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Q1 Please tell us your brief profile and working career. Why did you become designer?
I have always worked as a product designer. I have run my own agencies for more than 35 years.
I am totally self taught in design, learning through experience. I led one of the most significant design offices in Paris, between 1980/ 95. |
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With branches in Milan & Tokyo, the activity was only dedicated to product design pushing the role of the design consultancy, using creativity as a strategic tool for companies. (Design Deployment method). Since 97 the activity has evolved into a new network organization with partners as Morgan Design first. Now we are also in Spain with Stimulo and Italy with Lalambik. I received the 1993 National Grand Prize for Industrial Design in France in 93. Becoming designer was a pure hazard: at 17 years old, I absolutely wanted to leave the secondary school. The only school which accepted me, after that, was an Applied Art school. At this period the word "design" did not exist.
Q2 Currently which stores carry your pieces in the world? Price range?
They are not "my pieces" but the brand's products. You see them in the urban spaces, or they are sold in all kind of distribution channels, also B to B channel. |
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Q6 Since you are based in Paris, how much of an influence does that have on your works?
Creativity in Paris or in France is quite conceptual, more open minded, regarding my experience with others countries. But my influences are coming from everywhere, beginning by Japanese culture.
Working 8 years with my office in Tokyo was also a great influence. |
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Q7 What is beauty means to you?
It is completely subjective. Today, references for beauty have completely exploded. Between beauty or a new concept of use, I prefer the second one.
Beauty will come from the coherence between the concept, first, and its "shape"
Q8 Who is your dream collaborator?
Somebody kind enough to put up with me... A designer able to produce ideas and ideas and ideas... Who know how to concretise the projects. Somebody who shares all the ideas, not only his ideas, when he feels it is good. Someone like Jeremy Morgan our partner.
Q9 What do you think about design industry in your country?
Education has a good level. Many creative people are on the market. The only problem, like in many countries, is making the contact between designers and the industrialists. |
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Vitrac (Pool) was established in 1996, after JP Vitrac left his company Vitrac Design Strategy. We wanted to have a small and flexible structure, for being personally and directly involved in the creative and consultancy relation with our clients. That is why we have choosen to built a European network the Design (Pool). Currently, we design and manage all the programs with the core of the Pool in Paris – 4 people- and external partners – marketing, prototypists, graphics, photographs, muti media, engeniery, choosen following the subjects. The second level is permanent partners – designers - like Morgan design, Stimulo in Spain or Lalambik in Italy with whom we have privileged relations. Our speciality is the Design Deployment through the product design, a creative consultancy for companies strategy or diversification in all fields of activity. Brigitte Fuchs Vitrac, responsible for the Pool is specialised in tendencies for colours and new materials. |
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Q3 What is the concept of your design?
Design is creativity and method dedicated to specific contexts : doing design is bringing more creativity, discovering more opportunities for companies regarding their interrogation.
For me, the design is shared with the people within the companies : they have their own responsabiliy in the result. I never want to sign the design. The design, as a normal activity, has to be wear by the brand or company name.
Q4 Could you tell us the project that you are working on right now?
Many and diverse. A lot of urban furniture ranges, fiber optic concepts, outdoor and indoor lighting, architectural lighting, luggage, umbrellas, USB keys, pens, kitchen products, massage products, cuttlery, cooking shoes... Very often there is no brief : we bring creativity to help companies to see more clearly what could be their development choices. |
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Q5 You have done a lot of different works in your career, could you tell us the work you enjoyed the most so far?
Each time, when you have to answer to a client question, it is the same pleasure. Creativity is always exciting, whatever the subject. Beyond this, the quality of the relationship with the company you work with, will make the difference. |
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Q10 Are there any places or countries you would like to visit?
I have visited a lot. Now I want to visit all the deserts of the planet.
Q11 Are there any people who inspired you? Who do you respect?
I like all the people in action. All the people inventing, all the people searching, all the people building something, and this in all human fields and activities.
Q12 What's coming up in 2008? Any plans for exhibition?
For us the exhibitions are permanent through the commercial fairs of our clients....
Q13 What do you want to achieve in your career? What is your goal?
To teach the young future designers to help them continue to invent design activity again and again. To continue also to convince people of the richness and the power of creativity to participate, to make evolve, and solve problems. |
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Q14 Any last words?
Industialists, politicians, people having power of decision lack, very often, imagination. The designer role is to share creativity with them, listening to people, and not for himself only... |
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