20/20 Vision: what today's 20-year-olds think about design

What does Design mean to you?
When I think of design as a whole I think of artistic creation. I think of different styles of architecture, fashion, products and even sound. Everything can tie into design when it is created for a purpose. A design can have several purposes, and it can make you happy or sad. When I see a design that is aesthetically pleasing it will definitely catch my eye and make me feel a certain way.

How important is Design in your life? Is it something you value, and if so, how? 
Design is something I value because it defines me. I see myself in a subculture where design is important – in the subculture/generation I come from, no matter what you do, design is essential. It has always been a topic of conversation: what you wear, what are the new kicks? Have you seen the new Supreme collection? Things like that seem to make people move. On Facebook, I follow a brutalist architecture page, where a community of people share photos of what just seems visually appealing. I have a bunch of friends that don’t do architecture but like the attractive designs.

Are you more interested in objects or experiences? Make your case for either.
That’s a hard one, but I think objects! In the future, I see myself collecting art, sharing art. Buying things that are worth something because of their design/creator. I get this from my parents, they love treasuring 'art nouveau' objects. When I was a kid, like most boys, I used to have a bucket full of different toy cars, and even funnier, I used to ask my parents to tuck me into bed with a different car every night. This was surely because of how cool the car looked.

What three names come to mind when you think of Design?
Roche Bobois, Barbara Kruger, Apple.

Where do you want to be in 20 years time?
In 20 years time, I see myself doing something creative. I was born with a creative mind and that is why I produce music, paint, go to galleries etc. I believe that we consume more than we create and that fact pushes my drive to always create and imagine new things.

What does Design mean to you?
Design for me is to create something for a purpose, more specifically for people. Be it architecture of green buildings that would serve as safe havens as well as contributions to the conservation of the environment, or stage decorations for theatre productions to convey a certain atmosphere of a scene. In fact, design can serve as a tool to achieve practically anything – from accelerating your customer flow to helping handicapped people to eat their favourite food.

How important is Design in your life? Is it something you value, and if so, how?
Often I realise that I actually take design for granted. Design plays an enormous part in our daily lives. For example, I wouldn't have slept so well if my mattress wasn't designed to softly take the shape of my body. It's definitely very important in my life, and we don't often appreciate how our everyday objects are designed to provide comfort and efficiency.

Are you more interested in objects or experiences? Make your case for either.
Can I say that I'm more interested in the outcomes? It's important to see what a design can achieve and/or fail to achieve, what problems can it solve and what problems can it possibly create. Objects and experiences are outcomes themselves that closely correlate with each other – a bad setting of an exhibition can diminish visitors' experiences of viewing what could otherwise be a powerful piece of art.

What three names come to mind when you think of Design?
Adobe Illustrator, IKEA, COS.

Where do you want to be in 20 years time?
Flying between Kazakhstan (my home country) and hopefully London, New York and Paris, trying to achieve my dream of making Kazakhstan a part of the international art world.

What does Design mean to you?
To me design means creativity. When someone designs something, they’re doing so through using their imaginings and their own experiences.

How important is Design in your life? Is it something you value, and if so, how?
I wouldn’t say design is the most important thing in my life, but it certainly has left an impression on me. I value design most when applied to art. When I look at a piece of artwork and it resonates with me on a personal level, I feel comforted. This is because through art and design people are able to generate a strong message, and this essentially brings about an understanding and closeness between people. For example, being from Ghana and living in Europe, I always feel a strong homesickness and fondness for print and artwork that is similar to my country's own traditional designs. Being around such designs makes me feel closer to home.

Are you more interested in objects or experiences? Make your case for either.
I’m a big advocate of experiences. I’ve lived in very different countries, from Ghana to Vietnam, and from Holland to Botswana, and each experience has changed me. The different experiences a person encounters in their lifetime, and the way they register these experiences are what makes this person distinct from everyone else. What is even more amazing is that you can share your experiences with other people, and inspire them to go and make, change or appreciate their own!

What three names come to mind when you think of Design?
Stella Jean, Vivienne Westwood and Nigerian print designer Duro Olowu.

Where do you want to be in 20 years time?
20 years is a long way away – it’s actually quite scary trying to answer this question. Personally, in 20 years I want to be able to say I’m completely happy with myself, I want to be able to look back on my experiences and take the best from them so I can share what I’ve learnt with other people. I hope to have settled down a bit by then and have a stable job, but I also want to be as ambitious and adventurous as I am right now!

What does Design mean to you?
Design to me is a way of creating beauty in our daily lives, it can make the mundane extraordinary and create an easier means of living. Good design is just as important in its aesthetic properties as it is in its practical use. Beyond that, beautiful things are beautiful to look at; design can bring happiness into your daily life.

How important is Design in your life? Is it something you value, and if so, how?
The way design makes me feel is its most powerful property beyond its physical characteristics. Whether it be my dorm room, my photographs, to the way I present myself I try to implement elements of good design throughout my life. I’m very conscious of the very real effect exquisite spaces and aesthetics can have on the mind, and it is for this reason I value design immensely. I’m also very conscious of how people perceive you based upon the presentation of any aspect of your life.

Are you more interested in objects or experiences? Make your case for either.
I believe that experiences are a result of objects and therefore, the two work in a symbiotic relationship. For this reason, objects and experiences are both equally important. For example, being submersed in a great piece of architecture triggers an experience, a feeling of peace and awe at the marvel of immense beauty and ingenuity. But without the experience of feeling the emotion behind, objects lose all their power. This is what I believe bad design to be, an inability for an object to spark any reaction – even a negative response is better – as it just fades into the noise of daily life. 

What three names come to mind when you think of Design?
Charles Eames, Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis I. Kahn.

Where do you want to be in 20 years time?
First off, that’s a scary thought, I’ll be 40 then. Beyond that I’m not too sure, life is full of its own little surprises but I definitely hope my career path takes me into a line of work where I can express myself creatively. I believe in any line of work where there is a certain level of creative thinking that can be implemented. My only hope is that I am lucky enough to work in a beautiful space where I can admire good design and that my line of work is fulfilling. 

What does Design mean to you?
Design is an inexhaustible energy that makes up my world.  I am aware every day of the effect design is having on my personality. Design also means opportunity. 

How important is Design in your life? Is it something you value, and if so, how?
It is very important. I live in the design world and want to surround myself with its influence. It’s just something that is always there. Design has always been a part of my personality, from the pink-hued clothes I decide to wear, to the buildings I choose to walk by on my commute to uni. I always take the scenic route so that I can walk over my favourite Tower Bridge and look over into the city. I value it by always allowing it to have an effect on me, the value of design is fickle and moves with emotions.

Are you more interested in objects or experiences? Make your case for either.
As a fashion student, objects and physical materials make up my design. I love understanding the way fabrics behave when held in a certain elegant form, but experiences are what make these objects have meaning. When I travel I make sure to avoid main streets so that I can see the 'real life' down the hidden side streets. I’m a bit obsessed with finding those raw experiences, even sitting for a coffee has to be an experience that could potentially be noted in my little Moleskine. 

What three names come to mind when you think of Design?
Thomas Heatherwick: A modern Leonardo da Vinci, and proves that anything is possible with design, as long as you allow the mind to romp into the unknown.
Frank Gehry: I remember being shown his drawings on my foundation course and thinking 'right, this is how I'm going to design from now on.'
Emilia Wickstead: My absolute favourite designer. I'm starting a design internship there next month which I can't stop thinking about!

Where do you want to be in 20 years time?
I'm a list maker and I plan a lot, so I have a rather tight schedule for the next 20 years. I want to be preparing the final designs to show at my autumn/winter collection of 'Amelia Jean' at London Fashion Week, with my family in the audience. It sometimes feels like the design world is saturated with false hope, but I keep this printed Churchill quote in my room and I wake up to it every morning – 'Never, never, never, never give up.'

What does Design mean to you?
The bridge between mind and matter. With the mind constantly creating an interpretation of its surroundings, whilst linking and contrasting this interpretation back to its most personal roots – design is how I can communicate to the world whilst still developing my own perspective.

How important is Design in your life? Is it something you value, and if so, how?
It is essential, it's my medium of communication. Metaphorically speaking, design – referring to my ability to sustain and communicate a developing creative process – feels like my own steady flow of income; its value is that it helps the growth of self awareness which forms intellectual identity. I believe that is essential for a creative. Externally, mediums of design that inspire me give me incentive to design. An inspirational subject is of the highest value, it makes it timeless.
 
Are you more interested in objects or experiences? Make your case for either.
An experience is internal, an object is external. My long-term sentiment towards an experience is stronger than my long-term sentiment towards an object, especially as possessions in our generation are so disposable. However, they're still interchangeable. I am more interested in experiences because the sensation of an experience can be the fundamental catalyst to great achievements, i.e. the creation of great objects.

What three names come to mind when you think of Design?
Fashion design: Madeleine Vionnet, architecture: Zaha Hadid, cultural reference: Leonardo da Vinci.

Where do you want to be in 20 years time?
I have a vision of pioneering a different structural approach in my industry. I stand against fast fashion, the cycle is deadly (literally, for some); our consumerist culture is eroding the understanding and appreciation of quality and now we need to focus on sustainability as a mass. I am focusing on fabric sustainability in my fashion design degree at Central Saint Martins. I use the golden ratio as a unit of measure to avoid garment pattern waste, a unsurprisingly huge component to the pollution of our environment. I will research and develop this approach fruitfully over these coming years with my couture knowledge, and with resilience, it will grow into something wise come the next few decades.

What does Design mean to you?
For me photography is really a way for me to discover myself. It has also allowed me to meet people and make friends that I would have never met if I hadn't picked up a camera two years ago.

How important is Design in your life? Is it something you value, and if so, how?
Currently it's my job! I work as an event and combat photographer in the Singapore Infantry.

Are you more interested in objects or experiences? Make your case for either.
I am definitively more interested in experiences. Hiking in the wee hours of the morning to be able to catch the perfect sunrise, staying up late doing time-lapses of Singapore's skyline or braving the rain to capture storms, all of this makes for experiences that only photography could've pushed me to seek.

What three names come to mind when you think of Design?
Lodz, Jarrad Seng, Robert Capa.

Where do you want to be in 20 years time?
Hopefully with a stable job, and a decent roof over my head with someone that I love dearest.

What does Design mean to you?
Design is one of those things that I overlook in my day to day life, but in hindsight, is something that is responsible for everything around me. From the phone that I use and the roads that I drive on, everything has been designed to make my life that little bit more efficient and easier. It’s about achieving those things while looking good as well.
 
How important is Design in your life? Is it something you value, and if so, how?
As a racecar driver, design is incredibly important to me. I spend hours and hours sitting down with engineers looking through data to extract thousandths of a second in performance. With results reliant on such small margins of error, the design of the car always has to be at maximum efficiency. But design doesn’t just mean performance – it also means looking sexy. Ferraris are pretty for a reason.

Are you more interested in objects or experiences? Make your case for either.
Experiences. They don’t just give you the stories to tell people on a night out, but also shape the perspectives you have in life. In comparison, objects are just objects – they can wear out, break and be replaced, whereas experiences stay with you forever. I wouldn’t trade any of the experiences I’ve been lucky enough to have for any object.

What three names come to mind when you think of Design?
Racecar engineers Adrian Newey, Ross Brawn, Patrick Head.

Where do you want to be in 20 years time?
Sipping on a glass of wine in a vineyard that I’d own in South Africa would be ideal.

What does Design mean to you?
Design to me is aesthetics, it’s functionality, it’s thought. It can be comfortable or challenging; the warm colours and soft fabrics of a lived-in, rustic home, or the impossible angles and folds of an avant-garde fashion designer's newest experimental dress that makes you pity the model who has to try and put it on.

How important is Design in your life? Is it something you value, and if so, how?
I have always had an appreciation of good aesthetics, though I would say I value it unconsciously rather than it being constantly at the forefront of my mind. For example, designs of beautiful yet homey small apartments and houses that are extremely multifunctional and space-efficient make me far happier than I'd freely admit. In that way, I'd say I value the intelligence in design.

Are you more interested in objects or experiences? Make your case for either.
Experiences, without a doubt. To me, objects can be representative of someone and who they are intrinsically but they can also be a projected image, or even something without any connection to its owner at all. Experiences shape people, and understanding people's experiences, how they have interpreted them and allowed them to mould their character, is far more telling of someone than the objects they surround themselves with. While objects are useful and can be used wisely, I strongly believe that too much clutter and possessions are unnecessary when the world, however unsavoury it may be at times, holds countless potential interactions with interesting, amazing people, cultures and environments.

What three names come to mind when you think of Design?
Elie Saab, Mark Rothko, Yves Saint Laurent.

Where do you want to be in 20 years time?
20 years is quite a long time but I hope to be doing a job I love, hopefully working for myself, and feeling fulfilled and happy with the person I have become. I hope to be positively impacting people's lives, continuing to expand my knowledge, and still doing yoga.

What does Design mean to you?
I personally think design is the making of something that can make people feel confused, inspired and excited at the same time. It can be practical, completely useful, and can also revolutionise the way people think, act and live. e.g. Olivetti’s typewriter anyone? It’s another fascinating way of expressing who we are and who we want to be, and how humanity is continuously evolving, renewing itself in the most intriguing and bewildering ways.

How important is Design in your life? Is it something you value, and if so, how?
As a kid, the design world wasn't something I was repeatedly exposed to, so I didn't really pay much attention to it. Growing up as a teenager in the continuously evolving city of Milan, and studying art, led me to a greater appreciation of how the city I had lived in my whole life was full of surprises, making me love my surroundings and appreciate the art around me. So when I moved to London I started valuing design even more, especially because it keeps life interesting. There is always something to learn, which you had never noticed or cared about before, ready to be discovered.

Are you more interested in objects or experiences? Make your case for either.
Experiences. I love wandering in an exhibition, being able to interact with all of my senses with an installation or a piece of art. I do love 'objects' as well because they are timeless and you can always look back at them, tracing back a memory or a special moment. However, I prefer 'experiences' because they have to be enjoyed and lived in the moment, sparking an emotion, which you probably won’t be able to experience ever again. Also, being a millennial bombarded by easily accessible images 24/7, if I get to experience something special which cannot be shared online, then I’ll cherish the moment even more.

What three names come to mind when you think of Design?
Mario Bellini, Ettore Sottsass, Nina Yashar.
When I think about design, these three names come up mainly because they were the first I was exposed to when interning at LaDoubleJ.com in 2015, but also because they were the first which sparked my interest in interior design/architecture. Nina Yashar’s interview for LaDoubleJ.com was the first interview I transcribed, and at the time one of the first design mavens she mentioned and which she also stocks in her amazing Via Spiga Gallery was Ettore Sottsass, king of the Memphis movement, which I immediately fell in love with. On top of that, the office I was working in at the time, was also based in architect Mario Bellini’s former headquarters, which had been designed and built by him and his team, so I was literally surrounded by design influences.

Where do you want to be in 20 years time?
I’d hopefully want to be writing about fashion as an editor at large for a magazine, travelling around the world, maybe consulting for brands? But I think that with the advent and advancement of digital media, so many new jobs are popping up and you never know what you’ll be doing in 20 years. So my mantra for now is: 'Wait and See.'

What does Design mean to you?
Design is the way man took nature and put culture in it. It is the way we see the world. Everything around is design.

How important is Design in your life? Is it something you value, and if so, how?
I think it's something so important and such a fundamental part in our reality, that I never really thought about it. It's simply there, everywhere. Now thinking about it, I value design when I choose the reality I want – how I want the world around me to be like – and I do it through the objects, clothes, gadgets, places I choose to go, etc.

Are you more interested in objects or experiences? Make your case for either.
Experiences, or objects that can make me experience something as well. That's what we live for. To experience feelings and sensations.

What three names come to mind when you think of Design?
Hélio Oiticica, Oscar Niemeyer, Mondrian.

Where do you want to be in 20 years time?
Full of friends, with some quality time and being able to travel wherever I want.

What does Design mean to you?
To me design stands for a very complex yet fascinating form of self expression. Complex because of how challenging it can be to master it in order to successfully translate your idea into a physical and structured entity. Fascinating in the way that it's an incredibly democratic form of self expression. It's so wild how anyone, especially nowadays as a result of the constant technological innovations, can have access and the power to bring their own ideas to the world. I don’t think the world would look or work the same way it does today without design.

How important is Design in your life? Is it something you value, and if so, how?
Definitely. I'm very much an observer and have always paid a lot of attention to the way the things that surrounded me were designed. My parents love to collect all sorts of interesting design pieces from furniture to paintings. I think growing up around design has definitely taught me to appreciate it and cultivate a taste of my own. Photography and film are the two aspects of design I personally focus on the most. As an image-maker myself, design plays a big role in my craft too. It's an essential and powerful element to always keep in consideration when thinking about what you want to say through your work.

Are you more interested in objects or experiences? Make your case for both.
I'm very interested in both. Objects have always been attractive to me. The way a particular thing is designed and the way it feels when using it can make me completely obsessed with it. Whether it's a shoe, a phone or a chair. However, I often struggle to maintain that same level of interest and engagement with a specific object. I tend to move on to the next thing pretty quickly. That doesn’t really happen when I think of experiences. They're definitely harder to find but, when I do, they remain an incredible source of inspiration for very long periods of time.

What three names come to mind when you think of Design?
M. C. Escher, Zaha Hadid, Issey Miyake.

Where do you want to be in 20 years?
It’s hard for me to say where exactly I want to be in 20 years from now. The idea that one day I'll be 40 feels so surreal… What I know for sure is that I want to be able to experiment with my passion for images and technology by working professionally as a creative. I hope, in that way, to make an impact on the creative industry.

What does Design mean to you?
Design to me is something strictly related to creating, it's the result of a process that combines imagination, innovation, ideas, personality and much more in order to create something.

How important is Design in your life? Is it something you value, and if so, how?
Personally, as a photographer and fine arts student, design is a big part of my life and I get the chance to experience it in its many forms thanks to my job and my studies. Anyway I think that nowadays it's part of everyone's lives even though some people might think it's not. Everything you see and touch is designed by someone, a building, your house, your chair, your clothes and the list could go on and on forever.

Are you more interested in objects or experiences? Make your case for either.
I don't think that objects and experiences are necessarily two different things, most of the time the objects people create are the result of their experiences. The things that happen to us change our perception of the world; if I had to design a glass, for example, and I lived in another country with another education and culture instead of mine I would create something completely different from what I would be making right now.

What three names come to mind when you think of Design?
Karl Lagerfeld, Mondrian, Gaudí.

Where do you want to be in 20 years time?
I hope I'll be travelling around the world working as a photographer for magazines, especially for fashion magazines.

What does Design mean to you?
Design is simply everything around us, from the phone we have, to the car we drive, or the house we live in. It is the uniqueness that is found in every single thing. For me, design is passion. For example, through the lens of a camera, I am able to capture the beauty of the details, freeze a moment in time, and show the world from my perspective. It is my personal way to take all of the pieces, mix them, glue them all together, and create a completely new concept.

How important is Design in your life? Is it something you value, and if so, how?
As an artist, design plays a very important role. Not only at the moment of creating a photo, but also at the moment of organising my life. I believe that by combining functionality and aesthetics, I am able to find the sweet spot between making my life easier and nicer. Design has provided me with the necessary tools to find beauty in the simplicity, and to develop myself as a capable and creative individual.

Are you more interested in objects or experiences? Make your case for either.
I am definitely more interested in experiences. As a photographer, one experience, one moment, is worth more than a thousand objects. I constantly strive to keep moving, to keep experiencing new things. Through my travels, I've had the opportunity to learn about endless cultures – something I’ve been able to incorporate in my photography, and that has helped me expand my creative horizon in ways I never imagined.

What three names come to mind when you think of Design?
Steve McCurry, Jimmy Nelson, Kyle Thompson.

Where do you want to be in 20 years time?
In 20 years, I want to be in my dream house in the middle of the mountains. The place where I’ll be doing natural photography and, at the same time, the place where I’ll be managing my own marketing and advertising company from. I also want to be highly involved in humanitarian processes around the world, especially in the Middle East. I expect to lead photography projects aiming to reduce disparities and inequalities in those areas.

What does Design mean to you?
I think design is the human way of surpassing our biological limitations. For example, I extend my vision with binoculars, further my reach on my bike, and grow my social tribe through smartphones with 3G. I quite literally perceive design and technology as the latest step in human evolution and therefore to me, design means being human.

How important is Design in your life? Is it something you value, and if so, how?
Yes, I value quality design highly and care a lot about my few carefully chosen possessions. I call them my items, not my stuff or my things. Among these items are my Armogan Spirit of St. Louis wristwatch, my Pentel Tradio pen (with 20 refills), my Tokyo Bike and my Contigo mug. I don’t like accumulating gadgets and stuff that I will never use, but I care to choose a few well-designed items to carry with me through my life.

Are you more interested in objects or experiences? Make your case for either.
Experiences, I would say, but a well-designed object facilitates and improves an experience. And often they do this best without getting in the way. When I read on my Kindle I might find the object itself elegant enough, but the true joy of the Kindle comes from the way it manages to disappear from the stage and give room for full immersion into the book I’m reading. So in short, I am interested in the interaction between objects and the experience they create.

What three names come to mind when you think of Design?
Arne Jacobsen, Charles and Ray Eames.

Where do you want to be in 20 years time?
On Mars, working to make its upcoming colonisation, led by SpaceX, more attractive to the prospective settlers.

What does Design mean to you?
To me, design is an ever-changing process. It's not used to describe one stagnant moment in time, but rather describes a series of decisions that affect the way things are perceived. As an industrial designer, design in my field means assessing a situation, and seeing where improvements can be made, be it in the appearance and/or function. In a broader sense, I also see design as a way of thinking, a way to approach problems where you consider the whole and its relationship to its parts and its purpose.

How important is Design in your life? Is it something you value, and if so, how?
Design is a major part of my personal and professional life. In addition to pursuing design as a career, being a designer changes the way I problem solve. Since diving into my field, I've definitely noticed a change in the way I view my surroundings. It doesn’t matter what I come across, I automatically begin to question its purpose, its location, its importance in relation to its surrounds and so on. In a way I am always looking for the logic and purpose in my surroundings. Some say, design without purpose could be considered art, but don’t quote me on that.

Are you more interested in objects or experiences? Make your case for either.
I must say I prefer working with objects. I don't mind working in two dimensions or with something that's not physical; but there's something about having an object you can touch with your hands, something that you physically connect to that makes problem solving so much more exciting. It's almost as if having something tangible makes a concept or idea more of a reality, it's another thing that exists in the world, and once it's there, it becomes a part of something bigger.

What three names come to mind when you think of Design?
Dieter Rams, Marcel Breuer, Charles and Ray Eames.

Where do you want to be in 20 years time?
Since the beginning of time, I've been a big fan of minimal furniture. The dream, and hopefully a reality in 20 years, would be to live and work in Denmark, Norway or Sweden. There I would be blissfully happy working for a sustainable furniture company that designs and manufactures furniture. I love working with my hands and I don't think I could ever give that up.

What does Design mean to you?
I don't think of 'design' in terms of grid layouts, straight lines, or the strict principles of the golden ratio. Design to me is anything that simply makes sense. It's far more emotional than rational, it's sort of like... a spontaneous urge to have things a specific way rather than another. Anything that is psychologically sound and mentally cathartic is design-worthy. I don't believe it has a specific definition. Everyone is stimulated by different things and design is a means of organising those reactions in a way that makes the most sense to you.

How important is Design in your life? Is it something you value, and if so, how?
Design is a very important part of my life right now. As I'm slowly growing up and fine-tuning my preferences, design functions as a method to bring together objects and ideas that mean the most to me. A lot of these objects and ideas get filtered into the content of my own work and the way that I represent them relies heavily on design.

Are you more interested in objects or experiences? Make your case for either.
I think objects and experiences are inextricably linked. I'm not avoiding picking one just to sound edgy, by the way... I really do mean it. I believe objects provide doorways to experiences. I take after Heidegger when I say this. I use his example, A Pair of Shoes by Vincent van Gogh. The object (the painting) acts as a conveyor of truth. We can picture the wearer and the use of those shoes without seeing the person or environment. This comprehension is an experience, one that is derived from the object.

What three names come to mind when you think of Design?
Toko Shinoda, Julie Mehretu, Anni Albers. Gotta give some love to the ladies!

Where do you want to be in 20 years time?
In my own studio sitting on a throne of lithography stones.

What does Design mean to you?
The consistency in the placement of something speaks to me. To me, this consistency can range from patterns in painting and textiles to an artist who only produces abstract art.

How important is Design in your life? Is it something you value, and if so, how?
Design is very important in my life because I am a neat freak and I love organising everything. For example, my lecture notes are colour coded and written in such a way that when I revise, I remember exactly what colour the heading was and what diagram corresponds to it.

Are you more interested in objects or experiences? Make your case for either.
I don't think objects and experiences are mutually exclusive. But I am more interested in experiences because I associate objects with feelings and I mostly remember how it made me feel.

What three names come to mind when you think of Design?
Frank Gehry, Keith Haring, De Stijl.

Where do you want to be in 20 years time?
In 20 years, I hope to be a surgeon, working in Myanmar.

What does Design mean to you?
To me, designing means the thinking up of something that (as far as the designer is concerned) doesn't exist in our world yet. By doing this, design channels creativity towards progress, as it involves making changes in the world, regardless of their size.

How important is Design in your life? Is it something you value, and if so, how?
Design plays an important role in both my work and my leisure time. I work in a molecular engineering lab, so coming up with creative solutions to obscure problems and designing new experiments takes up most of my activity. I'm also a musician, and few things bring me more pleasure than creating a new piece of music and hearing something that only existed as an abstract thought in my head, materialised and reproduced on an instrument.

Are you interested more in objects or experiences? Make your case for either.
I think that, in general, experiences are what really have the power to affect and change us on a deeply personal level. I think the act of experiencing requires us to interpret, think and be very aware of our situation and its implications. Objects, on the other hand, kind of exist whether or not we want them to, and that makes them more disconnected from the 'human experience.' That being said, I think objects can still be great channels for experience. A new instrument can enable you to create things you didn't think were possible or a new book can make you feel things or relate to situations you didn't even know existed.

What three names come to mind when you think of Design?
IBM, Elon Musk, Hideo Kojima.

Where do you want to be in 20 years time?
I'm not sure, but hopefully it'll be somewhere where I'm happy and fulfilled.

What does Design mean to you?
To me, design is about making deliberate choices during the process of creation. Intentionality is really what separates a designed outcome from an incidental outcome. My work focuses on user-centered design, where engineers and creators assume the standpoints of the people who will eventually use their system, product or software.

How important is Design in your life? Is it something you value, and if so, how?
Design is a crucial aspect of my life. As a software developer, I am interested in designing solutions that are highly usable and functional both for creators and users. I value design in a more aesthetic sense as well; well-curated experiences and items have a sensory appeal and emotional impact that I find really extraordinary.

Are you more interested in objects or experiences? Make your case for either.
Experiences. Designing experiences feels more dynamic, more human focused and less restricted. I'd even argue that objects are ultimately about experiences – when you create something that's remarkable to look at, brilliantly clever, or just whimsical and fun, you are creating an experience for someone or eliciting a reaction based on their past experiences.

What three names come to mind when when you think of Design?
Don Norman, Bret Victor, Comic Sans.

Where do you want to be in 20 years time?
I'd love to be leading research on computing education and educational software design, in an academic or industry setting.