Harald Hynell is talented designer from Sweden. He is well known in Scandinavia and over the world for his innovative yet useful objects, the infamous Lap Tray is my personal favourite. We continue our habit to publish interviews with designers from Nordic Countries and here the result of our conversation with Harald:

NDB: Hi, many readers of NDB have seen your works, and these creations are very popular among many lovers of Scandinavian design and architecture, can you describe the creative process, how these beautiful ideas were developed?

HH: I view my creative process like an iterative process. In every iteration I try to focus on one of there aspects of design: style, function or technology. The business aspect is always present, but never the focus of an iteration. Normally, but not always, I start with a functional analysis and then I develop a number of alternative sets of functionality. One or two is chosen and then the style is refined and illustrated using 3D software and models. In the next step a prototype is developed and tested. A here everything would be over if things where easy and simple, but they never are. So the process starts over until I feel that I can’t get any further. Just as life in general…

NDB: Where do you get your inspiration from?

HH:

• My wife Madeleine Landou. A truly inspirational person.
• Other designers like Jonathan Ive and Jasper Morrison.
• Entrepreneurs in general

NDB: Tell us about your favorite work you have done?

HH: The Purse Dog. I’ts a new product that we are launching right now and is a first product of a series of product for women that have the ambition to offer practical things with style. Most practical things look practical, but my experience is that women also want style. The Purse Dog is a purse holder that in my opinion combine function and style in a way that I’m proud of.

NDB: This is a popular question that we ask our favorites. What the top three songs are currently on your playlist?

HH: I looked at my most played list in iTunes and here are the results:

1. Daft Punk - Live at Coachella USA (April 2006)
2. Es Wird Morgen, 2raumwohnung
3. Angel eyes, Chet Baker

If you are looking for good music I recommend The Hype Machine.

NDB: Can you point to three Scandinavian Architects/Designers which creations you love?

HH:

• Hårleman
• Tessin
• Arne Jacobsen

NDB: Finally Harald, any words of wisdom for our Nordic Design Blog readers?

HH: Do your thing. Do the thing you love and it will be great. An easy thing to say, but It can take some time to find the thing…

NDB: Thank you, Harald, and we wish you inspiration in your creative work!

Flash Designer Mattias Lindberg aka Fakepilot is considered as one of the best flash programmers in Nordic Countries.He states on his site: “Don’t rip off my work like Levi’s, Nokia and Usher did, hire me directly instead”. Okay, we must to admire that his works are very influential. Now we have a chance to talk with Matias, and here is our conversation:

NDB: Hi Mattias, many readers of NDB have seen your works, and these creations are very popular among many lovers of Nordic design and architecture, can you describe the creative process, how these beautiful ideas were developed?

ML: Thank you. It usually starts with music. I always need music to animate or I have to create it myself. My visualization ideas often comes from improvisation based on the music. I see things visually when I hear music. Not very clearly, instead I follow paths, errors, shadows and interesting shapes and forms that I start to draw. If a client provides me with ideas and images, then I use that as a base. If it’s bad… Well, if it’s bad then I … did you know that I have this magic ability to turn shit into gold? It’s true!

The second time I worked with Diddy/Sean John, the clothing brand. I got these really bad songs from Bad Boy Recordings. I got like 20 songs and they where all pretty crappy. Sorry Puff! But it’s true! At least, it’s not my taste, you judge for yourself. It’s not good animating to. I edited the music myself; scratched a little, synced the lyrics in the songs to fit the intro. 

Instead of other more normal work-flows, I even do sound effects before the animation is started. I make sounds of clicks and blips, zippers and more – so that the music sounds more interesting. Then I start to animate by improvising.

It’s strange, when people ask what I do. I don’t even call myself an designer. Nor do I call myself a musician! At the same time, I have cut and edit music for both Beyonce and Diddy! And got it approved. Sure, it’s for the web and no album release… But I like to take credit for this. Hehe…

NDB: Where do you get your inspiration from?

ML: Besides everyday life, dreams and the fact we’re lost in a bubble – I don’t. I see what doesn’t exist and wonder why no one does it. I got some idols, maybe that’s what you want to hear. Banksy (http://www.banksy.co.uk/), Malcolm X, Chris Cunningham, Noam Chomsky, Gandhi. Yesterday was Che Guevaras anniversary . He’s not an idol of mine, I just wanted to mention him, cause many seem to look up to him. I read about him yesterday. To me it seems he was on the right track in the beginning, but later on he got too blood thirsty, killed too many people and even said in some interview that if he would have gotten control over the Soviet missiles that was on Cuba, he would have nuked a U.S. city without questioning. Also read that he wasn’t for democracy but dictatorship or military power. He liked North Korea and North Vietnam. Still have some reading to do, so I might have missed something? You will never see his face on one of my future t-shirts, though. It’s weird, he is symbol of revolution and socialism, but he is used mostly to sell capitalism. People seem to think that they can simply look revolutionary – then they don’t have to be revolutionaries.

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Some time ago I wrote about Aurland Look Out that become a big architecture sight in Norway. Designed by Todd Saunders and Tommie Wilhelmsen, Aurland Look Out offers a spectacular view of one of the largest fjords on Norway’s west coast. In one of previous articles on NDB I have published an interview with Tommie Wilhelmsen that has evoked big feedback and interest among NDB readers. After this interview I felt that we must to publish an interview with Todd Saunders, but due the my tight business schedule this article was postponed. Finally, I found some gap in my activities and come to Todd with a request of an interview and he was so kind to answer to few our questions:

NDB: Hi Todd, many readers of NDB have seen pictures of Aurland Look Out, and this creation is very popular among many lovers of Scandinavian design and architecture, can you describe the creative process, how this beautiful idea was developed, and how the collaboration with Tommie Wilhelmsen influenced to final result?

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This time Karl-Oskar Karlsson is our guest, and he was so friendly to answer to few our questions:

NDB: Hi Karl, we love your designs, and The Duo from Combine project is my personal favorite. I think so our readers will find intersting to learn about your creative process, how these beautiful ideas were developed?

KK: It all started as a project at School of Design in Kalmar/Nybro when I was studying glass design. My project was selected by Orrefors to be made by them. The creative process begun in the combination of the local materials - wood and glass. They gave something to each other and the contrast really captured me.

NDB: Where do you get your inspiration from?

KK: Well inspiration, for me it is not so much inspiration, rather transpiration. Hard work in the creative process and an focused and awareeye.

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Klaus Haapaniemi is famous Finnish artist and designer, he worked for Diesel, Levis, Marimekko, Dolce & Gabbana, Cacharel, published a book Giants with Rosa Liksom, and recently created his series Taika for Iittala. The list of Klaus’s works, exhibitions and projects is very impressive, and he is one of most ilfluential International designers.

Klaus have an exhibition opening on this Thursday in Oslo in Grafill galleri, so our Norwegian readers are most welcome to join him there!

This time Klaus Haapaniemi is our guest, and he was so friendly to answer to few our questions:

NDB: Hi Klaus, many readers of NDB have seen your works, and these creations are very popular among many lovers of Nordic design and architecture, can you describe the creative process, how these beautiful ideas were developed?

KH: It’s quite simple process. Now I’ve just re-invented the classical illustration basically the styles like early Russian avant-garde which is based on very geometrical shape language. And then I’m processing it by using the most cutting edge technological tools combined with more traditional way of drawing and painting.

NDB: Where do you get your inspiration from?

KH: I get my ideas from everyday life, just by walking in the park or seeing people and communicating. The other part of my imagination is more personally orientated- which roots deeply in to my childhood. I’m also doing quite much research for creative process, every time i travel somewhere i try to get as much back from it by discovering some new and interesting visual treats.

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Originally published at Nordic Design Blog. Please leave any comments there.

We have written about breathtaking architecture of Aurland Look Out in Norway in our blog, it was created by two Norwegian architects, Todd Saunders & Tommie Wilhelmsen.

Tommie Wilhelmsen is talented and famous architect, he was born in 1973 in Stavanger. He graduated from the Bergen School of Architecture in 2000. In 2001 he set up his professional studio in Stavanger, on the west coast of Norway. His work focuses mainly on the residential typology. In spring 2006 Wilhelmsen will be one of 6 invited offices in an exhibition of young Norwegian architects in Ferrarra, Italy.

This time Tommie Wilhelmsen is our guest, and he was so friendly to answer to few our questions:

NDB: Hi Tommie, many readers of NDB have seen pictures of Aurland Look Out, and this creation is very popular among many lovers of Scandinavian design and architecture, can you describe the creative process, how this beautiful idea was developed, and how the collaboration with Todd Saunders influenced to final result?

TW: Todd and I were working on our self built cabin in Hardanger at the time of the competition. We just made the foundation, a 30m long “cat walk” in-between the threes. Seeing such a simple, but long line built in nature was very inspiring. The lookout in Aurland has very much of the same idea, but there we had the possibility to go out, into the air. I felt sure already from the first sketches that we would win this competition.

NDB: Where do you get your inspiration from?

TW: Drawing architecture is for me very much like daydreaming. You can imagine anything.

NDB: Tell us about your favorite work you have done?

TW: Favorite work, is always what is under construction. These days a private family house in Stavanger is being finished, called Villa Vivendelstien. Very pure and white. Maybe the simplest and well organized house I done so far. I think itâ™s nice to develop from project to project, and not just remake “old hits”

NDB: This is a popular question that we ask our favorites. What the top three songs are currently on your playlist?

TW: Well my Mac keeps record of most played song on in my office, so this is actually correct. The list is as followed: 1) Cowgirl in the sand / Neil Young 2) Tower of song / Leonard Cohen 3) Coney Island Baby / Lou Reed. Definitely time to by some music form this century for me…

NDB: Can you point to three Scandinavian Architects/Designers which creations you love?

TW: Listing up great Scandinavian designers and architects would be a much greater list then three names. But among young architects working and building now I believe the young Norwegian team Brendeland & Kristoffersen did great on Svartlamoen student housing project. Looking forward to their next project. I like the finish office K2S architects, the brand new canopy for the Helsinki Olympic stadium is great. I follow with great interest Danish architect Dorthe Mandrup. My favorite building from her office is the Kvartehus in Jamtlandsgade in Copenhagen.

NDB: Finally Tommie, any words of wisdom for our Nordic Design Blog readers?

TW: I am too young for wisdom, hope it stays that way for a while…

NDB: Thank you, Tommie, and we wish you inspiration in your creative work!

Image: S.L Abrahmov

This time our guest is famous photographer Uzi Varon. His clients are well known such Arnold’s Coffee Shop, Maku Magazine, designer Marja Suna and many advertising agencies. People love his fine sense of style and balance in his photographs.

Beside of commercial works he takes very impressive conceptual pictures.

I wrote recently short article about his exhibition �?Double Exposure�? that has place in Caisa International Cultural Centre in Helsinki, where only his creative images are shown.

Uzi was so friendly to answer to few our questions:

NDB: Hi Uzi, First of how do you satisfied with your show in Caisa center?

Caisa center was the right choice for this project. The space of the gallery is interesting and large enough for one man show. Only not very easy to find!

All in all I am pretty pleased with it.

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Today we are posting another gem in our collection: interview of Lynn Kingelin, talented designer from London. We wrote about her studio ‘IKUINEN DESIGN‘ few days before, and she also was so friendly to answer to our questions.

NDB: Hi Lynn, First off how did IKUINEN DESIGN name come about?

Everyone asks me about my studio’s name. Initially it was an over the top attempt at an ethos, but I keep the Ikuinen name as reminds me of perpetual, humorous paradox of design. Most designs are culturally encouraged to be ephemeral and temporal yet inveriably all design leaves a lasting impression on our world long after it disappears.

There is a connection to Finland. I grew up in a small Finnish-American town along the coast of Washington State. My mother is all Finnish and my father is half. I have a fond place in my heart for Finland.

NDB: Tell us about your favorite work you have done?

My favorite piece of recent design is my ‘Shredded Paper Recycling Bin.’ I developed shredded paper as a material and I am attempting to get the design mass manufactured as the response has been amazing. Any companies interested in manufacturing and marketing the product have my attention!

NDB: This is a popular question that we ask our favorites. What are the top three songs currently on your playlist or what is your favorite music station?

The three songs with worn edges in my IPOD would be ‘Home’ by Marc Broussard, ‘Al Verte Partir’ by Alih Jey and ‘Breathe (2AM)’ by Anna Nalick.

NDB: What is your favorite drink?

NDB: Finally Lynn, any words of wisdom for our Nordic Design Blog readers?

My favorite drink is a Blackberry Bramble and my wisdom to NDB readers… When you have run out of patience there is always airfare.

NDB: Thank you very much Lynn for your interview, and we wish you success in your creative work.

We have started new section “Interviews”, and a first article is about
Hörður Lárusson, Graphic designer from Reykjavik.

NDB: Hi Hörður, First off all does your name have some particular meaning in Icelandic language?

Hi to you too. My name means nothing at all in Icelandic. In Norwegian on the other hand it has a meaning, that is “a man from Hordaland” (which is a place in Norway). Actually the street I live in here in Reykjavik is called Hordaland, so I guess I truly am the man from Hordaland.

NDB: Where do you get your inspiration from?

I’d like to say that I get it from books and stuff, like everyone else says … but truthfully I think I get most of my inspiration from my friends, family and other people I usually hang out with.

NDB: Tell us about your favorite work you have done?

Of the stuff I’ve done recently I think there are two that you could say are my favorites. These two projects, although both being books, couldn’t be more different in terms of working on them. First there is a paper I designed with 2 good friends. It was a school paper for the Commercial Collage of Iceland, called V71. It was over 200 pages and we got the freedom to whatever we wanted to and didn’t have to worry much about the money side of things. We spent about 2 months locked up in a tiny room downtown, that smelled of apples, and produced what I think is, a great paper filled with illustrations, witty text and nifty design tricks. Second project was a book that contained 10 interviews with famous artists from all over the world. There is only one picture in the whole book, it’s all in black and white and there was hardly any money to spend and no time. I still think the outcome is one of my best works. Both of them are books I still like to grab from my shelf and flip through once in a while.

NDB: This is a standard question that we ask our guests: What are the top five songs currently on your playlist?

I’m not sure that this is a safe question to ask me … I am notorious for having terrible taste in music. Although in-between I like listening to classics like Creedence, Beach Boys and Kraftwerk, some of my more questionable music (according to the people around me) is stuff like Halcali, Phat Krew and the great danish band Aqua. Aqua still gets quite some air time on my computer.

NDB: What is your favorite drink?

Cranberry/Apple juice and hot water with ginger… but don’t try mixing them together.

NDB: Finally Hörður, any words of wisdom for our Nordic Design Blog readers?

I think I’ll quote Scooter and say: “It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice”.