DI: What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?
SPK : Entrepreneurship starts with illusion and complex ideas, one of those skills is to have an analytical mind and broad vision. But the key is no to pass and take “what if’s? ” serious.
They need philosophical explorations, ethical responsibility, aesthetic expressions, and practical applications in line with professional standards.
DI: What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?
SPK : The inspiration is adaptability. The design is based on minimizing energy, material usage & time for producing extra parts for this product when any space could address those needs. By maximizing the use of walls the usage of the material for creating components of shelf breaks off. Therefore one of the unique aspects of Lift is the fact of not being freestanding. Any wall could perform as its support.
DI: What are your future plans for this award winning design?
SPK : Trusting random funny ideas and counting casual brainstormings as vital seminars! Believing that team works not individual and know the art of networking to accomplish with other business owners in a similar industry to hit the market.
DI: How long did it take you to design this particular concept?
SPK : The project started in May 2017 in New York. The technical drawings and prototype edition finished in July 2018. The final product got funded and produced in January 2019.
DI: What made you design this particular type of work?
SPK : The type of research was experimental, based on analyzing all kinds of human body anatomy and disabilities. The objective is to avoid designing some of the necessary components but benefiting from the existing architectural elements to complete the design. The research methodology is based on case studies and observing the physical habits and interactions of end-users with similar products. As a result, Lift provides a simple shelving system in multiple height levels for any human height level with two presentation options, hang or stand. Adaptability is a unique part of its identity which adds value to the product as it adapts with multiple tastes and habits.
DI: What sets this design apart from other similar or resembling concepts?
SPK : Design with clients not for them!
DI: Which design tools did you use when you were working on this project?
SPK : Primarily, the idea of the project formed by sketching and analyzing the average human size. Model making and form-finding are generated in Rhino. Production planning and shop drawings occurred by Auto CAD. Two wooden frames and the bottom tray are made out of 18 mm plywood and cut by a CNC machine. Yellow metal trays are made out of steel, cut by a CNC machine, and are bent by a bending machine. They ate then hand-painted carefully in 5 layers. For wooden book supports, beechwood is turned by hand and wooden profiles with a diameter of 25 mm are made. Finally, an 8 mm metal profile with the look of copper is used for making magazine holders. As an assembly item, it is created out of four kinds of components and three raw materials,%80 Wood and %20 Metal. The total weight is 23 Kg and it is easy to be carried by one person.
DI: What is the most unique aspect of your design?
SPK : Lift exhibits books & magazines, the metal trays for standing books, and the cooper bars for hanging magazines. As a dependent product, it is created by the idea of tailoring furniture to spaces. The initial vision of this project is to avoid ornamentation and reducing the usage of components and make a product that could benefit from its surroundings to function. Therefore inspiration for Lift formed by gazing through dependent products, such as a ladder, that need a wall to function.
DI: What are some of the challenges you faced during the design/realization of your concept?
SPK : The challenge was to find the right angle to stand safely without gliding.
