We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Rebeka Pakozdi ("RP").
Although Rebeka Pakozdi acquired a Bachelor of Arts degree in Craftsmanship with a specialization in Ceramics, she identifies herself more with product designing. She likes experimenting with the creation of functional items made of unconventional materials and pushing the boundaries that are set upon matter by form and function. She is oriented towards designing objects with a defined functional value. During the design process she likes to think in situations, and considers the potential secondary or tertiary functions as well. Currently her projects are small series items, thus she takes great care of the whole creation process.
Rebeka Pakozdi Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Rebeka Pakozdi.
Designer Interview of Rebeka Pakozdi:
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?
RP : When I was 6 years old, every time people asked me what I wanted to become when I would grow up, I always told them that I would become a judge in The Hague. While I was drawn towards law, I always loved to create things, at first mostly pearl jewelry. Then when I was 15 years old, came my first love and my boyfriend pointed out that if love creating items so much, why don’t I go to this field? Although before I didn’t put much thought into it, thanks to this suggestion I started to work on building such a carrier. After high school I got accepted into my Craftsmanship BA degree and envisioned myself as a fashion designer. But during my first year my curiosity was drawn towards designing practical, functional objects. On one school assignment I had the opportunity to work with porcelain and I was fascinated and fell in love with it. Thus I chose Ceramics. During my studies I got to know product designing and I would like to follow this path in the future.
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
RP : Although I don’t have my own company or design studio, I started to build up my own brand which was launched with help from professionals from other fields. The photos from the object were taken by Richard Besenczi, photographer (www.behance.net/richardbesenczi). These high quality, carefully set up pictures made my items more spectacular, all the while not altering the coffee set’s original functionality. The Pakozdi logo and image was created by Eszter Both, graphic designer (www.behance.net/eszterboth), which helps remarkably the high-quality presentation of my work. I have had great pleasure to work with them as we have always been on the same wavelength. I believe our cooperation has been really productive and I plan to work with them in the future.
DI: What is "design" for you?
RP : "It is the pervading law of all things organic and inorganic, of all things physical and metaphysical, of all things human and all things superhuman, of all true manifestations of the head, of the heart, of the soul, that the life is recognizable in its expression, that form ever follows function. This is the law." - Louis Sullivan (Sullivan, Louis H. (1896). "The Tall Office Building Artistically Considered". Lippincott's Magazine (March 1896): 403–409.)
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
RP : I mostly design kitchen accessories such as the Relax set or the Line Up fruit holder set. This year I opened to a new field, and my brand will include porcelain jewelry and accessories as well.
DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
RP : The Purpose Jewelry Collection which will soon be featured on my Behance profile. In its form and matter, the collection was inspired by the modern, 21st century woman. Its main motif is the demonstration of boldness and individuality. The refined taste of the modern woman, along with her ambitiousness, fierce nature and her desire to prove herself, manifests in the style of the collection. Her vigorousness and emotional fragility are best expressed by the material porcelain. This material is both resilient and delicate, and is easily malleable during creation. In addition to the plain white samples, the items are presented in a classic but unconventional black and white design as well, which makes the jewelry even more emphasized. The collection embodies the timeless elegance and the wearable luxury at the same time.
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
RP : I haven't yet had the opportunity to design for a company.
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
RP : Porcelain.
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
RP : Usually at nights.
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
RP : Functionality and ergonomics.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
RP : Excitement and curiosity. I visualize the end result even when drawing the first line and I can’t wait to see how it will look like when it’s done.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
RP : Oddly, happiness and dissatisfaction at the same time. I am glad that a project is finished, but I am already looking for opportunities to improve the design.
DI: What makes a design successful?
RP : The innovative thinking, the thought-through designing and the high-quality realization are all important aspects. But the item’s promotional appearance to the audience plays an equally crucial part, since it has to strive for perfection in every little detail.
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
RP : I examine how the material, form and function synchronize with each other and I look for the designing train of thought behind the project.
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
RP : The conscious design needs to serve the needs of society, since every product has the one unifying purpose to make the end users’ life more comfortable. Because of this reason, it is mandatory nowadays for designers to always take the product’s effect on the environment into consideration while serving society’s needs.
DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
RP : On one hand it our current culture of items is always evolving because of our social needs. On the other hand the design field needs to keep track of the evolving technology by giving form and appearance to the new, innovative solutions.
DI: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
RP : The Fresh Fishes 6 exhibition took place in the gallery of the Studio of Young Designers Assotiation (FISE) in Budapest in January 2014, where I had one of my projects exhibited.
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
RP : Drawing always stimulates my creativity. Other than that, shapes, materials and textures inspire me the most. The realization of the designed items makes me refreshed and relaxed. On these occasions I need to think differently than during designing and the joy of creation gives me energy.
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?
RP : Since I am a recent graduate, my style is still under change. During my work, I like to experiment with new materials and use them in environments atypical to their norm. I find it really exciting to use materials in new and unusual situations, but only if the associated object retains its functionality. The reactions these materials give through these experiments lead to new ideas and help to reimagine the original object. The designer needs to incorporate new technologies into her trade of tools and utilize them, as this encourages the development of products and new, innovative solutions.
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?
RP : I don’t try consciously to make my cultural heritage appear in my work, but in some ways it is bound to happen. Every person is determined by the cultural environment where they live and grow up. This influences people’s mentality and character.
DI: How do you work with companies?
RP : I haven’t yet had the occasion to work for a company, but I constantly look for the opportunity to do so.
DI: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
RP : Without having any experience in such matter, I am not competent enough to answer this question. Maybe in the future.
DI: Can you describe a day in your life?
RP : Since my mind is really active during night time, I am not an early bird type. After waking up, the first thing on my mind is my morning coffee. Afterwards I do my morning jogging, as it helps to wake up and clear my mind. Then comes work. I do the designing and the editing at home. Every day I work until I have some energy left, but I rarely stop working before midnight.
DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
RP : I don’t think that as a recent graduate and a young designer myself, I should be the one giving deep advices to newcomers. I can only share how I think about my work and my career. I love to set up really high requirements for myself because it stimulates me to constantly improve myself. Since I am still a freelancer and I make my own work schedule, I try to design as many projects as I can.
DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?
RP : Material. Form. Function.
DI: What skills are most important for a designer?
RP : Humility.
DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
RP : The absolute basics are a pencil and a drawing paper. In addition I use Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign and Google Sketchup a lot as well.
DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
RP : I always create a working schedule for my projects and I leave time periods for myself where I can make up for delays or setbacks. This way I can ensure that product is ready by the deadline.
DI: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
RP : It varies a lot. Sometimes it’s done in a couple of weeks but other times I work on a project for months.
DI: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
RP : Well, I haven’t really been asked yet as a designer, it is still a new situation for me. But as a funny example, when I mention my profession, the most common question is this: “So, what do you even do exactly?”.
DI: What was your most important job experience?
RP : I haven’t yet found job in my profession so strictly speaking I don’t have any job experience yet.
DI: Who are some of your clients?
RP : I haven’t had any orders yet, but I am waiting for the chance.
DI: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
RP : The last moment of the realization, when the kiln door opens. This is like Christmas morning for me. You know that you have a surprise in there, but you don’t have any idea yet how it is going to look like. Sometimes you jump with joy and sometimes you are sad because of failure, but the point is that it is Christmas all year.
DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
RP : I plan to continue applying to international competitions. Beginning of this Autumn, I would like to continue my studies on a Product Design MA degree and later on complete a DLA degree on top of that. And of course I wish to acquire more professional experience and find a job as a designer.
DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
RP : It depends on the actual situation. The kind of teamwork where everyone is from a different field of profession is really inspiring for me. I love such teamworks and the accompanying brainstormings.
DI: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
RP : The Purpose Jewelry Collection which will soon be featured on my Behance profile. In its form and matter, the collection was inspired by the modern, 21st century woman. Its main motif is the demonstration of boldness and individuality. The refined taste of the modern woman, along with her ambitiousness, fierce nature and her desire to prove herself, manifests in the style of the collection. Her vigorousness and emotional fragility are best expressed by the material porcelain. This material is both resilient and delicate, and is easily malleable during creation. In addition to the plain white samples, the items are presented in a classic but unconventional black and white design as well, which makes the jewelry even more emphasized. The collection embodies the timeless elegance and the wearable luxury at the same time.
DI: How can people contact you?
RP : People can find my works both on Behance and on Facebook and my e-mail address as well.