"BIZNES meble.pl" international 1/2018

interview X design international edition 1/2018 [ BIZNES meble.pl 69 my studies. It concerned the creation of the principle of building linear solids. To my satisfaction I found the concept in the publication 'Obserwator' (1995) of the Department of Bionics Design. I decided to create a new concept based on a cross-section of triangular and rectangular elements arranged in such way that it was possible to modify the form and to change its volume. This allowed us to create a unique piece of furniture and characteristic cross- sections that, in the opinion of lay- man, anyone can do. Here the thought comes to my mind: Innovation distin- guishes between a leader and a follower , created by Steve Jobs. ‘Tango’ poufs won the ‘Core77’ award at NYC and were nominated for the ‘Index’ award in Denmark, in March they had their premiere on one of the TVN Style pro- grams, hosted by Anna Nowak-Ibisz. I try to look for producers who can see the potential in the diversity of appli- cations or multi-functional forms and go beyond the established standards in order to achieve success. My projects are not standard solutions and that is why they can wait longer for potential producers and require more time and work. This is quite a challenge when, within a given concept, it is necessary to consolidate several different pro- ducers focused around one form, but made in different technologies. What makes projects that, as you said, are not standard achieve market suc- cess? First of all, you have to put a huge amount of work into the promotion of such a product. That is introduc- ing it to a wide audience through the media, especially television, all recog- nized national and foreign fairs, from Milan to NYC, London or Dubai. You can also use various international competitions, such as Red Dot, Good Design, Index, Best of Year and many others, that cooperate with interna- tional media, industry magazines and recognized bloggers. Various types of internet platforms related to global ad- vertising that reach both industry and individual customers with powerful databases of potential customers are also useful. However, a responsible at- titude of the producer or distributor is necessary for this type of activity. One will not achieve the assumed goal with- out proper investments in this type of activity. I designed furniture for office buildings, industrial or public spaces, various types of display cases, shelves, hybrid-multimedia desktops. I carried out such projects for Kulczyk Tradex around 2002, as well as steel installa- tions of visual information of Stary Bro- war, which received many prestigious awards and became an icon of Polish architecture. I mention this because they are fascinating realizations for corporations with completely different financial strategy. As a rule, they invest their funds or operate with the support of investment funds, and not the other way around, as is the case with smaller commercial furniture factories. These investments must return quickly, so the smaller the producer, the lower the chances of cooperating with the design- ers, not to mention teams that are in- volved in the implementations and have a fixed strategy defined by the owner. On the other hand, large enterprises, in order to guarantee the sale and the brand, employ well-known Polish and foreign names, without omitting EU funds depending on cooperation with universities. What features make a designer under- stand people and their needs? I think that the ability to listen, un- derstand and interpret the needs that are set before us is important, and this is due to the perception of the world inscribed in the geometry that shapes it. That is why it is important for me to see simple, obvious solutions that arise from the analysis of a set task, to elimi- nate unnecessary elements in order to simplify the form so that it becomes a classic, timeless solution. Do you still want to change reality? There are still many things that can be changed, improved. I will try to keep my balance and create my projects according to the principle: the less, the more. With the development of new technologies we can interpret our projects by creating collections and expanding their scope of application. Worse, when others do it for us, without our acceptance. What do you think will be the most im- portant in design in the nearest future? Taking into account the technologi- cal development, I have the impression that it will be a freedom in the field of furniture production, selection of decors or 3D printing for individual orders. Currently, you can order sin- gle pieces or small series of furniture. Small factories emerge, family busi- nesses, based on modern technologies, automation and robotics, so that the owner can handle the production and shipment of goods using a smartphone. Here meble.pl platform comes to my mind – maybe not literally. The Internet has revolutionized worldwide access to the product information, possibility of its selection and purchase. However, the biggest challenge is to reduce transport costs and time of delivery to the cus- tomer. Thank you for the conversation. ‘Tango’poufs. Photo by Bartłomiej Jan Sowa.