Julia Eliseeva

LEGENDARY INTERVIEW

Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer Julia Eliseeva ("JE") 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?

JE : I graduated from the International Design School in 2015 and since then I have been engaged only in design. As a child, I dreamed of becoming an architect, but later I forgot about it. However, desire to create became more intense over the years. I was engaged in photography for more than 10 years. It was an analog and digital photography, experiments with Lomography, Polaroid and photographic enlarger. I created my own photo projects in the genre Art Fashion, participated in exhibitions, cooperated with designers, stylists, models. I became a member of the Union of Photo Artists of Russia. At some point, photography was not enough for me. Desire to realize my aesthetic sense became extremely high. In 2013, the path to my childhood dream of becoming an architect began. Now I am an interior designer, and furniture is a small architecture.

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

JE : I am an aesthet, and seeking of beauty is my main feature. I have a lot of beauty inside, and it has always been important for me to implement it, to give it shape. I feel the color, the light, the composition, the geometry. Earlier I was engaged in photography, but then design came in my life. I am into that. I like to make the world more beautiful.

DL: Did you choose to become a designer, or you were forced to become one?

JE : I think it would be reasonable to even call it fate. And it happened at the right time by itself. Perhaps evolution needs my DNA as a designer.

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

JE : First of all, I am an interior designer and I like designing spaces. Most of all I am interested in commercial interiors because they are more conceptual in their core. Exactly conceptual interiors I can fill with pieces of furniture designed by me specially for a particular space. Exactly author furniture makes interior unique.

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

JE : Do not accept a compromise with yourself.

DL: What distinguishes between a good designer and a great designer?

JE : Maybe courage, sense of taste, level of creativity.

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

JE : Time makes a good design a really good design. Really good design is not behind the times.

DL: What is the value of good design? Why should everyone invest in good design?

JE : A good design should be comfortable, durable and beautiful. Quality things grow old beautifully. And design icons do not become obsolete at all.

DL: What is the dream project you haven’t yet had time to realize?

JE : I dream to design and realize of a boutique hotel interior.

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

JE : I only do that inspires me.

DL: Who are some other design masters and legends you get inspired from?

JE : Carlo Scarpa, Gio Ponti, Frank Lloyd Wright, Gerrit Rietveld, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Tadao Ando.

DL: How could people improve themselves to be better designers, what did you do?

JE : For a designer, it's very important to see a lot, because everything you see sticks deep inside, and then it transforms into something new. I do not think you need to do something special with yourself, search for some inspiration specially to create an object. Because everything new is a mutation and you are not able to affect it. All you need is to be in tune with it and to accumulate different aesthetic experience. But sometimes you need to reset your mind to zero, become empty to create something new.

DL: If you hadn’t become a designer, what would you have done?

JE : I would continue to be engaged in photography.

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

JE : All that surrounds us is design. Design is the use of new technologies, co-creation under the guidance of nature. We complement the beauty of nature, adding our own spirit to it. Design is functional art which must be beautiful and comfortable. It is a practice task solution in a beautiful and contemporary way.

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

JE : My dearest lecturer in the history of architecture and interior, who spotted me. She believes in me and always supports.

DL: What helped you to become a great designer?

JE : I'm only at the beginning of my journey and I do not consider myself a fulfilled designer.

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

JE : I participated in design awards and competitions in my country, but my projects were gone unnoticed.

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

JE : Find my own recognizable artistic language.

DL: What people expect from an esteemed designer such as yourself?

JE : They expect to get emotional stylish design solving functional tasks. The most progressive customers appreciate the uniqueness.

DL: How does design help create a better society?

JE : All that surrounds us is design. Good design trains taste. I believe that if person is surrounded with great items from his childhood he will not agree for bad design in future. Because his inner standards are high already.

DL: What are you currently working on that you are especially excited about?

JE : I am working on commercial interior. It will be showroom for a building contractor.

DL: Which design projects gave you the most satisfaction, why?

JE : Most of all I proud of two my interior projects. One of them is interior of hotel's breakfast room. Designing of them I was inspired with heritage of Kazimir Malevich and holland crew "De Stijl". The second one is interior of acrylic stone's showroom where I was exploring heritage of Italian modernism.

DL: What would you like to see changed in design industry in the coming years?

JE : I would like to see Russian design is competitive on the world stage.

DL: Where do you think the design field is headed next?

JE : I think future of design is in synthesis of art, music, psychology, body consciousness, sacral geometry. Using rules of fractal geometry, we will able to create very complicated models of space. That geometry allows to combine all arts and sciences into the one connected entire.

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

JE : I start with exploring functional tasks and input data.

DL: What is your life motto as a designer?

JE : Good design is less design.

DL: Do you think design sets the trends or trends set the designs?

JE : I think it doesn't matter.

DL: What kind of design software and equipment do you use in your work?

JE : For designing I use SketchUp Pro and Revit Architecture. It is the most useful tools for me.

DL: What is the role of the color, materials and ambient in design?

JE : I am an adept of contextual design and I consider ambient defines design. The role of material is primary, because properties of material determine the form. Color also matters, because each color has a visual weight. Combining different colors, you need to figure on proportions.

DL: When you see a new great design or product what comes into your mind?

JE : Oh, it is geniusly!

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

JE : I work on my projects by my own.

DL: How do you feel about all the awards and recognition you had, is it hard to be famous?

JE : It is my first award and it is too early to say that I am famous. My award gives me inspiration to create further and I feel responsibility for level of future projects.