Aliki Rovithi

LEGENDARY INTERVIEW

Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer Aliki Rovithi ("AR") for their original perspective and innovative approach to design as well as their creative lifestyle, we are very pleased to share our interview with our distinguished readers.

DL: Could you please tell us a bit about your design background and education?

AR : After graduating from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki with a degree in mathematics, I received a BA (Hons) in industrial and product design from the Middlesex University (AKTO - Athens branch). Foant Asour and I, both industrial designers, founded the Athens-based, award winning, creative studio DEDE DextrousDesign in 2007. We have participated in numerous design exhibitions in Greece as well as SaloneSatellite 2010 in Milan, Tendence 2012 of Messe Frankfurt and Biennale Interieur 2014 in Kortrijk, Belgium. Our work has been featured in prestigious design publications worldwide and has also been presented at the Design Show of the Canton Fair 2011 in Guangzhou, China, A’ design award exhibition 2012 in Como, Italy and Chennai, India, Torino Design Week 2013 and INDEX 2014 in Dubai, UAE.

DL: What motivates you to design in general, why did you become a designer?

AR : I became a designer because I regard design as a user- centred and experience-oriented process and I love to express my thoughts in alternative ways across a wide range of creative media.

DL: What do you design, what type of designs do you wish to design more of?

AR : As an industrial and product designer, I try to perceive things from novel perspectives and create more of design projects that deliver messages in effective and memorable ways.

DL: What should young designers do to become a design legend like you?

AR : They should have a never ending love for debate and experimentation.

DL: What makes a good design a really good design, how do you evaluate good design?

AR : Really good design aside from its conceptual background, provides a context for interaction and features functional qualities as well, to facilitate our daily lives in ingenious ways.

DL: What is your secret recipe of success in design, what is your secret ingredient?

AR : Should I had to point out the common denominator of my inspiration- my secret recipe- that would be the underlying humor within each one of my design concepts and my attempt to design engaging experiences that trigger the user’s positive emotional response.

DL: What is your greatest design, which aspects of that design makes you think it is great?

AR : "Get the hang of it" bag best represents my clear, humoristic and functional view on things and also responds to the social, environmental, and economic challenges that our planet is facing.

DL: How do you define design, what is design for you?

AR : It is a drastic way to approach people and inspire them to think under a different light.

DL: Who helped you to reach these heights, who was your biggest supporter?

AR : With Foant Asour, my design partner, we share a similar approach to creative problem solving, and everyday he helps me communicate my thoughts and beliefs.

DL: What were the obstacles you faced before becoming a design master?

AR : Although I carry an artistic background as well, as industrial designer I have to operate within the strictly commercial and profit- driven requirements of mass production. These exact requirements are the obstacles I had to overcome, in order to support, realize and establish my designs.

DL: What’s your ultimate goal as a designer?

AR : My ultimate goal for the future and my biggest anxiety so far, is not to stop loving what I do, and remain able to keep on giving an open and enthusiastic welcome to new things.

DL: How does design help create a better society?

AR : Consuming as little natural resources and raw materials as possible, according to the "dematerialization" approach that our times require, has been an ongoing concern of mine since the beginning of my involvement in design. Environmentally conscious design does help create a better, sustainable and viable society.

DL: When you have a new design project, where do you start?

AR : Using conceptual approach and intuitively understood humor as starting points for the designing of my products, I aim at building strong emotional bonds between the user and the product’s context of use.

DL: Who is your ideal design partner? Do you believe in co-design?

AR : I do believe in co-design and my ideal design partner is Foant Asour. Dealing with a design project is a complex, cross-disciplinary process, and although our different interpretation of things might initially lead to disagreements, these exact disagreements boost our creativity and motivation! As the design process matures, fluid communication, mutual understanding and constant knowledge exchange deepen and enrich our collective effort. After all, when two minds are engaged in the same task, they accomplish a common goal at a significantly faster pace.

DL: How did you develop your skills as a master designer?

AR : I keep my eyes wide open, I love and listen to people and I cultivate creative thinking on a daily basis by examining things in-depth. I also dwell into any occurring design problem, and face every detail separately by implementing alternative solutions, away from boring and worn out design schemas.

DL: Please tell us anything you wish your fans to know about you, your design and anything else?

AR : All of my products are made of long- lasting, recyclable or low- impact materials and I prefer types of wood that can be harvested from sustainably managed forests. Furthermore, every piece of my large size furniture is designed to be collapsible, enabling flat packaging and thus the reduction of its carbon footprint.