This is the latest in a series of interviews with designers identified by the Design Council as ‘Ones to Watch’. Rebecca Price‘s Store and Pour jars are designed to reduce food waste, by making it easy to measure out healthy portions – the pour jar is shaped with a spout to enable the user to pour its contents into the lid – perfectly sized for one portion. The lid mirrors the jar’s shape, making it easy to then pour that portion into a cooking pan. Rebecca’s project was selected in the Everyday Living category alongside George Mabey’s A4 Scooter that weighs less than five kilos and rolls up to the size of an A4 box file enabling you to pop it in your bag after your commute, and Patrick Kendal’s Spring Oven designed to produce top notch bread from even the most basic oven.
What’s the most important thing to know about you?
I am passionate about designing functional products that bring enjoyment to their new home. On a side note, I am also striving towards achieving one of my life goals of owning a campervan and a wire haired sausage dog named Basil to come on my adventures with me.
What inspires your work?
Inspiration is an interesting thing, it can strike at any moment and from almost anything. It can stem from patterns or shadows found in structures around me, problem solving or looking at manufacturing techniques to create a new design.
Talk me through your design and making process.
Detailed research from all areas, related and non-related. I thoroughly enjoy collating beautiful imagery, this is an exciting time when ideas start springing up. From all these inspirational visuals, I select elements which will individually play an important part in the final design.
Rough sketches develop from the research into models, creating models is a quick and vital method of transforming a 2D sketch into a 3D object. I can form opinions and make changes, these models are then translated into a 3D modelling programme called Rhino. I then create an accurate drawing of the chosen design which will be sent to manufacturers for a sample. All these development processes lead to a working prototype for testing and tweaking to create a finished product which is ready to be produced. I find these final stages of a products development is the most challenging but always the most rewarding.
What’s your favourite part of the process?
Apart from research, it has to be receiving the samples of my designs back from the manufacturer. Finally my seeing designs I have worked on for months come to life is immensely satisfying.
What’s your favourite tool and why?
My camera, I carry one everywhere with me, so I can instantly capture a moment of inspiration or piece of research where ever I am. Creating a visual catalogue of these starting points is very important, and looking back at these images can spark off new design ideas in the future.
Tell me about a really good day and a really bad day in the life of Rebecca Price.
A good day starts with coffee, making a neat to do to list, progressing with designs and at the end of the day having the satisfaction of a messy, scribbled on and all ticked off list. A bad day is when things do not flow along and click into place,although sometimes when this happens, the feeling when they finally do work is even more satisfying!
What defines good design?
It must be functional and pleasing to the eye. I would describe it as the feeling you get when you look at a design and there is nothing you would change.
What are you most proud of?
Working in a field which I absolutely love.
What advice would you give to an aspiring designer?
Learn as much as you can from others, be a knowledge sponge. Don’t give up on your passions and always do something which makes you grin from ear to ear.
What did it mean to you to be selected as one of the Design Council’s Ones To Watch?
I was delighted to receive the award and to hear such lovely feedback from the judging panel and members of the public who have seen my work on the website. To have my work recognised has opened up many exciting doors and possibilities.
And finally, what’s your favourite colour?
A zesty lime green – it has become a healthy obsession which has crept into all parts of my life.
Further reading for the especially geeky:
- interview :: morten & jonas
- interview :: ross kemp
- interview :: K8 Industridesign
- interview :: todd bracher
