Seyed Hamed Jafari

LEGENDARY INTERVIEW

Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer Seyed Hamed Jafari ("SHJ") 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?

SHJ : I grew up in a family that had passion for art and design such as sculpture designing, drawing, painting, and architectural designing. Initially though I didn’t follow my passion of designing and architecture because in Iran there was a University Admission Exam that I had to score really high to get into my favourite university’s architecture program. Instead, I entered undergraduate program in electrical engineering. After few years gone by and unpassionately completing this major, fortunately, I was able to regroup myself and realize what my true educational and career passion has been throughout all these years. So, finally, at 31 years old, I decided to take the opportunity to follow my passion. This time I was extremely motivated and driven; this time I admired the new opportunity that life put in front of me to pursue what I always wanted. So, I studied 10 times harder for the University Admission Exam even though everything was much more difficult due to having a family and working full time at the same time. So, I finally was able to enter my favourite program with high score this time. Now, I feel completely fulfilled and driven in the path I always dreamed to be in, to be able to learn, explore and create innovative designs.

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

SHJ : The art of architecture is part of culture, which means that I believe that all arts depend on architecture, and that architecture itself depends on culture, so it is culture that can introduce architecture, and it is the architect who can create culture. Both of these, architecture and culture, complement each other. An architect can create a culture by creating works, and culture can build a good architect; neither is superior to the other. Culture is a general theme that encompasses all arts and all social issues, and architecture is a huge part of culture.

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

SHJ : I grew up in a family that had passion for art and design such as sculpture designing, drawing, painting, and architectural designing. Initially though I didn’t follow my passion of designing and architecture because in Iran there was a University Admission Exam that I had to score really high to get into my favourite university’s architecture program. Instead, I entered undergraduate program in electrical engineering. After few years gone by and unpassionately completing this major, fortunately, I was able to regroup myself and realize what my true educational and career passion has been throughout all these years. So, finally, at 31 years old, I decided to take the opportunity to follow my passion. This time I was extremely motivated and driven; this time I admired the new opportunity that life put in front of me to pursue what I always wanted. So, I studied 10 times harder for the University Admission Exam even though everything was much more difficult due to having a family and working full time at the same time. So, I finally was able to enter my favourite program with high score this time. Now, I feel completely fulfilled and driven in the path I always dreamed to be in, to be able to learn, explore and create innovative designs.

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

SHJ : My view of architecture and related arts is always modern, simple and minimalist, and ultimately with the use of creative and technological angles. Of course, I have always had a deep look at traditional architecture and the local arts. I consider it a part of the culture and customs of my country. I mostly enjoy designing innovative and simple modernistic themes but entailing repetitive past-valued architectural inspirations shown in simple details like even a room orientation, window frames, and more. My favourite type of design is villa design.

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

SHJ : To draw their design ideas fearlessly even if their design doesn’t get the adequate attention. To live with their designs like it is part of their being and blew life into each by living through each design as they proceed through the development process of a design. And also to branch out in between ideas through imagination and visualization trying to create interdisciplinary approach for each design.

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

SHJ : I think, one of the major responsibilities of a designer is to be able to prioritize local needs and cultural obligations of a specific region when it comes to utilizing modern design formats and styles. Each region has its own heritage and cultural predispositions came from the interactions and needs of those people from one another and their specific environment. So, when a designer decides to import new modern designing methods into the texture of each region, he should pay particular attention into not sacrificing nuance of modernistic approach in the expense of affecting that regions’ connection to its past. For example, my hometown was filled with so many monumental scenes and architectures that connected its present culture to ancient Persia. But, with new flood of modernistic designs, each neighborhood is shifting its historical identity to look more westernized by designers simply imitate western designing methods to increase their sales. Through this replacement, not only specific needs of each region are not being met, but also, their sense of belonging to their past identity is disappearing.

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

SHJ : Design appearance is important, but for me the most important factor is its practicality of use. There can be designs which designers can have built-in programs into the designs but realistically, clients don’t connect and cant use it in practice. I think the most important factor in judging a design is the sense of practicality that the designer and the user find mutual, in use of space, orientations, appearance, and more.

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

SHJ : Simplicity or minimalistic approach founded on practicality

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

SHJ : This Rouzan Residential Building design was my favourite to date design because I was liberated and completely trusted by the client. Thus I could implement ideas that most clients may not feel comfortable with in designing from interior insulating systems all the way into façade, canopies and more.

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

SHJ : I think the most important skill for a designer is the ability to manifest its imagination ability onto a paper or onto a reality that can be presented and connect with. The spectrum of Liberating imagination in visualizing a mental image for a design concept on one end to limitations and barriers regulated by municipalities filtering those raw liberating imaginations on the other end is the most positive to most negative attributes for a designer. Now the closer a manifested design is to one end, the more positive or negative impact it has how a designer’s presence may feel like.

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

SHJ : Designing is a grandmother field meaning it is interconnected with other industries at core. Designing to me, is capturing progressive and controversial arts, enriching it with spirits of past heritage specific to each neighbourhood, and placing a mysterious futuristic approach in it that often goes unnoticed and unfolds its value as the design age older into future like the Egyptian Pyramids.

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

SHJ : My best partner and teammate is my wife who always gives me helpful advices and points out some of the blind spots in my designs.

DL: What helped you to become a great designer?

SHJ : Innovative touches that further highlights unique heritage of specific regions adapting to their needs

DL: What’s your next design project, what should we expect from you in future?

SHJ : I always wanted to work on a Villa design and fortunately currently I am in the middle of a villa design which upon completion you can see the finalized project in my company’s Instagram.

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

SHJ : My most important job experience was Rouzan Residential Building because I had to also act as the project manager to supervise material selections, interior and exterior design execution, as well as infrastructural design conducts to be sure that there is a harmony between them all.

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

SHJ : I think, design field currently is deviated from the core concept for a design to connect people with their environment and their identity i.e. empower their sense of belonging to their surroundings. Currently I don’t see any design evolution from decades ago. New designs seem to be mostly directed with over exaggeration of early 2000 designing themes only more advanced due to integration of new technology into them, as opposed to the incorporation of new evolutionary designing concepts. I think this over exaggeration provides more disconnect between people and their neighborhood as opposed to comfort of feeling homed.

DL: How long does it take you to finalize a design project?

SHJ : It depends on each project, its complexity and its details.

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

SHJ : It depends from design to design and what are the major variable of a design and the needs that the design should fulfill. Sometimes, I start from details and draw up to the overall concept, sometimes from top down process. But, it certainly always starts with sketching a design on a paper by hand and developing major foundations from there.

DL: What is your life motto as a designer?

SHJ : Our company’s motto is, a design should be minimalistic, simple, and accessible for all people.

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

SHJ : The art of architecture is part of culture, which means that I believe that all arts depend on architecture, and that architecture itself depends on culture, so it is culture that can introduce architecture, and it is the architect who can create culture. Both of these, architecture and culture, complement each other. An architect can create a culture by creating works, and culture can build a good architect; neither is superior to the other.

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

SHJ : Sketchup, AutoCAD, Photoshop, and Lumion.

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

SHJ : My best partner and teammate is my wife who always gives me helpful advices and points out some of the blind spots in my designs.