Nama Rupa | Email

Where and what did you study and what year did you graduate?
Bachelor of Industrial Design, 2005, University of New South Wales.

I am currently completing a Masters in Design (Ceramics Design for Studio Production) at the College of Fine Arts.

Where did you head after graduating?
I thought I was going to be a famous bag designer so I enrolled in a Masters of Design course at first majoring in textiles with ceramics and jewellery as other interests. I soon found that I was pouring my energy into my ceramics work as it allowed me to utilise my training in industrial design and at the same time explore the use of a traditional material in untraditional ways.

When did you launch your own business?
I launched my own design business in March 2007, ten months after starting full time work in the design industry.

How would you describe your business to someone who didn’t know you?
I operate a design consultancy and have had clients ranging from artists and designers applying for venture capital, research laboratories requiring 3D models and prototypes for educational purposes to sheet metal manufacturers. But I consider my real business my passion for designing and making in the ceramic medium.

How would you describe the products you design to someone who hadn’t seen them?
Fun, meaningful, unique, simple, well made.

What are the most challenging parts of being a designer running a small business?
In the consultancy side of the business it chasing work and maintaining a steady flow of jobs. Then its balancing your time between projects that may not make you much money but bring you extreme pleasure and enjoyment in their development with those that may not be so exciting but will definitely make you money.

What are the next steps for you?
Once I have gained adequate funding to see some projects through to market, I aim to build my own home-based studio. I would like to focus on designing and developing objects and homewares to be produced in limited production runs from my studio. I also intend to license a number of designs to established manufacturers so that I may begin to generate some sort of reliable income.

Comments Off on James Lord