We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Julia Wagner ("JW").
Julia Wagner was born in Estonia (Tallinn) in 1986. She graduated from Euroacademy Tallinn in 2010 receiving BA in interior architecture. In 2013 Julia co-founded with her partner a creative team of freelance designers in Estonia and Russia named Ohoo Design Lab. Together they created interior design for private and corporate buildings, designed furniture and also created visualizations. In 2015, Julia completed the architectural visualization course in online school CG INCUBATOR. 3 years ago she moved from Estonia to Germany where she started to work for Interior Architect company in partnership with architect's bureau of Christian Weise in Gorlitz. She also took part in international competition of interior design Eichneglobal Art Battle where she was selected in top 20 and therefore implemented her project in central Berlin in two bed room apartment. Thereafter she was offered Lead of 3D position in Interior Design Department in Raumbild GmbH in Munich. After this position she moved on to another company working as interior designer. At given moment Julia is freelancer in interior design living in Munich. She also keeps her design blog de.former in Instagram and is passionate about interior styling and 3D visualization . Her main agenda is to make the environment more beautiful, happier, and better habitat with the help of design. She likes the opportunity to be able to influence design considering the preference and taste of the client, and also to think out of the box integrate even the most bizarre from first impression ideas into reality.
Julia Wagner Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Julia Wagner.
Designer Interview of Julia Wagner:
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?
JW : From early age before starting primary school I used to enjoy painting constructing, making clothes for dolls. When my mother was at work I used to rearrange/reconstruct the furniture and paint on the walls. After that it was decided to send me to art school so I could implement my creative energy without destroying household. Close to graduation I realised I would like to become an architect but later on, following my passion for details, I decided to study interior design.
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
JW : Currently, I’m a freelancer interior designer living in Munich and also CEO of utalentum.com, which was created in 2020. Utalentum is a community for creative people, who want to learn new art skills online.
DI: What is "design" for you?
JW : The design for me is a process of conscious creation based on detailed analysis. This analysis consists of different parts such as thoughts, associations, feelings and trends that are required for design functionality and ergonomics. Design reinforces positive emotions, inspires, recharges and does not leave anyone indifferent. For me design is always connected with other forms of art expression.
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
JW : I enjoy the most to design interior of private space as apartments, houses etc. I like the idea of particular space reflecting an individual and, at the same time, is comfortable, functional and beautiful. So therefore, the client would feel happy, relaxed and resting while being at home.
DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
JW : One of my favourite carried out interior design projects is “Feeling Good Apartment”, the interior of one bedroom flat in Berlin Mitte for a client from UK. The main goal was to create an ergonomic interior with relaxing and recharging atmosphere. So, the home owner could rest and feel positive after work day in megapolis. The emphasis of this project was on the colour psychophysiological influence on human and also usage of such materials like natural wood and fabric, and metal. I had immediate mutual understanding with the client and project was excepted without single correction. I was monitoring all stages of the project from the beginning to the final realisation, created interior styling and photoshoot. The client was truly satisfied. My favourite 3D design is digital ad concept „Orange Mood". It’s background idea completely reflects my attitude to life, meaning to be happy and enjoy living every say.
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
JW : The first project for a company was in Estonia for shoe store MOKI in largest shopping centre in Tallinn called Uelemiste in 2014. It was highly beneficial experience for me and great opportunity to work within all stages from conceptualising to realisation of the project. In addition, I gained experience in designing the furniture, managing the construction, coordination, communication with the client and project management in extremely limited timeframe.
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
JW : My favourite technology right now is implementing 3D in Augmented reality and 3D Printing. In my opinion, it the future of interior design. I am always supportive of innovations, like to be aware of trends and new developments, and above all, integrate it in my work, to speed up the process, save time where necessary, increasing its quality and offer the client new possibilities.
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
JW : Most definitely when I had good sleep, in good mood and when I work alone, focused and in comfortable for me conditions. Being in nature, especially near water, also helps a lot.
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
JW : It’s combination of functionality, comfort and aesthetics. And also, emotional aspect. What type of emotions will person experience in particular space or with particular object.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
JW : During the designing process I experience strong flow of energy and strength, realisation of making someone’s world a bit better. The most exciting phase of design process for me is generating ideas and developing concepts, 3d visualisation, and the production stage. This includes choosing materials, furniture, lights, colours, visiting furniture showrooms, hardware stores etc. and then supervising a construction process.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
JW : When my design ideas become live, I feel a mix of emotional uplift, happiness and a bit of a sad emptiness as if it was the end of an exciting journey. However, there is always a new project with new exciting challenges which fills me with new energy and new emotions.
DI: What makes a design successful?
JW : It’s the ability to feel and recognise the needs, problems, mood, hidden desires of the client or society. The skill to feel and analyse new trends, information, technology and successfully implemented it. To use all this knowledge in practice and transform it into design.
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
JW : What type of idea or story is hidden behind the concept and does it actually represent realised design? Does this design solve raised problem? The combination of functionality, comfort and quality of the design. The visual aspect and what emotion it provokes?
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
JW : To create design considering long lasting durability and how it effects overall the environment and nature. Concentrate on safe production, including recycling and spare Earth’s resources. Solve society problems. Make the habitat better and beautiful.
DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
JW : I think that ecological design will have bigger influence in the future. Recycling old possessions and materials , usage of recycled and pollution free resources, all of will be implemented in design in combination with latest technology. 3D printing in construction industry and product design is also evolving.
DI: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
JW : My last held exhibition was in Berlin Central Galerie in 2016. My design project was amongst other projects, that got in top 30 in competition ArtBattle.
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
JW : Inspiration always starts with the back up story or idea that is hidden behind the concept. If I create for myself without the client, then ideas are more often spontaneous. When I work for a client, I base the idea on technical task. The inspiration could come from music, walks in nature, while working out in the gym, reading a book or even while watching a film. The most important thing is to have positive attitude and be open minded. It’s also vital to write down all the ideas, even if they seem to be absurd in first impression. I also get inspired by other designers, architects, artists photographers and genuinely interesting people. I like to see creative portfolios, projects and visit design exhibitions, listen to pleasant music. Breaking routine can be very beneficial like taking a trip or just changing the surroundings. And also, my best friend Inga supports me and believes in me that motivates me at hard times. The support of my husband helps a lot.
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?
JW : I like to work with modern style, colours and direction using natural raw materials and also integrating latest innovations of material and interior. The combination of minimalistic forms, geometry and architecture that is exposed to space, light and contrast is my favourite way of work. Functionality and aesthetics are main criteria for me. My idea is to bring comfort for people first of all, so that they could feel themselves surrounded by cozy interior reflecting their individuality.
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?
JW : I live in Germany 5 years already. I can’t say if there is impact of cultural heritage of Germany on my design, but I definitely see the difference in clientele. In Germany, overall, client trusts the designer more and is more open to innovations and modern trends and styles.
DI: How do you work with companies?
JW : Usually I work as freelancer on project basis or as an interior designer by the company.
DI: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
JW : If it’s fixed term project work, then it’s useful to carefully study the designer’s portfolio and analyse how his or her projects, style and quality corresponds with expectations of future project. Is there potential work in the direction that this company is looking for. But if the subject is regarding permanent employment, then I would suggest treating designers with respect and understanding and create for them comfortable conditions to work, where they can fully express their potential and work productively. Besides the designer’s portfolio, communication and mutual understanding is highly relevant. It’s important to remember, that work in company is beneficial for both sides while both are agreeable with conditions Good recommendations also play important part.
DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?
JW : When I work for a client the project starts with the meeting brief and the planning of technical task. Then I generate different ideas, create mood boards, collect references for inspiration and better understanding of what client wants. Then I work several variations of concept design. When client agrees on which one to work, the next stage is to start working on details such as technical drawings, selection of furniture, materials, decorations, technical drawings of furniture if necessary. If client wishes I create virtual pre-visualisation at this stage too. When working on my personal project I start with an idea or an insight, there are no particular rules in creation. Every time it’s different.
DI: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
JW : My sit-stand working desk from IKEA and sit-stand hocker, Meditating frog statue from Riga, Muuto “Elevated Vase” and my painting easels.
DI: Can you describe a day in your life?
JW : My usual day starts with morning exercise, shower, meditation and breakfast then I glance at my day schedule, start first with urgent tasks then important and record the level of completion. Unfinished will carry on for next day. Necessary part of activity is physical exercise minimum one hour walk in fresh air or exercise in the gym.
DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
JW : First of all, to be open minded, have genuine interest for everything new, consistently study, back up your projects, ideas, photos and documents on cloud everyday. Try always to have handy a notebook and pen study foreign languages, continue your education and take advice only from people who you admire and who inspire you , avoid negative influence and people who don’t believe in you, look for mind like people and co-work with them.
DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
JW : I think that every aspiring designer should remember that designer profession comes with a lot of stress, workloads whereas creative part of the project usually takes only a small part of the whole work. Bad time-management can also bring more stress and the whole excitement and joy of creating the design vanishes away very quickly and makes it very hard to distance oneself from the work on the project and relax in the free time. Every new project is a unique challenge and there is no universal formulas or mathematical equations in how to create a successful design. Therefore one should always approach every project with a fresh sight and mind to be able to actually produce a design which is truly desired by a customer. Therefore routine-lovers are more likely to enjoy technical drawings and more repetitive tasks, which is also part of designer’s work. In other words, every aspiring designer can find his own niche in the workflow of a design project – it is important to find what you really love to do the most. I think that every aspiring designer should remember that designer profession comes with a lot of stress, workloads whereas creative part of the project usually takes only a small part of the whole work. Bad time-management can also bring more stress and the whole excitement and joy of creating the design vanishes away very quickly and makes it very hard to distance oneself from the work on the project and relax in the free time. Every new project is a unique challenge and there is no universal formulas or mathematical equations in how to create a successful design. Therefore one should always approach every project with a fresh sight and mind to be able to actually produce a design which is truly desired by a customer. Therefore routine-lovers are more likely to enjoy technical drawings and more repetitive tasks, which is also part of designer’s work. In other words, every aspiring designer can find his own niche in the workflow of a design project – it is important to find what you really love to do the most.
DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?
JW : Combination of functionality, comfort and visual aesthetics.
DI: What skills are most important for a designer?
JW : The ability to work without the inspiration, planning skills, the ability and desire to learn quickly, skill to analyse and trust intuition, ability to listen, manage work-life-balance and generally relax when necessary.
DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
JW : Trello, ArchiCad, Photoshop, LightRoom, InDesign, 3dsMax and Corona Renderer, Google Keep, Pinterest, AD, Frame, acrhdaily, hqroom, Windows, Oneplus 5t, a lot of books about design, architecture and art, sketchbook, transparent paper, pigment liners, markers, aquarelle.
DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
JW : Everyday planning and usage of Trello app to manage the projects.
DI: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
JW : It’s very difficult to answer this because it has to many dependencies. Such as the size of the object, its complexity, due dates, the budget of the project, additional services like photorealistic visualisation, necessary management of construction and speed of received orders. Overall, the interior design of an apartment can take up to 6 months.
DI: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
JW : I am always amused by the question: “ Can you very quickly (in 20 Minutes, 1 hour etc.) do this project make some sort of design or some concept. It often happens that clients who are not familiar with interior design workflow are completely unaware of work load and different stages it requires. For some peculiar reason those clients are convinced than just in few button clicks the job will be completed.
DI: What was your most important job experience?
JW : The most important experience I had when moving into Germany was in the project “Feeling Good Apartment”. I hand an opportunity to work at all stages of realisation of the project from concepts to managing the construction works, organising all orders, keeping the meetings and up-to final interior styling and photoshoot of the apartment. In Estonia, where I previously worked before moving to Germany, a lot of this stages are managed in different ways so it was crucial for me to gain that experience in new country.
DI: Who are some of your clients?
JW : I am not able to reveal confidentiality of my private clients. However, when I worked in different German based companies, our team would work on projects for brand representatives from Allianz, IKEA, Adidas, WalterKnoll, BoConcept, RolfBenz, Muuto etc.
DI: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
JW : Creating collections of materials, fabrics, furniture, lighting and accessories, while this type of work fills me with energy and happiness.
DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
JW : In the nearest future I am planning to further develop my online-community for creative people - utalentum.com and make it also available for english speakers. Furthermore, I would like to focus on visual conceptual design for online-marketing area.
DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
JW : Usually I work on generating and developing my ideas and concepts by myself as an art-director. When the idea is completed and project worked out then I might require additional co-workers for specific technical tasks, but I also have a positive experience in team working.
DI: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
JW : I prefer to talk about finished projects after realisation stage.
DI: How can people contact you?
JW : E-Mail: julia.wagner.pro@gmail.com
DI: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
JW : Thank you for this interview, for your time and attention.