We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Tim Kwok ("TK").
Timmy Kwok is a product designer graduated from RMIT University in 2011. She is now working as a professional product designer in Hong Kong. She loves art and especially interested in how can art integrated with ergonomics. Besides, she is also a nature lover, she believes nature is the source of design, the best designer. From this belief, she often inspires by how evolutionary processes give rise to all species and finally become what we see today. She thinks evolution just like design processes, all species have to keep on developing themselves to fit in nature. In design part, she likes to develop aesthetic nature form that follows the basic function of the object, this is also her primarily design theory, she thinks an outstanding design is telling people what it is just by its form.
Tim Kwok Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Tim Kwok.
Designer Interview of Tim Kwok:
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?
TK : I am a product designer graduated in RMIT University, Australia. When I was small, I already feel passionate about Art. After the study of high school, I found out the practical use of art, design. Design not only can easily assimilate into our daily life, besides, it also innovative and decorative, to simplify my word, design can easily make changes because it is closely related to our lives. I am especially interested in how design can make changes and benefit all life. This is the reason why I become a designer.
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
TK : Currently I am working as a freelance designer.
DI: What is "design" for you?
TK : Design can mean a lot of different things to me. For example, design can be a way of problem solving, and it is also can be a development process. Different ways of design can lead to different interesting results, so I am opening to the answer.
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
TK : I think furniture design interested me the most because I am a homebody.
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
TK : The first thing I designed for a company is a hard back shell for a back protector. This is made to protect Skiers when they are skiing, and it is designed for a sports company.
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
TK : I am interested in how to control a soft line to become a particular line form by using a frame structure. This is also part of the study of my winning design, Cocoon Lounge Chair.
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
TK : I feel the most creative when I am closing my eye and lying down on my bed.
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
TK : During designing, I focus on how can my design make changes to people and to the entire market.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
TK : I feel excited when I am designing, it is like welcoming a new life to join my life, full of expectation.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
TK : I feel excited when my designs are realized, it is like welcoming a newborn baby to my home.
DI: What makes a design successful?
TK : My basic rule of good design is "form following function", this is my bottom line of design. And the innovation, improvement, ability to solve a problem and the perfect combination of function and art of a designed product are what make a design successful.
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
TK : When I am judging a design as good or bad, I will first consider the relationship between form and function, how the form and shape affect the function and use of an object.
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
TK : In my point of view, I think designers have responsibilities to create sustainable and safe designs with less waste for society and the environment. For example, designers can consider using the more ECO-friendly material on their design, or reduce the material used on the produce.
DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
TK : I think the "design field" is evolving. In the past, designers were talking about aesthetics, art and function... but now, design is not only about beauty but also about innovation, improvement, problem-solving and sustainability... Therefore I believe design will keep evolving and wait for the new generation to open a new chapter.
DI: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
TK : My last exhibition was in Italy.
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
TK : My design inspiration usually comes from nature. I believe nature is the source of design. I often inspire by how evolutionary processes give rise to all species and finally become what we see today. I think evolution just like design processes, all species have to keep on developing themselves to fit in nature. This is why I often inspired by nature.
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?
TK : I think my designs are mostly in streamlined organic form, this is related to my inspirations are usually come from nature. My approach to design is to develop aesthetic nature form that follows the basic function of the object and bring minimum material to maximum use.
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?
TK : Now I am living in Hong Kong. Hong Kong is a very small international city with a lot of peoples, cars and buildings, it's unique history brings multicultural in our daily life. In the good aspect, this small city always full of inspiration and opportunity, it makes our vision broader and design become important to our life. As a designer, I will consider the limited living space is not a bad aspect, because it pushes designer to consider more problem-solving options, to simplify my words, designers have more design opportunity in this small city.
DI: How do you work with companies?
TK : I was an employee of a sport company, but now working as a freelance designer.
DI: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
TK : I think if good design is limited in business and money, that will be a sad thing. Companies can focus on the long-term benefit of a good design rather the short term benefit. I think the good designer needs to be passionate in design, willing to accept the challenge and have the ability to solve problems independently.
DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?
TK : My design always starts with research. Then I will make some concept drawing, and I will select some potential concepts to build some scaled mod ups. According to the selected mod up, I will improve my design and start to build a 1 to 1 scale model in the computer (3D). After the 3D model, it will be prototype building. At last, the improved prototype will become the final product.
DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
TK : I think they have to be curious and be passionate about design all the time, willing to accept the challenge and have the ability to solve problems independently.
DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?
TK : My golden rule in design is form following function. This is my bottom line of design.
DI: What skills are most important for a designer?
TK : I think the most important skill for a designer is communication skill, how you can communicate your design with other people in a clear and easy way.
DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
TK : I mostly use pencil and pen to sketch out my concept on paper, besides, computer graphic (Illustrator and Photoshop) and 3D software (Rhino and Solidworks) also a great help on my design.
DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
TK : I think manage my time is the most important thing when I start the project. I have to clear about how much time I have on the project so I can make my personal time schedule according to the project. It is also important to estimate the time required for the project. This is the basic time management.
DI: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
TK : I think different design projects require different durations, it depends on what kind of project. Normally, if the project is simple, it can take less than a month to be done, but if the project is complicated and involved with a lot of probems, it can take up to half year.
DI: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
TK : I think is "What do you design?"
DI: What was your most important job experience?
TK : I think the most important job experience is in my previous job as a product designer for a sports company. I received a project to design a mermaid monofin. This was a big challenge for me because this was my first fin product design project, I put a lot of effort to study everything, from the function of different fish's tail to the hydrodynamics. And during the project, there were a lot of problems appear. Finally, when the monofin come out to the market, it becomes very popular. The monofin not only receive a lot of good comment, it also becomes the top 10 best mono fin between 2016-2017 selected by wiki.ezvid.com. I receive a good return on what I had pay for.
DI: Who are some of your clients?
TK : Body Glove, Speedo, Mermaid Linden, Yamaha, Fluid, Snowslider, Rydr, Wham O
DI: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
TK : I enjoy working on all type of design work, but I especially like working on some completely new concept, because I like to explore new things. I enjoy the time when my concept idea become real. It is just like the joy of becoming a new mother.
DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
TK : Now my plan is to bring my winning design Cocoon Lounge Chair to market. I am looking for co-operation with some companies and manufactories to find an opportunity for the Cocoon Lounge Chair.
DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
TK : Most of the time, I work on myself, but I can work as a team as well.
DI: How can people contact you?
TK : https://timmy719.wixsite.com/timk