DI: What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?
AK : The main idea was to develop and design a floor level seat that could adapt to every situation: woking, watching tv, resting..
DI: What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?
AK : My goal was to achieve a folding seat made entirely out of fabric, without any reinforcements. I wanted to develop a simple technology that out of wool felt the backrest could have enough strength to support a person and enough flexibility to adapt to that person's different resting positions.
DI: What are your future plans for this award winning design?
AK : I am already working on developing an entire FRACTAL COLLECTION with different seats, tables and huge rugs that fold as well.
DI: How long did it take you to design this particular concept?
AK : I have been working on this design for a year now.
DI: Why did you design this particular concept? Was this design commissioned or did you decide to pursuit an inspiration?
AK : I pursuit an inspiration though the project was designed during my postgraduate studies.
DI: Is your design being produced or used by another company, or do you plan to sell or lease the production rights or do you intent to produce your work yourself?
AK : I would like to see it come alive in real production, so I would be willing to sell production rights.
DI: What made you design this particular type of work?
AK : One of my main concerns regarding design is challenging how we live and how to make all furniture around us adapt better to us and not us to them. I am also focused on designing furniture for small spaces which is a global concern now.
DI: Where there any other designs and/or designers that helped the influence the design of your work?
AK : I did a big design research in order to discover which technologies regarding flexible backrests were available and which similar projects were already designed in order to create a NEW textile backrest.
DI: Who is the target customer for his design?
AK : People who enjoy different and unique products made of noble and ecological materials. Also those who enjoy or need of their furniture to offer more flexible spaces and configurations.
DI: What sets this design apart from other similar or resembling concepts?
AK : The technology applied to the nerving that allows the felt to become strong and resistant when supporting a persons weight in a way that is comfortable, and at the same time flexible to allow it to fold on many times.
DI: How did you come up with the name for this design? What does it mean?
AK : The name came from the term FRACTAL SURFACE, which is a surface created by an algorithm that allows polygons to join together in a fractal behavior, creating very similar landscape terrains. This algorithm is used mainly for making computer modeled landscapes look more convincing and real.
DI: Which design tools did you use when you were working on this project?
AK : I did many prototypes in different materials: cardboard, fabric, automotive felt, wool felt. I did not use many computer programs as the process of design for this product was made experimenting with shapes, materials and how each one reacted to folding.
DI: Who did you collaborate with for this design? Did you work with people with technical / specialized skills?
AK : Yes, I did many research in the tapestry and shoe making techniques as to include these to the production and prototyping process.
DI: What is the role of technology in this particular design?
AK : I believe the fact that there is a physical material technology is important. I wanted to focus on simple processes and not solve the problem using high tech reinforcements.
DI: What are some of the challenges you faced during the design/realization of your concept?
AK : Achieving the backrest shape and nerving so it could fold and unfold to hold people of different sizes and to support each one in as many positions as possible.