We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Polona Pakiz ("PP").
Polona Pakiz is an award-winning designer that helps make the World a better place with their original and innovative creations and advanced design works.
Polona Pakiz Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Polona Pakiz.
Designer Interview of Polona Pakiz:
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?
PP : I always wanted to be an architect. But my career lead me first to economy, next to the building trade and finally to a design school, where I became a graduated interior designer.
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
PP : I’m at the beginning of my designing studio. I would like to design similar products, for example: for animals, children or accessories for homes. Beside that i would like to work as an interior designer or as an architect for interiors. I like colours, vintage, softness, homeliness, practicality, this is my style.
DI: What is "design" for you?
PP : Design is my life. I live to design and design is for my living. Design is when you can make better living, when you can invent lovely and practical things, when you think about better future.
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
PP : I like designing practical accessories for different usages or users. I love working with wood and different textures and colours.
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
PP : My first project was in a design school. I designed a folding-constructing screen for children, which grows with a child and stimulates him growth and development. You can add or change different cardboard panels where there is an an alphabet, or firs words, colours, shapes or where they can learning foreign languages. You can also add a panel for playing theatre. Or choose nice coloured glass panels for normal use of folding screen
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
PP : My favourite material is wood. My favourite platform autoCad and 3ds max. My favourite technology laser cut.
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
PP : Outside in the nature, at night in my bed, while reading a book or drinking coffee. Practically all the time, thinking, designing, creating something new or re-designing.
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
PP : I’m focused on details, the usage of materials, and application of different colours.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
PP : Happiness, impatience, anxious, satisfaction.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
PP : Ravishment, happiness, satisfaction.
DI: What makes a design successful?
PP : When people accept it well. If they saw in it a satisfaction of their needs.
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
PP : First I see good qualities; I examine usage of materials and colours, a practicality of design. And also inspect a faultiness or defectiveness of a design. I respect a work of a designer, and I always try to understand his meaning of a design.
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
PP : All designers should have a great responsibility for environment. They all should think in a principle: from cradle to cradle.
DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
PP : Yes, the design field is evolving. Maybe in Slovenia, a little slower than it should. Where the big corporations still doesn’t understand the meaning of a great design, and how it’s worth. The future of designing is re-design, design with a few or nothing influence to environment. Also today’s designing is not just to design a chair or accessories, but to design a service, whole concept of service, for example in a bank or insurance company.
DI: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
PP : My last exhibition was in 2010 at furniture fair Ambient in Ljubljana. My greatest wish is to exhibit on a design fair in London or Milano.
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
PP : My inspirations come from nature, surroundings, when I observe the patterns in nature. Also my inspirations come from the past, from our history. My dreams are sources of inspirations.
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?
PP : My design is colourful and minimalist. Love colours and wood textures, and patterns.
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?
PP : I live in countryside. I love rural simple life, I adore simple antiques. Slovenia is too much closed for design and creation. We are still learning that design is something good that helps us at evolution, growth. Still not enough interest in a design and designing.
DI: How do you work with companies?
PP : Some companies are still afraid of designers. They think the designers are artist’s dreamers. You need to make an effort to find a company who understand the necessity of a design and see the future in it.
DI: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
PP : Good designer is looking far in the future. Good designer is not seeking the obstacles, he sees goals and salvations. Good designer can design not just an object he can design a whole service for a company. A good designer has a good concept, besides thinking about the production and a good income for company, he can think about the users, about the environment...
DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?
PP : My designing process is different from a project to a project. Mainly when I have an idea I’m developing it in my mind for few days. Then when an idea is enough developed I made a sketch, than a concept, with help of a different computer programs.
DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
PP : You can be creative; can play with materials and textures, improving interiors, bettering our lives. You can be productive; people need design, need changes and improvements. The only negative thing is that most people don’t appreciate design. It’s hard to find people or company who understand that behind a good design is a lot of thinking, hours, clicking, drawings, researches, compromises...
DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?
PP : Follow your mission, your vision. Persist at your own design. And do not despair with obstacles you come across. Tomorrow is another day.
DI: What skills are most important for a designer?
PP : Openness, accept a criticism, vision, courage, fortitude, will, diligence....
DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
PP : Pencil 2B and 4B, paper, AutoCad, ArchiCad, 3DS Max Design, Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator.. books for soul, nature, people, cities....
DI: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
PP : Depends on a project, takes from 3 to 7 months.
DI: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
PP : Designing for kids, because they are open, the best judges and the most genuine design lovers.
DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
PP : I’m trying to carry trough the realization of my awarded design to put it on market. And design more furniture for cats. Finished a folding-constructing screen for children which I’m designing. And of course advantage the golden award as much as possible.
DI: How can people contact you?
PP : They can contact me on my email: polona.maxdesign@gmail.com Or on my mobile phone +386 51690091.