Florian Kremb's Tripod Shelving is a unique and innovative design which has been picked up by Heal's Discovers through the Hidden Art Brokerage. He filled us in on the briefing process.
How did you hear about the brief?
I heard about the brief through the brokerage.
It was in November, the brief was emailed out and then I had to register my interest. They gave us updates and we sent in a portfolio.
Did you send in more than one product in?
Yeah, I sent in about five. There were others I thought would be easier for them to pick, another shelving design. I was really happy and I really liked it that my product was taken. Initially it wasn’t taken on and it suddenly got taken on again. It was really nice and I am happy that it is coming out with a nice company like Heal’s.
What does being aligned with a company like Heal’s provide?
It has such a great reputation; it provides great press and publicity so people will become aware of my other products as well. In this market as soon as people can associate you with something that has an established name, you get a step higher in their regard. It was similar when I was in Dover Street Market, in one of the biggest fringe fashion trend stores. I’m not there any more but just having that name on my website makes people click through and makes the press want to talk to you. It gives you better position in the market.
Some people appreciate something personally, but some people need to be led in their tastes, so if they see things in a magazine they realise it is good design, they are more the majority.
Was it imagined before brief?
I’ve fiddled around with the idea before. I liked the structure, but never got to a ‘hands on’ stage. Once I got the brief I went to Heal’s and looked at what they have, and I focussed on their shelving units. This idea has always been floating around in my head but I never got down to it. So then with the brief I came up with the sculptural tripod thing, and I thought that even if it wasn’t taken I’d do something else with it anyway.
How do you draw up your plans for products?
I’m quite traditional, I do hand drawings and technical drawings. Sometimes I scan them in and alter them in Photoshop. I can keep my personal style but I can change colours more easily in Photoshop. And then I like to make it anyway, just to figure out if they can stand, if they look good and if they are achievable. And by doing it hands on like that, you get new ideas in the process anyway.
The brief was really vague; you could enter anything that they think suits the company. It gave the flexibility to really be creative, because normally these things are very restrictive.
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