pilot of engineering and design thought of man.
DI: Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
MV : I am from Bulgaria and our cultural heritage is very rich. Shevitsa is a unique palette of colors typical of the Bulagrian traditions.
DI: How do you work with companies?
MV : It is a pleasure to work with professionals, unfortunately they are hard to find, and when you find them you have a perfect and correct relationship with them.
DI: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
MV : It is important for the designer to have good aesthetic feelings about shaping, to be well educated about how the product is constructed and how it will be produced. Thinking about everyone on the life path of the product.ц
DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?
MV : When designing with our designers, the process is always interesting and varied. We start with a brainstorm that generates ideas for the job we have set. Then everyone chooses the most appropriate concepts and we make the best of them in one.
DI: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
MV : Hanger, bench, lamp, desk and drones.
DI: Can you describe a day in your life?
MV : Definitely every day is different and interesting. It is important for me to have dynamics, thus keeping my brain always active.
DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
MV : "Everyone has the right to bad taste" - this is a colleague's reply. We use it when a client wants something ugly but wants it in his project. My advice is that the customer always has the right to want what he wants, but our goal as designers is to guide them on the right path on the journey they have made.
DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
MV : The biggest positive thing for me as a designer and man is to see the sincere smile of the client's face when he gets his product. While insignificant negatives are lacking leisure time.
DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?
MV : Do what you like and do it with pleasure so that everyone will notice it through your design.
DI: What skills are most important for a designer?
MV : Skills for making quick and correct decisions, feeling about color formation and shaping, logical and constructive thinking.
DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
MV : I use a variety of tools, from paper clips to high-tech machines. One of my favorite technologies is the virtual reality, where you see the design in all its shine before you realize it.
DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
MV : We regularly conduct control operations with our colleague designers and distribute our tasks and commitments to each other.
DI: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
MV : Much depends on the design object and its design and complexity. We have successful designs that we managed to make from the idea to the prototype in 10 days, but those that take much more time.
DI: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
MV : Most often they ask me, "Where did you come from?", "How did he figure it out?"
DI: What was your most important job experience?
MV : My most important experience was when I was a furniture constructor and I learned how furniture is actually made.
DI: Who are some of your clients?
MV : My clients are both young start-up entrepreneurs and households of families and offices of large companies.
DI: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
MV : Interior and furniture designs are my favorite.
DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
MV : My plans are to continue developing in the field of design and new technologies. Grow my team and expand new markets around the world.
DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
MV : I think the key to success is teamwork and without my team I would not be what I am.
DI: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
MV : Yes, the next step after a hanger "Sense" is a bench "Sense".
DI: How can people contact you?
MV : Everyone is welcome to my office in Shumen, Bulgaria, at Han Krum 4. I also respond to all emails at m.vyrbanov@love2design.org and you can find me in the social network LinkedIn.
DI: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
MV : I have a great team!