www.thedesignermagazine.com 61
“IF YoU ALWAYS AIM To exCeeD exPeCTATIoNS
YoU RAReLY FALL SHoRT oF THe bASe-LINe”
be customisable, cheaper and more effective twice, moving them forward or creating new
than existing solutions. I spent three months solutions to old problems. The best source
developing these ideas and I’m pleased to of inspiration for me comes from boredom,
say Cerebra are looking into developing rebellion and problem solving, which all fuel
several of them further. my creativity.
Whilst at Cerebra I was lucky enough to In more refined terms however, I’m
re-integrate with some of my old classmates, constantly inspired by the work of: Ross
one of which was Warren Fauvel. Taking a Lovegrove – how he moulds the industrial
leap of faith we decided to go alone and into organic; Thomas Heatherwick – his
start our own design house which is where I rolling bridge is form and function in
work now. equilibrium; as well as artist Jamie Hewlett,
designer Marc Newson and Paul Arden’s
DESIGNER: Who oR What havE bEEN thE work for Saatchi and Saatchi.
bIGGESt INfluENcES oN youR caREER
So faR aND WhIch cuRRENt DESIGNERS DESIGNER: Do you folloW a paRtIculaR
INSpIRE you moSt? DESIGN pRocESS foR all of youR WoRK
KhaN: My family are a huge influence on oR IS Each pRojEct vERy DIffERENt?
me; being Italian, Welsh and Pakistani means KhaN: Yes and no. FauvelKhan Design, my
I’m not short of cultural references. I’m company, is built upon the design principle
also deeply indebted to my former lecturers that all design should be focused on its
at Swansea Metropolitan University, who intended user. For instance, is there any
not only encouraged me, but questioned point putting a recycling sign on the side
and criticised my work, an honesty which is of a can when 99 per cent of people discard
invaluable in the qualitative world of design. it with general rubbish? Instead, we might
My inspiration comes from everywhere, design a bin that features a designated slot
a cliché I know! I think it is often the inane on the side just for cans. Human Focused
objects, the badly designed products or the Design is all about empathy and it’s
things we see daily and don’t notice that something that I really believe in.
influence us the most. Gaugin said: “All art When viewing individual projects
that is not revolution is plagiarism”, but however, it is much harder to structure a
in design, a degree of plagiarism is almost plan. I tend to follow a typical thought
necessary – successful items should be process; however every project demands
examined and unsuccessful items examined a different design process. When projects ➔
Designing for Difference
Above: cook-a-long fits inside the smallest drawer of
any kitchen and provides a designated area at the correct
height for the child to learn to cook at home
Right: Nordic Drainer is made from a single sheet of
stainless steel and is inspired by the hulls of viking ships
Des Profile Aug.indd 61 24/7/08 10:09:30
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