That question can be surprisingly difficult to answer, so we decided to go to the professionals for some answers. We asked the five members on the jury of our ‘Design Your Own Icon’ competition to help us break down what exactly takes a design from ‘good’ to ‘great’.
This week we’ve met with the next member of our jury, Sofie Lindahl-Jessen. As the Executive Vice President Sales & Brand at the Republic of Fritz Hansen, Sofie Lindahl-Jessen, understands that a single piece of furniture can change the feeling of an entire room. You can be sure that she’s looking for a design that would make an impact when judging our competition.
Keep reading to learn Sofie’s own unique take on what makes ‘great’ design.
What do you believe are the hallmarks of great design?
Great design plays a key role for the quality of life and thus for people’s energy and well-being. A single piece of furniture can beautify an entire room or building – and the minds of the people living or working there. Great design can make people stop and think – maybe even smile.
What are the elements of great design?
When craftsmanship, timeless design and high quality is transformed into a physical product.
What first attracts you when looking at a piece of furniture?
The shape and choice of materials.
What role does color play in furniture design? What is the importance of color selection in furniture design?
Colors play a key role in our furniture design because they can change the whole perception of the furniture.
Fritz Hansen’s approach to color is associated with our choice of genuine materials that continue to mature and transform over time. Fritz Hansen appreciates this slow metamorphosis, which is also reflected in our approach to colors.
Like any other material a color should change with the light, the space, the seasons and other aspects of the environment. A color is not just a color, but a complex and inconstant factor. That is why Fritz Hansen prefers artistic colors to industrial colors, diversity to uniformity and the natural to the artificial.
