Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer Gueston Smith ("GS") 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.
GS : Design has always been ingrained in me. I used to enjoy playing my playstation as a child. On the game, I would design everything. I designed my own characters, cars, shoes and environments. I pursued architecture to satisfy the combinations of my curiosity of art, physics and math. I studied design at the School of Architecture at University of Southern California, a top 10 architecture school at the time. I also explored footwear design at Pensole Footwear Design Academy, run by prolific designer, D’wayne Edwards. I have experience designing + building shipping container / modular homes, backyard offices / pool houses, logos / brand identities, footwear and experiential environments.
GS : I design to create a cool, empathetic, healthy & more empowered world.
GS : I was called to design. There are few things that bring me more satisfaction than bringing an idea to reality.
GS : I design shipping container homes, mobile business trailers / pop up shops and affirmation apparel. I design to help others. I like to call it "designing first impressions." I wish to design more projects that leave a positive impact through inspiration, utility, convenience or empowerment.
GS : Open your eyes. Look at the world around you. Pay attention to what can be improved that interests you and figure out a way to do it to the best of your ability. Have fun. Create the world you want to see.
GS : Consistency, experience, growth mindset, empathy, and having the eye for balance / form / shape / symmetry.
GS : Good Design is useful, functional, aesthetic, simple, empathetic, durable and innovative.
GS : Good design is creates good feelings. Good feelings lead to a better reality. That sounds like something worth investing in to me.
GS : I would design my family estate compound so my loved ones can live safely near me. I want things like a basketball court, in-ground trampoline, lofted living units, and lots of plants.
GS : I would like to bring a state of the art mobile classroom, the Magic School Box into reality.
GS : Keep going, Keep growing.
GS : Walter Herbst. Tadao Ando. Mies Van Der Rohe. Kanye West. Tinker Hatfield. David Adjaye. Leonardo Da Vinci. Steve Jobs. Bruce Lee. Benjamin Franklin. D'wayne Edwards, Quintin Williams & more
GS : I love the Barcelona Pavilion by Mies Van Der Rohe & also the Lost House by David Adjaye. Those are awesome designs that exude modernity, detail, thoughtfulness and natural lighting.
GS : I designed a 9920 SF Home made from 34 High Cube Shipping Containers for an NFL Player. It was approved for construction this year by the state of Florida. If constructed, it will be the largest, most thoughtful container home in the world. It is the perfect blend of cost efficiency, luxury and holistic design strategy.
GS : Be honest with yourself on where you are today. Determine the direction that you're trying to get to and get to work. Be patient. Be diligent. Be creative. Find Mentors. Put in the work.
GS : I would be an Amateur Boxer and/or Kickboxer, a real estate developer, a stock trader, & an entrepreneur. I am working towards realizing all of these.
GS : Good Design is a creatively solved problem. Good Design can improve any industry, any market, any sector. Design is the combination of thought, strategy, execution, functionality and visual consideration.
GS : My family, supportive friends, mentors & God.
GS : The desire and will to create the world that I’d like to see. A more empowered & empathetic world.
GS : I don’t consider myself a master. I am only 31 years old. I have much to see & much to Learn. I am developing and growing within my craft through experience and a multidisciplinary skillset. I desire freedom. I sought more creative freedom at my first job. I had ideas to improve the campus that I worked at. I wanted to bring value to the entire campus but I was shut down. From there, I didn’t see my purpose there anymore. I wanted to make a real impact very early instead of just waiting until I earned the power to create the change I wanted to see. Similar to the experience Kyrie Irving had when we played with Lebron James. He wanted to challenge himself in ways that he didn’t feel that he was able to receive playing alongside Lebron James. I felt the same way. I knew that my ideas would make a difference. I found another path for myself to design shipping container spaces and today I’m extremely proud of the decision I made. Growing pains are inevitable. There will always be unknown unknowns. How you respond to a situation matters more than what happens.
GS : Authentically and unapologetically.
GS : Luxury movable business spaces. I'm looking to disrupt commercial real estate to give business owners more flexibility and control over how they introduce their business to the market.
GS : To create my own environment, my own reality & to empower / inspire others through design.
GS : They don’t know what to expect yet. As a conscious designer, I am evolving, growing and inspired by the world around me. I strive to exceed expectations and show up with new ideas and new patterns of thought.
GS : Great Design Thinking is empathetic problem solving. The great designer’s mindset with a growth mindset is useful to society. Great design considers others, elicits thought / feeling and is aesthetically pleasing.
GS : I am working on a Guesscreative luxury movable space. Movable spaces are the future. With the way technology has been exponentiating lately, decentralized building spaces will redefine building / property ownership, enabling both building owners and rental. This space will also serve as a mobile pop up shop & education space.
GS : My Guesscreative Don Obsidian Signature Sneakers (available https://www.guesscreative.com/luxurysneakers). They are beautiful. I wear them all the time. The combination of materials allow me to wear the sneakers in different settings.
GS : I’d like to see more designpreneurs leave their mark on the world.
GS : Designpreneurship. Let’s Create Value for the World.
GS : It depends on the project.
GS : I start by asking questions to understand who I’m working with, what I'm working on and the problem that needs to be solved.
GS : Keep Growing, Keep Flowing.
GS : One implies the other. Trends set mediocre design. But Good design comes from authenticity.
GS : Technology is a tool that needs to be embraced but not relied upon. I use Tech to support me in brainstorming, generating ideas, clarifying insights, & creating design proposals / pitch decks.
GS : AutoCAD, Google Sketch-Up and Flow. I use a laptop and iPad. VR glasses will be next.
GS : These considerations affect mood, feeling and the perception of a space. They create the "soul” of the space essentially.
GS : “How did you come up with this design?”
GS : Those are the first things that come to mind. I consider “Why did they chose to design the product in this way”
GS : I’d like to partner Major Brands globally who look to bring innovative solutions. An ideal design partner would be a Microsoft, Apple, Google, Willscot, Nike, Anta, the NBA, the NFL, etc. The list goes on. I am also interested in working with changemakers. The successful entrepreneurs who have vision. Co-design can be powerful especially if there is synergy.
GS : There is no one influence. I take what’s useful and what resonates with me and leave the rest. I find inspiration from successful entrepreneurs and incorporate my design skillset.
GS : Think & Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill, The Strangest Secret - Earl Nightingale, The Win Without Pitching Manifesto - Blair Enns, The Architect & Entrepreneur, car design books, shoe design books, etc.
GS : To master any skill, one must believe in self. One must stay consistent. One has to be able to articulate their vision clearly. A master designer is empathetic. One must be willing to fail and learn the lessons that follow. One must never quit but still needs to stay adaptable and humble enough to move with the past of least resistance. To master design, one must practice awareness. One must know how to ask the right questions to understand the design problem that needs to be solved. One has to connect their mind to their “pen”.
GS : I’d love to speak with an old Atlantean King named Thoth. He founded an ancient Egyptian colony and he was recognized for his wisdom and understanding of life. It is speculated that he designed and built the Pyramids of Giza, one of the most impressive architectural / design feats that we’ve ever seen. I'd like to ask about his interpretations of the world we're in now.
GS : I’m just getting started.
GS : My favorite color is green. I don't want to imagine a world without it. My favorite places so far have been Lisbon & Barcelona. I'd love to go back. My favorite foods are crab legs, creamy pasta and a medium rib-eye steak. Delicious. My favorite things are my jewelry. Accessories make a difference in your presentation. My favorite season is spring. Everything comes alive. My favorite Brand is Guesscreative. My Brand. We grow & flow.
GS : I find it funny that design is still not truly respected in business when it is a clear value add. That'll change.
GS : I enjoy the things that are free in life such as my family, my body, my health, my mindset, the sun, the plants in my office, meeting new amazing people & new opportunities.
GS : It was. I created my first efforts of pneumatic architecture, sustainable architecture and tensile architecture through the forts I’d make using the furniture around me as a child. I learned how to use architectural design programs at 12 years old.
GS : I see significant technological integration into our everyday lives. I see an improved life experience through the efforts of the continued awareness and empathy for themselves and the generations that follow.
GS : Find more about me at www.guesscreative.com
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