We are very proud to announce that Scott Jarvie has been selected as a V&A Dundee Design Champions in recognition for his work in the field of product and furniture design.
The V&A Dundee’s Design Champions programme recognises individuals who have made a significant contribution to design. The V&A Dundee programme has recognised people across a wide range of institutions and from a broad spectrum of design disciplines. Everything from fabrication to jewelry design, and from computer games to theatre design.
V&A Dundee Design Champion – Dish Drainer
“It is a great honour to be chosen as one of the V&A Dundee’s first Design Champions. Having seen who is involved with this, I feel very privileged to be considered alongside such forward looking practitioners”
Scott Jarvie
V&A Dundee Design Champion – Wire Chair
For further information there is a blog post on the V&A Dundee’s website.
Transcript from interview with Chris Wilson – V&A Dundee
Which design discipline(s) do you work in?
Product, Furniture, Lighting, Packaging, Large Scale and increasingly in Art Direction, Photography, Brand Development and Brand Strategy.
How did you first become interested in design?
I have always been interested in design. As a child I was always building and making things and I suppose my process now is not that far removed from these early days. My Father is an engineer who can make or fix anything and my Mother is a graphic designer and artist so, as a child, design was always a big part of my life.
How did you become a designer? Did you complete any courses or degrees?
I studied Product Design at Glasgow College of Building and Printing (which has since been renamed City of Glasgow College) and then went on to complete a degree at Napier University. Although I do not feel that completing a course in design is necessarily essential. Curiosity, dedication and a belief things can be done better is really the key.
How do you first approach a new design project? How do you collect, and refine, ideas towards a finished product?
I generally approach a new project by trying to understand and distil what I feel is most important, what lies at the heart of the project. This is often quite subjective. However I feel it is useful to have a criteria against which to chart your progress. I think that sketching and drawing are hugely valuable but I feel the most important element is thinking – having time to think about the challenges that the project presents. It is only then that the solutions present themselves.
Can you explain more about your earlier Clutch, Wire and One Cut pieces? Do simplicity and sustainability particularly interest you?
The Clutch, Wire and One Cut Chairs were all created for an exhibition in Milan called Salone Satellite, back in 2008. The exhibition focuses on design prototypes that embody innovative ideas. In some ways these are ‘concept chairs’.
The Clutch Chair was inspired by the directional strength of the xylem in trees and the One Cut chair considered the possibility of laminating pre cut sheets to fold a 3D chair out of a 2D material laminated stack. Unlike traditional slatted chairs, where the slats are individually joined to the frame, resulting in more than 20 individual timber joints per chair, the One Cut Chair is composed of 3 to 5 laminations.
Efficient use of materials and approaching design with a sustainable mindset have always been central to my approach. However I feel that the manner in which this thinking is integrated into projects is possibly less visually overt than in my earlier work.
Which commercial clients or partners are you particularly proud of working with?
Over the years I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to work with a number of great clients. I am proud of our work with Lakeland, for whom we have designed many best selling products. Working with the Edrington Group and Linn Products has also been a real pleasure as they are both leaders in their respective fields, and for very good reason.
Are there any pieces of design, or projects, that you’re particularly proud of? If so, why?
That’s a difficult one to pin down. I tend to be more engaged by current projects and plans for the future, rather than looking back to previous work. I think this is important for anyone working in a creative field.
If I were pushed, I am pleased with the Dish Drainer designed for Lakeland as we were able to embed a great deal of innovative functionality in a simple moulded product.
Why do you think design matters?
Design is what makes us human. It is the activity that best defines our species. I don’t think the world would have developed the way it has if cavemen had been accountants.
What do you think of V&A Dundee?
The V&A Dundee project is something that I have been greatly excited about from the outset. I think the V&A Dundee will be a beacon for design and innovation in Scotland with a global reach. The team behind the project have galvanised the design industry, energised not only the local community in Dundee but the whole country and started to communicate the value of design in a modern vibrant Scottish economy… and all this before the building is complete!
About the V&A Dundee
Opening in 2018, V&A Museum of Design Dundee will be the first ever dedicated design museum in Scotland and the only other V&A museum anywhere in the world outside London.
With a mission is to enrich lives through design, V&A Dundee will provide a place of inspiration, discovery, and learning. Our Scottish Design Galleries will tell the story of Scotland’s outstanding design heritage – of the past, present and future. These galleries will present the largely untold story of Scotland’s outstanding design achievements, bringing together in one place objects from the renowned V&A collections alongside prominent loans from around the world.
The museum will also host international touring exhibitions from the V&A, with Dundee the only location in the UK outside London to receive these. Our galleries have been specifically designed to house the largest of these globally significant shows, guaranteeing the same world-class experience.
The new museum is designed by the renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma and will be his first British building. In line with Kuma’s vision, V&A Dundee will be a new ‘living room for the city’ – a place for all to enjoy and be inspired.
For further information on the V&A Dundee visit their website.