DI: What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?
DD : With the increasing rate of technology development, there’s romanticism in the thought of individuals retreating back to a simpler, honest primal existence. Our modern working lives have formed us into busy, hurried and stressed individual – perhaps this will prompt us to develop dwellings that operate as a soothing refuge from the world of the future, shelter from the technology, as opposed to symbiosis. This was the main inspiration behind utilizing rougher, rawer materials into Bullet+Stone. We wanted to develop a tactile experience that reminds us subconsciously our primal past.
DI: What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?
DD : The main focus was to take materials that surround us in everyday life (in this case concrete) and incorporate them into beautiful pieces of architectural hardware that we can engage with on a daily basis. Our aim was to allow users to form a closer connection between themselves and the interiors and materials that surround them.
DI: What are your future plans for this award winning design?
DD : The product’s release has been met with invigorating positivity, so our plans are to expand this collection and develop complimentary pull handles.
DI: How long did it take you to design this particular concept?
DD : Not long at all, probably 6 months from concept to product launch.
DI: Why did you design this particular concept? Was this design commissioned or did you decide to pursuit an inspiration?
DD : We pursued this inspiration in-house and developed the collection for our primary market, architects and interior designers. The prevalence of exposed concrete features within contemporary interiors were what cemented this as a suitable material to use for the Bullet+Stone collection.
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?
DD : We decided to take our best selling levers and incorporate new materiality while preserving the beauty of their proportions and silhouette.
DI: Where there any other designs and/or designers that helped the influence the design of your work?
DD : The team compromised of James Tsarouhas and Joseph Di Benedetto. James who served as the product development engineer that brought this idea to the company and project managed all stages between concept generation and product release and Joseph who is the executive director who provided great assistance on information on the market with his 30+ years of experience.
DI: Who is the target customer for his design?
DD : Architects and designers are our main target customers. Secondary to this are builders and homeowners.
DI: What sets this design apart from other similar or resembling concepts?
DD : This is the first architectural hardware product that incorporates the use of both concrete and a variety of metal finishes – whereby both contrasting finishes are experienced during use simultaneously. It’s this tactile experience and our commitment to craftsmanship that separates our product and quality from the rest.
DI: How did you come up with the name for this design? What does it mean?
DD : Bullet derives from the brass metal finishes used in the design and stone derived from the use of concrete.
DI: Which design tools did you use when you were working on this project?
DD : To design the product, we used CAD/CAM and rendering software – Solidworks and keyshot in particular.
DI: What is the most unique aspect of your design?
DD : The tactile experience derived by the use of contrasting materials and finishes.
DI: Who did you collaborate with for this design? Did you work with people with technical / specialized skills?
DD : We collaborated with local artisans in Melbourne, Australia who refined and produce our concrete parts. Each and every concrete piece is unique and hand finished to preserve the raw, rough look and feel that we strive to create.
DI: What is the role of technology in this particular design?
DD : CAD/CAM to design the products and create engineering documentation and tooling. Rendering software to allow us to visualize the concepts prior to refine and develop initial ideas further.
DI: Is your design influenced by data or analytical research in any way? What kind of research did you conduct for making this design?
DD : Primarily internal sales data which assisted us in selecting our best selling lever design to use for this collection.
DI: What are some of the challenges you faced during the design/realization of your concept?
DD : Developing procedures and processes for the hand-finish of the concrete parts was very tedious. Since the finish varies, setting acceptable QC ranges for these parts requires empathy for the artisans working meticulously to product them.
DI: How did you decide to submit your design to an international design competition?
DD : We wanted our work to be viewed and assessed by international peers to see if it would garner praise and respect within the design community.
DI: What did you learn or how did you improve yourself during the designing of this work?
DD : There’s merit to going against the grain. When trends suggest – for example – that smart hardware is on the rise, sometimes the answer isn’t incorporate tech into your designs, it’s to do the opposite.
DI: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
DD : A thank you to the A Design team and all of the hard work you put into showcasing all of ours.
