Study O Portable

How would describe your approach to design and your design sensibilities?/ We’re interested in finding new and alternative ways to describe the ordinary and mundane through objects. It starts with research into different incarnations of a certain idea or object throughout history. It’s then edited to make a new work, one that proposes a new possibility for the things we thought we knew.

What materials do you like to work with and what do they contribute to your aesthetic?/ The materials tend to be dependent on the idea we are working around. For us it’s important to choose the right material that adds to the proposition we’re making with the work while providing a visual aspect that invites the viewer to consider the work.

What is your relationship to technology and how do you use it to make future design solutions tangible?/ We’ve always been interested in technology, both new and old, and the kind of relationships we have with it. We’re interested in the idea of technology and its developments through time. It tells us a lot about our society and culture, and that’s a useful thing to know when we think about the future.

How valuable has your time been with the Swarovski experts? What have you learned and how has it inspired you?/ It’s always enlightening to hear from and work with people who are experts in their field and who love what they do. It gave us the opportunity to get to know the material and possibilities in more depth, widening the range of possibilities for the project. Having spent time with the team changed our perspective on the products we thought we knew, which is always interesting, and in a sense is what we try to do with our work as well.

What brief were you given and how are you responding to it?/ We were given a brief to consider the future of smart living and the role that Swarovski crystal might play in it. Our approach here was similar to how we normally work, except this time we’re starting with the material. We considered the different aspects of what Swarovski does in terms of material technologies and precision cutting processes and what could be a relevant and interesting theme to work on.

What does the chance to work so closely with Swarovski mean to you—and what do you hope you can learn from this?/ It’s been really interesting to talk to the team and learn new things about the material, processes, and applications of Swarovski crystal. To work directly with set materials and processes is a different way of working for us, which has been really interesting and enjoyable.