DI: What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?
VGAKS : This idea was born many years ago after reading Alain Bombard' s book " The Voyage of the Heretique", who is famous for sailing across the Atlantic Ocean in a small boat. This book told, on the first pages, about the tragedy of the Titanic ship. The main idea of the author was that the people, who died during the catastrophe, could have survived.
DI: What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?
VGAKS : Over the centuries, there is a deadly threat to human risk of drowning. There`s a lot of life-saving appliances designed to save human life. Their main drawback is that these life-saving appliances are expected to be dressed in a moment of danger. But life is often the case in a different way. People drown because they do not have such an opportunity. It may not be a life-saving device, or even the time to take advantage of it. But man always dressed in clothing. And this clothing can be designed to serve as a rescue vehicle. Usually life-saving appliances have excess buoyancy. For a person to stay afloat, it can be several times smaller.
DI: What are your future plans for this award winning design?
VGAKS : Designing swimwear is only the first step. Then we can make the means of salvation other types of clothing: jackets, pants, shoes. Here is a very urgent problem - fisherman`s jacket. This jacket can be given greater buoyancy than a bathing suit. The most important thing that everyone could wear this jacket as regular clothes he puts on a fishing trip. A related topic is children's clothes. Children's jacket should have reserve buoyancy. At the critical moment it can save the life of a child.
DI: How long did it take you to design this particular concept?
VGAKS : This idea was conceived for many years.
DI: Why did you design this particular concept? Was this design commissioned or did you decide to pursuit an inspiration?
VGAKS : This is a project suggested by inspiration. One of the reasons for inspiration was the appearance of the film “Titanic” (1997). Then there was a sensation that there was a possibility to save those people. The task of salvation of those people was divided by 2: 1) don`t allow them to sink, 2) don`t allow them to freeze. First problem could be solved much easier.
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?
VGAKS : These bathing suits, that can be life-saving appliances, are currently not performed. We're not going to start producing them ourselves. But we are ready to cooperate with those who are interested in our idea.
DI: What made you design this particular type of work?
VGAKS : Large shipwreck that killed a lot of people is relatively rare. With the passage of time as the development of means of communication reduces the number of victims. At the same time a large number of people each year drown in a situation that seems to be not portended no danger. That event does not turn into a national catastrophe. It becomes a tragedy only for relatives and friends of this man. The number of such victims over time is not reduced. There should be considered two different situations. 1) A person can drown while swimming. 2) When he accidentally falls into the water (or falls through the ice). In this project, we offer our solution to the first problem.
DI: Who is the target customer for his design?
VGAKS : Any man, who cares about his own safety and the safety of people close to him, might be interested in this swimwear.
DI: What sets this design apart from other similar or resembling concepts?
VGAKS : This project has a number of significant differences from other related life-saving appliances.
- This is not a special rescue vehicle. A man does not need to look for and put on this rescue vehicle in an emergency.
- This device does not require time to prepare it into action. It does not need to pump air. The air is at atmospheric pressure and therefore there is no risk of punctures.
- One does not need any instructions to learn how to use this device.
DI: How did you come up with the name for this design? What does it mean?
VGAKS : This is the name of the old Russian village Uslon /u`sl ɔn/ located in an exceptionally beautiful location, on the slopes of high mountains, on the right bank of the Volga. It`s more than 400 years. This is a place you can easily find on the map. Here Volga makes a sharp right turn. Prior to that, it walked to the east and here abruptly turns the south, goes straight to the Caspian Sea. The city of Kazan is located here on the left bank, Uslon is on the right bank.
