We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Zeinab Iranzadeh Ichme ("ZII").
I have always been fascinated by the patterns that occur in nature and how arts get inspired by them. This fascination has been a driving momentum for me to somehow to combine and create new patterns. Like any other artist, these patterns evolve through a complex amalgamation of my feelings and knowledge. I keep updating my knowledge continuously through any kind of resources including blogs, books, and classes however my emotions and feelings modify the final outcome dramatically. I started my online portfolio as I moved forward and had the opportunity to work with "XGABRIELX Productions" as pattern designer since April 2011. This helped me publish my first books on pattern design.
Zeinab Iranzadeh Ichme Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Zeinab Iranzadeh Ichme.
Zeinab Iranzadeh Ichme Design - Flower Power Fabric Pattern Design
Designer Interview of Zeinab Iranzadeh Ichme:
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?
ZII : I started being passionate about art since I was a kid. Then my strong desire pushed me to art and drawing classes. As a result, I started my serious art career as I entered Art high school. At that time, I realized that I wanna be an artist.
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
ZII : From many years ago I decided to be a freelance designer as a Graphic and Surface pattern designer. But my actual personal brand is built less than a year ago, as I recently finished my studies on Fashion design by Oct 2019.
DI: What is "design" for you?
ZII : It's an absolute Freedom and joy.
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
ZII : I like challenges, because I think they make you change the way of thinking, they let you change your view perspectives. So I enjoy both designing motifs and surface patterns for the fashion as well as home sector.
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
ZII : My first designs were based on Graphic Design sector (Logo, brochure..), but my first pieces as a motif and Surface pattern design was made for the client from Belgium, who afterward invited me to collaborate with other artists and publish my designs in a resource book for artists, Graphic designers, and stylists.
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
ZII : Color pencils, markers, watercolor, Adobe Photoshop, and Illustrator.
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
ZII : I think creativity doesn't care about a certain time or moment, at least mine doesn't work like that.
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
ZII : In a good design, you must pay attention to every aspect related to design functionality and usage. But I think the most powerful and important part would be the idea.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
ZII : Hard to explain! A great sense of high positive vibration, mixing with joy and happiness.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
ZII : OMG! Even harder to explain!! Like being out of this world!
DI: What makes a design successful?
ZII : I think there are no established rules, but the designs' ability to communicate and accomplish on its best way its role and purpose related to its sector and area could make a successful design.
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
ZII : The idea and the purpose of which design is made for.
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
ZII : I think if you train yourself to see positive things and aspects of anything even in those that in general they are “Marked” as a negative thing, you can always communicate and reach others with a big smile and encourage them to think and see things with another perspective. This transmits a good vibe to people and the environment even on the hardest times.
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
ZII : No rules for inspiration! They can come from everything and everywhere. But mine comes from any subject that makes me feel good even a small thing. So I can hear the sound of the bird, see a newborn plant, and get inspired.
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?
ZII : Honestly, I'm not restricted to some sort of style, that’s why I experience different styles based to my idea, what and how I want to communicate and I highly trust to my intuition to choose the style for my designs and often I reach that part trough en experimenting process.
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?
ZII : Currently, I live in Italy but I have lived in different places and each one has its effects on me and my designs. But I think still my cultural heritage and background play an important role when it comes to design, I'm an Iranian freelancer artist and as you see my different artworks at least you can find some cultural aspects on them. The repetition, the bold and sharp colors, as well as symmetry and a mix of geometric lines with organic ones...etc, those are some aspect that you can find in historical motifs and designs of my country.
DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?
ZII : My design process like any other starts with an idea, then I'll decide about how to express it, sometimes I have to go to the experimenting phase to can decide better about the final result. Then the real process starts.
DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
ZII : Learn, experiment, having fun with the process, being updated, then follow your intuition for the best outcome.
DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
ZII : For me the negative part does not exist, I call it as experimentation part that leads you to reach your goals based upon what you want and what you like the most. But being a designer MUST be your own 100% decision without being influenced sentimentally or forced by anyone.
DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?
ZII : Expressing my feelings in the best way.
DI: What skills are most important for a designer?
ZII : It could be different based on the design area, but in general, the communication skill would be applied to all of them.
DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
ZII : It could vary, but I could use almost anything regarding from inspiration process to the final results. There's no restriction, anything that could help me to express my idea even better it would be welcomed, also I don’t have any fear about trying new things and technics, so I’m quite open in the process.
DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
ZII : If you are really passionate about something and you just don’t see it as a job to earn money from it, then you'll always find the best way to manage your time.
DI: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
ZII : What is your next project?
DI: What was your most important job experience?
ZII : All of them can have their own level of importance, cause each one brings you a new experience and they make you grow step by step. But the most important based on the level of adding and learning many things during the process was making the design for publication which leads me to be offered by a publisher to have my own design books.
DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
ZII : As I changed my point of view I try to not to have any plan! All I'm trying is going with the flow and paying more attention to how I feel when I want to start a new project. As being an artist I think I'm still learning, so I definitely continue doing more experience and enjoy all the process, cause I think those things will lead you to go forward and they’ll bring you even more success.
DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
ZII : I do them by myself.
DI: How can people contact you?
ZII : They can reach me through my website.