Interviews with Xavier Zhagui

I started Dezign for X as a creative thought process that I wanted to explore. Dezign for X is a play on words for “solve for x” where you use math to solve problems, but instead you solve problems with design. You take two simple but distinct ideas or objects and you use design to add, subtract, divide, or multiple them together to create a new solution.

Design is an exploration of an idea, and through hard work, creativity, passion, and refinement, you construct and mold it into reality.

I like designing works that anyone can interact with. I love it when an artwork or product engages you immediately and allows you to experience the act of play regardless of age.

My favorite design is the Spun Chair by Thomas Heatherwick. It a chair in the shape of a top, which acts as normal chair that you can comfortably sit in but by leaning to side it spins you around like a top on its side. I enjoy how the design took the idea of a stationary and ordinary object of the chair and merged it with the dynamic and fun idea of a spinning top. I love how the design engages the user to experience the fun of spinning around in circles, engaging in the act of play and feeling like a kid again.

The first thing I designed was sculpture that would sit in the middle of a roundabout for home they were building for a client. The client requested he wanted a sculpture that resembled a globe and the idea of connectivity. I was inspired by the Japanese folk take of “The Red Thread”. The tale talks about a red thread that leads us and connects us to another person who we are destined to meet and connect with. I took the idea of the threads and designed a Sculpture of Red Ribbons that twisted at certain intervals where when looked directly at creates the shape of a globe. It symbolizes how the world we live in is created by all the various connections that we have with each other, uniting us as humans and shaping our world.

My favorite technology is 3D printing because it allows me to quickly experience and test out my designs in the matter of minutes. Iteration, experimenting, and testing is essential to designing a product or object and the advances in 3D printing has eased this process by allowing you to manufacture and prototype in the comfort of your own home.

I feel the most creative when I’m daydreaming. It usually happens during long car drives, doing chores, and even showering. When my mind is allowed to wander is when most of the creative ideas or solutions to problems arrive. It’s as close to a meditative state that my mind can get to with out being disturbed by other priorities.

I find myself focusing most on the big picture and the story of the design. I ask myself what has been done and how can I do it differently, what excites me and how can I get other people to be excited about it too. I always think how can bring design to everyone and have them have fun with it.

I feel excited in the beginning of design, thinking of all the possibilities and opportunities that come with it. Once I enter the process of refinement and problem solving is where frustration can set in, but I never let it stop me because I feed off the joy and pride I get after solving a problem and overcoming an obstacle.

I feel pure bliss and pride for persevering and overcoming every obstacle. No project ever comes out completely perfect at the end but I’m able to see pass that and be proud of the end result knowing all the work I put in came to fruition.

I believe that a successful design is one that is true to itself and its purpose. When a design can accomplish what it was designed for and can express the ideas for its creation it is successful.

I look to see if the concept or big picture idea for design is clear and has been executed to the best of its ability. A design with out a clear concept or story cannot be considered good design.

We cannot see ourselves as an entity separate from nature and society, we are a force of nature, and we are a collective society. It might seem as an individual that we don’t have much impact on the environment or society but I believe we cause ripples that can turn into world changing waves. We are all powerful and we should be responsible for how we use that power to change the world.

I see the design field taking responsibility for its impact on the environment and also being vocal about societal changes and ideas. I believe the future of design will be collective and created by societies instead of corporations as future generations reject capitalistic design strategies for a communal sense of design and belonging.

My last exhibition was at the 2016 AIAS Beaux Arts Ball in Las Vegas. I would like to hold an exhibition by the end of the year or the beginning of the next year.

My inspirations come from my childhood and my enjoyment of exploration and play. I love trying new techniques and exploring new technologies and programs and I ask myself what I can do or make with this newfound knowledge.

I would describe my style as complex simplicity. I start with clean and simple forms but by multiplying these forms and uniting them together they can create something grand and complex. I find it to be a very natural approach to design, its how something as simple and small as cell when multiplied and united with many cells can create something as complex and beautiful as a human being.

I live in the United States in Las Vegas. I feel like the diversity of the people I grew up with and met in this country opened my mind up to be inspired by all the different cultures and practices. The con of living in the United States is that I feel like I’m not in touch with my own heritage as much but instead I’m a mix of different ideas and heritages that I grew around of.

I take the time to listen and research what their company is about and what their vision is. Working with a company is no different from working with a single person, it takes time and a lot of communication to build a relationship and an understanding of one another. Once you have a good grasp of that you can both work together on a vision that complements both your skills and brand.

I believe they should take the time to research and find a designer that fits the vision and goals you are trying to achieve. I strongly believe that companies should search locally first to try and support the local design community, especially if they are designing for a local environment.

My design process begins with conceptual brainstorming, we don’t dismiss any ideas and we pinup and document any weird ideas or experiment we are working on or what to work on. Once we find a clear idea or route we want to explore, we iterate and experiment until we find rough concept that we want to refine. The refinement stage is the longest and hardest stage because it requires making our concept a physical reality. At the end we have a finished product or design that we can be proud of because we know we put in the work and experimented util we found an answer that we love.

The AKAI MPK mini keyboard for its compact size, look, and features.
The Lego Orchid Set
The Ikea FORENLIG Plant Pot
The Swiss Army Knife
The Fractal Design North ATX tower pc case

I start off the day with a quick breakfast and I’m off to work at my day job as an architectural residential designer. I spend the entire day working on concepts and producing models of high-end residential homes. After work I come home and eat dinner and unwind from the day. After I finished relaxing, I read a passage from “The Creative Act: A way of Being” by Rick Rubin. It helps me get my creative juices flowing, before I start working on my personal projects for Dezign for X. I work on those projects until I get tired and after that I leave for the gym. The gym helps me stay healthy and helps me get a good night’s sleep after my workout.

I would tell them to take the time to explore themselves and what creativity means for them. Design is an enormous field with my branches and opportunities, and I would advise them to explore as many of it as possible. Always stay curious and never stop being a student, the world is always changing and moving and there will always be something new to learn and explore.

I would say that the positives are that there is a lot of variation in the work you do, and you rarely get stuck doing the same thing. The feeling of accomplishment you get once you see your idea come to life is also incomparable. The cons are that it is very time consuming and that you can’t be attached to your ideas or creation because it can change direction throughout the entire design process.

The question I always ask myself is, is it fun? and can anyone regardless of age interact with it.

I use Rhino 3D as my main modeling tool. I have two Bambu 3D printers for prototyping ideas and products. A book I always come back to for inspiration is “The Creative Act: A Way of Being” by Rick Rubin.

I love working with new mediums and scales that I have never worked on before because it allows me to learn and expand my knowledge about what is possible.

Currently I’m working and developing design by myself, but I would love to develop a design team in the future

Currently I’m working and developing design by myself, but I would love to develop a design team in the future

The current project I am experimenting with asks the question what happens when you merge the practice of Zen Gardens with the traditional art of Japanese Kintsugi.

They can reach me through my email: Xavierzhagui.studio@gmail.com or they can visit my website which will be out soon: www.dezignforx.com

Traditional building blocks are typically rectilinear—shapes like cubes or rectangular prisms—because they’re easy to stack and connect. While a simple cube is the most straightforward shape for both a building block and a functional planter, I wanted to create something more unconventional. I wanted the design to be visually striking while still maintaining the same intuitive functionality of stacking and connecting blocks.This led me to explore space-filling polyhedrons. These shapes, unlike cubes, have more complex, multi-faceted faces but still function in a similar way, allowing for easy assembly while creating a more dynamic aesthetic. By using these polyhedrons, I was able to maintain the modularity of the design while offering something visually distinct and engaging. The result is a system that balances both form and function, inviting users to interact with the design in a way that’s both playful and practical.

When developing the Plan Ta Modular Vase, we initially chose PLA for its many advantages: it’s quick to print, inexpensive, and made from renewable resources, making it biodegradable. It seemed like the ideal material for both reducing waste and producing a sustainable product. However, during early testing, we discovered that PLA has a significant drawback: it’s porous. This led to water leaking through the material and mold developing between the 3D printed layers, which compromised the functionality of the vase.To address this issue, we transitioned to PETG, a material with similar quality to PLA but much better at retaining water. PETG is commonly used to make products like water bottles because of its water-resistant properties. While it’s not biodegradable like PLA, PETG has the advantage of being recyclable. Just like traditional water bottles, PETG can be recycled and repurposed into new products, which still aligns with our sustainability goals.In the end, PETG provided the right balance of functionality and environmental responsibility. The ability to 3D print the vase from recycled PETG and its recyclability after use made it a suitable and more durable alternative to PLA, addressing both the practical needs of the design and our sustainability concerns.

The key consideration in designing the magnetic connection system for the Plan Ta Modular Vase was ensuring that it was intuitive and easy to use—just like traditional building blocks. We wanted the assembly process to be simple enough for anyone, regardless of age, to understand and use—whether it’s a child or a senior citizen. This led us to experiment with magnets, as they allow for a quick, effortless connection with minimal physical effort from the user.Next, we needed to determine the right type of magnet and how many would be necessary to ensure a stable and secure connection, especially considering the weight of a plant with soil. For the smaller planter, we decided that a single magnet on each face would provide enough strength. For the larger planter, which is heavier, we used four evenly spaced magnets on each face to ensure a strong, stable hold.By focusing on simplicity and functionality, we were able to create a connection system that’s both user-friendly and strong enough to support the weight of the plants, offering versatility in how users can arrange the vases while maintaining stability.

Balancing the dual functions of the Plan Ta Modular Vase—both as a functional plant container and an interactive building block—required extensive research and experimentation. It was crucial to stay true to the core concept of the design and ensure that both functions complemented each other without compromising their effectiveness. The challenge was to maintain the playful, modular aspect of the design while ensuring it was also practical and functional as a planter.Throughout the process, we encountered numerous setbacks and roadblocks. Each time this happened, we would step back, sometimes take a break, and return to the problem with fresh perspectives. It was this cycle of reflection, consistency, and perseverance that allowed us to refine the design and ensure that neither the playfulness nor the functionality of the Plan Ta Vase was sacrificed.

Scaling up a product is often assumed to be a straightforward process, but in reality, it presents significant challenges. The small vase was our initial prototype and was relatively easy to design. It was lightweight, and the placement and number of magnets needed for the connection system were simple to implement. At that scale, the vase was designed to hold only an air plant, which doesn't require soil, so water retention wasn’t an issue.However, when we scaled up the design to accommodate house plants, we encountered several unexpected problems. One of the biggest challenges was weight. As the size of the vase increased, so did its volume and weight, which put a strain on the magnetic connection system we initially used. The magnets that worked well for the smaller vase simply couldn’t support the added weight of a larger planter with soil and plants.To address this, we experimented with different connection types, joints, and magnets to find a stronger solution. We also introduced a dual-container design, which helped to keep the overall planter as lightweight as possible while still retaining space for a plant potted in soil . Additionally, we increased the number of magnets on each face of the larger vase to strengthen the connection. This balance between material efficiency and magnetic strength allowed us to scale up the design without compromising functionality or stability.

My background in architecture influenced the development of the Plan Ta Modular Vase in several key ways. Two important lessons I learned from practicing architecture are to stay true to the core concept throughout the design process and to consistently iterate and refine until you achieve the right balance between form and function. For Plan Ta, the core concept was always about creating a design that functioned intuitively as both a vase and a modular building block. This guiding principle helped us ensure that the vase was easy to use while also maintaining its playful, interactive nature.The minimal yet functional form of Plan Ta was constantly refined and iterated to better represent this dual purpose. Like in architecture, we didn’t rush the design; instead, we focused on thoughtful adjustments to improve both its usability and aesthetic. The result is a modular system that maintains structural integrity while clearly embodying the design’s core concept.

The idea for the vertical application of the Plan Ta Modular Vase actually came from a moment of inspiration when I shared the initial prototype with a small group of friends. They were fascinated by the modularity of the design and started playing with it. Since the vase was magnetic, they attached it to a vertical metal beam and began stacking it upward. I loved how the vases looked when arranged on a vertical surface, and that sparked the idea to make this possibility available on any surface, not just metal.From there, the concept of the wall-mounting accessory came into play. I focused first on refining the modular vase itself—ensuring the core design was functional and intuitive—before turning my attention to developing the wall-mounting solution. I made sure to solve any design challenges with the vase first, and then adapted those solutions to the wall-mount accessory, ensuring the two elements worked seamlessly together.

I believe the Plan Ta Modular Vase demonstrates that design and sustainability can be approached in a more playful and creative way. By combining functionality with an element of fun and play, the design encourages people to engage with sustainability from a fresh, positive perspective. It shows that everyday home products can be multifunctional, engaging, and environmentally conscious—without sacrificing creativity or enjoyment. I hope this approach helps open people's minds to the idea that sustainable design doesn’t have to be rigid or overly serious; it can be joyful and accessible to all

I encourage emerging designers to look within themselves for inspiration. Our personal experiences are unique and authentic to who we are, and when you bring that personal element into your design, it reveals a passion and authenticity that no one else can replicate. Integrating personal inspiration with practical strategies grounds your design, adding depth and offering fresh perspectives on how to approach a solution. This balance between individuality and functionality is key to creating designs that are both meaningful and innovative.