We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Aija Freimane ("AF").
Humans and continuity as sustainability, empathy and senses are central to my everyday being and are the subjects of the research for design. I have a multi-contextual educational and professional background, and experience, thinking, interest and understanding. For a long time, I was curious about what is behind such a widespread professional assumption as ‘design adds value’. If that is so, we, as humans, should feel it in our everyday lives.
Aija Freimane Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Aija Freimane.
Aija Freimane Design - Perceived Design Value Research
Designer Interview of Aija Freimane:
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?
AF : I have passion for everything I do, creative and critical thinking, extraordinary patience, can perceive the unarticulated and stay positive in challenging situations. I have developed imaginative, visual and out-of-the-box thinking, high aesthetic standards, and an understanding of context, planning and system thinking. I have both personality and professional experience to be design strategist.
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
AF : I am design researcher, product, service and system early stage developer. I can define challenges and visions and apply innovative approaches to create solutions.
DI: What is "design" for you?
AF : Design for me is a method to create happiness and satisfaction as a result.
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
AF : I prefer out-of-the-box niche challenges in design. I question every topic from the view point of human, long term impact as well as unarticulated and contextual aspects.
DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
AF : My favorite design is flow, smooth, invisible solutions.
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
AF : Critical thinking and questioning every idea.
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
AF : When ai am walking, working in the garden or in the shower.
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
AF : Long term impact on the human and nature. As well as to address design values for products: convenient, useful, durable, singular, aesthetic, safe; and for services: accessible, perceivable, intelligible, experienceable, timely and safe.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
AF : Excitement, being thrilled
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
AF : Happiness, emptiness
DI: What makes a design successful?
AF : Doing it from the heart
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
AF : Usefulness, impact on the human and the nature.
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
AF : To make the design result - solution in the way that it creates happy, satisfied individual and hence, society.
DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
AF : There are at least three streams: human centered, technological driven and circular production.
DI: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
AF : April 2021, my art drawings.
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
AF : I love to design, to develop my garden, nature and to observe humans, to socialize. Both - humans and the nature are source of my inspiration.
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?
AF : Purely human driven and centered within the external context.
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?
AF : I am Latvian. yes, both culture and economic pros and cons, political system have had an impact on my mindset and thinking, the world outlook.
DI: How do you work with companies?
AF : Strategically, scientifically, creative
DI: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
AF : Follow recommendations, listen to the intuition
DI: How can people contact you?
AF : via e-mail: aija.freimane.af@gmail.com