We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Nataliya Naymark ("NN").
Self-taught product designer for the last 4 years. Coming from physical-mathematics school with 8 years of technical drawing, I like to explore new materials, find new solutions and geometrical patterns. Graduating from marketing, I always think about consumer. Working as a UX strategist of digital products, I do care about ergonomics and sustainability.
Nataliya Naymark Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Nataliya Naymark.
Nataliya Naymark Design - Dorothee Becker's Hand Wall Bedside Unit
Designer Interview of Nataliya Naymark:
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?
NN : While I was at school I had attended excursion courses for different Moscow museums, such as the Pushkin State Museum of Fine arts, The State Tretyakov Gallery, Armoury Chamber, National Museum of art of peoples of the East and many others. So during profession test in school I got higher mark in arts than in math. I attended math class and won several awards in math and physics. So it wasn't obvious for my teachers and parents. So in the end I got recommendation for architectural program. The problem here was I didn't draw, at all. I was good at technical drawing, as it was obligatory for 8 year in school. Anyway I ended up in economy bachelor and digital marketing master degree. I did love working in creative company as UX strategist. I love usability and finding peoples needs and dreams. We did several outstanding marketing campaigns for Unilever and different car companies. However after turning 30 I understood I still dream about architectural job. But getting older also helps to understand your advantages and disadvantages. It drives me crazy if thing has mistakes in measures, and I feel that architecture would be a challenge. So i decided to become a furniture designer. To get in university in Moscow you need to draw composition, head, human body , column and landscape. I started learning to draw and still try my best. I couldn't go to university as I have to pass school exams and it was too much of a work. I ended up having several courses such as Kibardin Creative Synergy and Furniture Design for Beginners Online Short Course by Central Saint Martins University of the Arts London. I also a professional user of online platforms with courses. I did several programs in edX. My favourite one is Fundamentals of Manufacturing Processes by Massachusetts Institute of Technology.I also attended courses by Coursera, like Modern Art & Ideas by The Museum of Modern Art. And some Russian courses from openedu, my favourite one is History of design by HSE University. I suppose I took more than 20 different courses since 2019. I still love and learn about History of design . I also tried to do some practice work. I did several interior projects and furniture for each of them. To learn about light I did Practice with Women in Lighting and worked in different museums for different exhibitions. I started applying for different competitions last year. I won open call for The Vaults Centre for Artistic Production. In sketches and technical drawings I have more than 30 collections of furniture and light, more than 30 separate items and more than 30 tiles. To present my graphic abilities for tiles and carpets I did New years postcards for the last two years. Each of them present one of my carpet and tile.
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
NN : My design studio/company is just me. Right now most of the revenue I get from interior design projects, However I am in due deal process with several manufacturing companies about my furniture design.
DI: What is "design" for you?
NN : I think the best way to talk about design is to think about Vkhutemas and the way designer was presented there. So they taught in art workshops future artist constructors. it means that result of their work is both construction and art. And this is how I see design. It is a melting pot of watchfulness, elaboration of experience and accuracy of physics, math and usability. As soon as everything works you have an unforgettable beauty that will improve living of human beings. Nowadays we also have to think about sustainability. It is something Rodchenko said about things we own, they are not just things, they are friends we take care of and try to prolong their working cycle .
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
NN : Most of my works are inspired either by work of arts or by user tasks. I have collection to improve living of mum of newborn inspired by Wassily Chair designed by Marcel Breuer. The Second most important thing for me is mathematical precision and ergonomics. So all of these I am into desgining and taking care of. I also did one project to improve living where I was searching for perfect material. It is something I would love taking care too while I am designing but it doesn’t come first in my works now.
DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
NN : My favourite design changes from time to time. When I first started I was in love with Bauhaus and thought it will be the only was I will be designing in the future. However as soon as I learned about Vkhutems I started to love works of Melnikov, Rodchenko, Bykov, Tatlin and many others. More than a year ago I came across article about Sottsass and it was total love, I did several things in Memphis style. Right now I am learning again about Modernism. I love works of Aalto, and Pierre Jeanneret. I think that Aalto inspire me with his minimal design and unique feel for materials. As for Pierre Jeanneret there are care for folk crafts and French conciseness and lightness. I also really want to learn more about Charlotte Perriand, I haven't done anything yet inspired by her works, but I really want to dive into them in near future.
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
NN : The first thing i designed was for interior project. It was actually a collection of two objects. One of them was a working table. It was important to have enough space for two people: wife and husband. One of them needed space to set a computer another one had lots of paper work that could occupy the whole table. To make comfortable for both of them, I hidden additional table under the main one, in case there are any issues with piles of work, one or another could take hidden table and work in clean space. the second object was a fireplace bench. It could be used in bedroom as a bed bench and make the room cosy with artificial fire. It also can be used as shoe rack and entrance table in a hallway, or a room separate between kitchen and living room. A fireplace-bench has bar table, so that it can have additional space in bars in case someone wants to use it there. However for the project I did it was just a bench for bedroom.
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
NN : I live to explore new material, for instance I have a chair in cork but recently I did recycle pine in small fraction, and even though it looks like a cork it has a more interesting vibe, as for me. I also really want to come up with material as clay, but that can be lighter and used for big objects. in the end it is more important how the surface feels under the fingertips, than material itself. The furniture is something we constantly touching, and I want material to suit the purpose of touch .
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
NN : For me in creative process the most important is to make research, to go through inspiring things, and check history of the object. Sometimes it is about going to museum, or visiting inspiring place. And than I walk. Perfect if I can do 6-7 km, but 30 minutes also not bad.
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
NN : As I design I focus first of all on ergonomics . It means that during walk I have come up with idea, and now the volume should be presented and counted, so during it the most important is the individual that will be using the object. As for materials there turn is only after designing. It is a huge research about ned materials, properties of each choice and of course it limits and problems.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
NN : It is something I can’t control. there is only subject of my research and brain that tried to manipulate and transform dream into real thing. Only after process is finished I have feelings: satisfaction or pity it haven’t worked out and it means that creative process starts from the beginning.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
NN : It is actually is overwhelming . You are happy your work has been noticed, afraid that it is actually a mistake, and exhausted as you understand how much more work have to be done.
DI: What makes a design successful?
NN : When you understand problems and needs of your client, item becomes successful. The work with needs is a huge process when you listen to what he or she says and than determine the most important. For instance Hand the wall unit that got award was design after talk with my friend who said that he hates all the bedside tables as his vacuum robot can’t go under it.
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
NN : Novice. Sometimes people think they came up with something new, but it was actually made before. Mostly it comes from not knowing the history of Design . Ergonomics. We are wasting nature and destroying ecology so it should be something we can use and feel good about. If it was waste of materials it doesn't worth producing. Sustainability . It is important that all the process is thought through and all the waste reused.
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
NN : The item should live as long as possible so that you either don’t want to sell it ever, or it is easily resold. It means that every item invented is peace of art that pleasing to the eye and it functionality full fills ones needs.
DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
NN : It is hard for me to say, because I don’t know many people from design field. But from my point of view longer generation is too much into sustainability and cause of it their design sometimes lacks interestingness on the other hand older designers are just into the look of the object and use of well known production . I believe it will get mixed up at some point and we will see absolutely new things. It doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist now, it just will be on new level.
DI: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
NN : I have never had an exhibition . I was working on one project for three years and maybe will show it in August, but right now I don’t think it will work out.
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
NN : I thy to listen to different lectures about history of design, last half a year I had been listening to marvellous lectures by Artem Dezhurko. All in all I made around 40 sketches of new objects. So for the next half a year I will be structuring them and thinking about measures and ergonomics. I also love going to museums, new exhibitions not only open new names but also present another technics, points of view and creative processes. Last but not least are my friends. Most of them come from economics background, and complain about things they buy or can't find to improve their living. It is always challenging and inspiring to find something that will suit them.
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?
NN : I am inspired by the Russian avant-garde and mid-century. So in my design style you can see geometrical composition coming form avant-garde and attention to function and a little love for multifunctional objects coming from mid-century. But even when I get inspired by other design style the importance of strict mathematical calculation and beautiful subsequences are always there.
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?
NN : Right now I live in Serbia. I lived most of my live in Russia, I have jew roots and love England. I have mix of cultural heritage, I get easily inspired by a new place, and it is the most interesting how people see objects in different places, ow they care and approach them. When I was into Vkhutems I made quite a number of things inspired by Melnikov and Rodchenko. And I think Russian heritage are for sure in many of my things. On the other hand I find Scandinavian design quite impressive and probably my Mordva heritage take place here. As I feel like a multinational person, my works also reflect this.
DI: How do you work with companies?
NN : I haven't worked with furniture companies yet. But I did work in digital creative company . I do like working with lots of people, organising processes and love finding solution in cases when it looks like it is not going to work out. Due to my love to numbers are like taking care of different hypotheses and checking them. I do really think that finding out something doesn’t work makes our research fuller and makes team explore more. I am very time responsible I have my own approach to work, that i kept for last 10 years, and do really think it helps me always be on time.
DI: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
NN : I am a little bit upset cause I still don’t understand is there a point when a company is interested in really unknown names, but I will try tp figure it our as soon as possible . As for designers, I think it is brilliant when designer doesn’t just come up with good ideas, but clearly understands the aim of the Design .
DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?
NN : I am an active user of lean canvas. And I think they really help to keep the projects structured and up to date. Anyway most of the time I start with sketch, after that goes technical drawing after this I am doing prototype. Sometimes I mix last two interactions. During or right after I try to do lean canvas, so I don’t forget all the important properties of the object, and than starts process of search for the right materials , making of a real size prototype and search for the company to buy my design.
DI: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
NN : Vitra Uten. Silo. I do really like the way all the geometrical objects are compositioned. Narrow Ceramic Pendant | MOEBE - I like mix of well known materials and functionality . And of course the feel of materials is marvellous. Kitchenaid mixer - has old wibes, but looks trendy even now a days Paul Smith Anglepoise Type 75 Desk Lamp - I think it is design for old times, very funtional and I like how Paul Smith gave it new vibrant colors. THE INVISIBLE AVANT-GARDE CONSTRUCTION KIT by 52factory - the best way to think about prototypes
DI: Can you describe a day in your life?
NN : In the morning I take care of main working things. I need to answer emails, do design processes. In the afternoon I surely do a walk, and check all the information regarding industry - magazines, websites, lectures. And then in the evening I come bak to work, answer email again, make edits, and do plan of 5 important things to do for the next day. So I can start from the morning to work.
DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
NN : Design is something you will be learning the whole life. There is no end to this process. Try to structure everything you do, so it will be easier to deal with it in the future
DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
NN : Positive: you can influence and improve peoples life Negative: you always doubt everything you do
DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?
NN : Never trust the sketch Care about ergonomics and surfaces
DI: What skills are most important for a designer?
NN : Research and watchfulness
DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
NN : I have the biggest collection of rulers, I do use Autocad, Love MacGaffin magazine I do care about my pencils and I like specific paper, but end up using squared paper.
DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
NN : I have schedule I try to follow on daily basis , however if there are emotional break downs I think it is better to take care with specialist and medical help if needed.
DI: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
NN : 2 years. It doesn’t mean that you work only one project at a time. there are times when you have insight when projects start to move faster.
DI: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
NN : How do I still have strength to work?
DI: What was your most important job experience?
NN : Structuring all the data for creative company . It is something you never want to repeat and want to take care from the beginning
DI: Who are some of your clients?
NN : Right now it is individuals that want own design in apartments
DI: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
NN : i like team meeting during which we find the best solution. I know many people think they know on their own, but my work experience says the best solution come from the discussion
DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
NN : I really want to sell my design and see it in shops
DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
NN : I developedesign myself, I have a mentor who gives me pieces of advice .
DI: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
NN : Right now I really want to finish my curtain project, as if it works out it will be cheap solutions for houses to reduce heat in summer and add light without electricity in winter
DI: How can people contact you?
NN : I am still working on the website, so right now the best way is through email or Instagram mail naymarknk@gmail.com instagram https://instagram.com/nnaymark_design
DI: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
NN : I think I answered everything