We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Andre Eid ("AE").
I grew up in Lebanon during a civil war that lasted 15 years. The atrocities of this war did not prevent me from dreaming about beauty and elegance. I did not hesitate to pursue a career in the field of Art and design. I believe my biggest attribute is creative thinking, which allows me to always present a different perspective and come up with cutting edge designs.
Andre Eid Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Andre Eid.
Andre Eid Design - The Trillium Multifunctional Chair
Designer Interview of Andre Eid:
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?
AE : I have always enjoyed Art from an early age. I grew up in Lebanon during the civil war that lasted 15 years. The atrocities of this war did not prevent me from dreaming about beauty and elegance. My earliest memory of this is making endless drawings on my school notebooks. I did not hesitate to pursue a career in the field of Art and design after completing high-school. My biggest attribute has been creative thinking, which allows me to always present a different perspective and come up with cutting edge designs.
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
AE : "Andre Eid Design" is a solo practice. It was established in 2000 and is backed by 30 years of experience in the field of interior, furniture, and industrial design, as well as landscaping.
DI: What is "design" for you?
AE : The "design' defines the beauty of the Art by giving shape to our thoughts and emotions. It reflects a flashback, part of childhood, memories, culture, patrimony, communication, and self-expression, basically the personality of the designer. Design has been my word, my voice, my expression with which I communicate my Art to others; it is my window to the world.
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
AE : What I like designing the most is furniture.
DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
AE : The Trillium chair is my favorite design, and for this reason I decided to nominate it for the A'Design Award.
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
AE : I designed an exhibition stand for Ford Motor Company.
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
AE : I very much enjoy working with stainless steel because it is elegant and flexible.
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
AE : I have no specific time for being creative. Ideas might come up anytime and while I am doing anything.
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
AE : I always try to find elegance within simplicity.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
AE : Joy is the best word to describe my emotions when I'm designing.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
AE : I feel ecstatic when I'm able to bring something I envisioned to life for others to enjoy.
DI: What makes a design successful?
AE : I believe a triad defines a successful design, and that is: elegant, simple, and practical.
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
AE : I first consider beauty and practicality.
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
AE : In addition to creating beautiful designs, the designer has to be cognizant of the environmental impact and try to integrate recyclable material in his pieces.
DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
AE : I believe we will see integration of digital and other new technologies in the design world.
DI: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
AE : Never had an exhibition and this is not a priority for me in the near future.
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
AE : My inspiration comes from simple encounters of daily living.
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?
AE : My creations are of a modern minimalist style. In nature, I am seduced by simplicity and light forms, these qualities of towing become the characteristics of my design. Every time I create a new design I think of a new option that can be used for multi functions.
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?
AE : I live in Lebanon, a culturally diverse country. This cultural heritage certainly affects my designs, to a certain extent. However, at the same time I am open and exposed to the outside world, which limits the influence of my own country.
DI: How do you work with companies?
AE : I work with companies as a freelancer.
DI: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
AE : My suggestion for companies is to work with independent designers as much as possible. If a designer is hired by a company, he should be allowed a great deal of autonomy to allow him to thrive and show his creativity. Certainly, the company and the designer should share the same philosophy in order to have a successful relationship.
DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?
AE : I got my inspiration from the trillium flower ornament. As an interior designer, I wanted to use the shape of this ornament to a relaxing and multi-functional chair in a modern ambiance. Creating the mechanism of this chair was a real challenge that I managed to overcome and this elegant chair became a reality. The first prototype design was initiated in 2017 and went through many modifications to obtain the durability and the delicacy. The final prototype was finished in December 2018. At this time my study focused on how we can have different materials for example, stainless steel instead of aluminum in the hidden parts to decrease weight and the possibility to be dismantled into pieces and then reassembled, in order to gain additional space when being exported.
DI: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
AE : Chairs, sofas, bedrooms, coffee tables, TV vitrine.
DI: Can you describe a day in your life?
AE : Normally, I start my day at school of arts as a professor specializing in arts, decoration and graphics. I also work as an interior architecture consultant in a landscape and architecture firm. At the end of the day, I focus on my creations. I should also mention that my family and my children are the most important part of my life.
DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
AE : Young designers should pursue new ideas and develop new lines of products.
DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
AE : As a designer, you get the opportunity to enjoy innovation, creativity, and satisfaction from making people happy. Unfortunately, the process is not always easy, and the difficulty or even inability to reach your target clientele can be frustrating.
DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?
AE : Innovative, aesthetic, long lasting, great finishing.
DI: What skills are most important for a designer?
AE : He must be a creative person, with a refined taste and good vision.
DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
AE : I use AutoCAD, 3D Max, SketchUp, and photoshop.
DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
AE : When inspiring my drawing I had no problem managing my time. But the worst time was when I started to run the model and execute my drawing with the craftsman.
DI: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
AE : It takes around 1 to 1 1/2 years.
DI: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
AE : Where do you find the inspiration for this design?
DI: What was your most important job experience?
AE : My long experience as an interior designer is the most important work. This can give me more experience how to master my design and to combine the use of materials.
DI: Who are some of your clients?
AE : I collaborate with a landscape and architectural firm for the following Clients & Projects: CULTURE HOTEL - Qatar (Frank Gehry)L; BEEAH PRJECT – SHARJA (ZAHA HADID); SHEIKH FAISAL PALACE – KSA; SHEIKH HAMAD BIN SUHAIM AL THANI, Doha – Qatar; KING ABDALLAH II HOUSE OF CULTURE AND ARTS – Jordan; MOVENPICK HOTEL - Saudi Arabia; BANK AUDI - Beirut.
DI: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
AE : The furniture design is the work that I appreciate the most because I am in direct contact with each piece and it will be part of my daily life. I can fill in every detail.
DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
AE : Create new furniture design as well as multifunctional chairs. Seeking for investors and new markets.
DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
AE : I work by myself.
DI: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
AE : Yes, I have a new multifunctional chair under process. Maybe I'll join a new contest/competition later.
DI: How can people contact you?
AE : Andre Eid Design, Beirut, Lebanon. Phone: 961-3-601302. Email: andreeiddesign@gmail.com andarahou@gmail.com
DI: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
AE : No, thank you.