MATE MESZAROS
LEGENDARY INTERVIEW
Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer Mate Meszaros ("MM") 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?
MM : We both studied different forms of art before becoming architects, although before enrolling university we both choose a more “rational” form of art pursuing our studies as architects further. During our university years our major interest were architecture and furniture design.
DL: What motivates you to design in general, why did you become a designer?
MM : Creating something from the very beginning to the end, after completion seeing the users interact with it really makes work become a profession.
DL: What do you design, what type of designs do you wish to design more of?
MM : As architects and furniture designers we design buildings from urban scale to pavilions, usually paying the utmost attention to detail until the last door handle. We prefer projects that have the most impact on lives of people in need. Social housing or cultural spaces would be a good example with all the furniture included.
DL: What should young designers do to become a design legend like you?
MM : As young designers ourselves we can answer this question a later time.
DL: What makes a good design a really good design, how do you evaluate good design?
MM : A good design can still be arbitrary, while every last detail of a great design serves a purpose.
DL: What is the value of good design? Why should everyone invest in good design?
MM : Good design significantly improves the quality of life for every layer of society. Good design should also be affordable to it’s main audience, so definitely worth the investment.
DL: What would you design and who would you design for if you had the time?
MM : Social projects are always the most interesting and challenging.
DL: What is the dream project you haven’t yet had time to realize?
MM : Space facilities would be an interesting challenge.
DL: What is your secret recipe of success in design, what is your secret ingredient?
MM : Not being afraid of making radical changes at any stage of the project.
DL: Who are some other design masters and legends you get inspired from?
MM : Dieter Rams and Sugimoto Hirosi
DL: What are your favorite designs by other designers, why do you like them?
MM : The very first iPod; in the history of industrial design that product had the biggest positive impact on peoples life so far probably.
DL: What is your greatest design, which aspects of that design makes you think it is great?
MM : We are interested in flexibility, to let our designs change with the needs of people. I think we are looking for this aspect throughout all of our design pieces.
DL: How could people improve themselves to be better designers, what did you do?
MM : Learn something new every day and always widen your perspective.
DL: If you hadn’t become a designer, what would you have done?
MM : Life always have unexpected turns so we could have become anything from a professional water polo player to an astronaut.
DL: How do you define design, what is design for you?
MM : Design is always a process of providing different solutions to needs or insights.
DL: Who helped you to reach these heights, who was your biggest supporter?
MM : As young designers we are still looking forward to reach “these heights”.
DL: What were the obstacles you faced before becoming a design master?
MM : Being challenged every day is probably the most important part of being a designer so constant obstacles are actually something you could always learn from.
DL: How do you think designers should present their work?
MM : Besides communicating the main idea of our firm, each project should be represented at the highest level possible, in a unique way adapting to the projects main message.
DL: What’s your next design project, what should we expect from you in future?
MM : Our main point of interest recently is to improve the lives of people living in limited spaces, around this topic we are developing different ideas.
DL: What’s your ultimate goal as a designer?
MM : To reach as many people as possible with our ideas.
DL: How does design help create a better society?
MM : To have the most positive impact on peoples life, we aim to give the most simplistic answer to their specific needs at an affordable price.
DL: Which design projects gave you the most satisfaction, why?
MM : The Tatamu stool taught us a lot about cooperating closely with the manufacturers. It's impressive folding method always brings excitement of peoples faces.
DL: What would you like to see changed in design industry in the coming years?
MM : It would be great if good designs could reach a wider audience, reaching people really in need of improvement.
DL: Where do you think the design field is headed next?
MM : We always look forward to see different visions from different designers. Probably newly arising technologies will have a major impact on the field.
DL: How long does it take you to finalize a design project?
MM : It always depends on the specific project, usually ranging from a couple of months to a couple of years.
DL: When you have a new design project, where do you start?
MM : Every project starts with an extensive research phase to allow a deep understanding of the topic.
DL: What is your life motto as a designer?
MM : Several overnight days don't really pay off in the end, time management is key.
DL: Do you think design sets the trends or trends set the designs?
MM : It’s a recursive process so vice-versa.
DL: What is the role of technology when you design?
MM : We are always open to try new methods that technology offers to support us.
DL: What kind of design software and equipment do you use in your work?
MM : Usually we use Rhino, V-ray and Grasshopper with the Adobe software for furniture design, for architectural projects we also work with Revit. Besides sketching of course we started to explore the advantages of 3D printing.
DL: What is the role of the color, materials and ambient in design?
MM : Materiality is at the core of our projects, choosing the right material brings out the essence of our ideas.
DL: What do you wish people to ask about your design?
MM : We are always happy to answer any questions.
DL: When you see a new great design or product what comes into your mind?
MM : Why didn’t we think about this earlier.
DL: Who is your ideal design partner? Do you believe in co-design?
MM : We always design our furniture together and we are always looking for different craftsmen and other creative thinkers to cooperate.
DL: Which people you interacted had the most influence on your design?
MM : The insights of different manufacturers are always valuable, in terms of ideas we usually learn from and influence each other.
DL: Which books you read had the most effect on your design?
MM : Reading about completely unrelated topics could result major breakthroughs in our projects, parallels can be drawn between many seemingly distinct fields.
DL: How did you develop your skills as a master designer?
MM : We have over 10 years of experience combined in the architecture and furniture design field. Each unique project teaches us something new, widening our perspective leading to new ideas.
DL: What makes your day great as a designer, how do you motivate yourself?
MM : We both live in the always moving city of Tokyo, every person, place, food and color we encounter during our days inspire us to come up with new ideas reacting to this constantly changing environment.
DL: Please tell us anything you wish your fans to know about you, your design and anything else?
MM : Happy to talk about our products and ideas any time, so get in touch.
