Interview with Oblikus

Creative people are multi talented persons. The love for art was there from the early school days, we painted and drew well, played an instrument, were good at geometry.. Then we learned about professions which are built on applied arts and immediately were drawn into them. The idea of being able to create aesthetical object that can help people and solve some problems, wow! This passion is ever growing since those early school days.

The Design Thinking has become more popular as a term outside the design industry lately. We find this process very intuitive and natural. We try to truly identify the need to be solved, we try to ideate widely and prototype as early as possible. We always consult engineers and technology experts along the way to see where the current technical boundaries are and try to challenge them. And we are not afraid to question the concept and iterate very late in the development process. We think that the idea and the approach to the problem are the most important aspects of the process, tools are there to help you reach the goal. The more you master them, the better.

Design is a process and we have different emotions throughout all stages. There is empathy, passion, a positive drive to continue the pursuit for the solution. And sometimes stress and excitement when things reach production. This curve goes up and down as the proces advances. Overall it is a very enjoyable journey.

We think that everyone has many talents and interests. Those interests, hobbies or passions shape our personalities and become strong assets in professional work and give unique perspectives. Miroslav has always been interested in mechanics and technical aspects of how things are being made. Tamara was engaged with many different interests wile growing up, from piano playing to human rights activism.

We plan to engage more directly with manufacturers. The dream project would be some smart medical product that will hopefully help people in everyday health care.

We would like to stress the importance of getting involved in the industry as early as possible. The essence is learned at schools but the biggest knowledge comes from real projects. It is common for designers to be involved with very different projects in terms of technology, experience and context. We would encourage young designers to gain experience through internships or pro bono projects. And of course expand their knowledge outside design – world culture, psychology, technology, even economy and business.

We would encourage fellow colleagues to be persistent in their pursue for what they feel is important. To find like minded individuals, network and collaborate. Also to get involved with the business side of the projects, in our experience it changed so much the way we look at new and upcoming opportunities.

We try to do the majority of the most important things in the morning when the energy level si high. We read design news often during the mid-day brakes. A business day is rarely a boring one, but we use the periods of routine work to listen and catch up with podcasts or music.

For us following design trends always had some kid of a negative side. We think designers should be well aware of what is going on in the industry but we always advocate for being true to your self and work carefully with trends.

We think a really good design needs to examine all aspects of the product as a whole.Functionality, user experience, form, technology, aesthetic, the context, the economical side, impact to the environment and the product after life.

One of our university professors used to say that design is a process never finished but abandoned at one point. This is such a wisdom, because you can iterate on any project almost indefinitely. So finding the balance between design stages comes with experience. We always have more to learn but it seams to us every time we do thing better and faster than the last time. Project management has a crucial role in product development, in which many parties are involved and directly affect that moment when design is ready.

We are certainly proud of our Moonlight luminaires that are permanently featured in the Red Dot Design Museum in Singapore. This is a project that we developed and produced completely on our own. The main principle was to design a lighting object that emphasizes tactile experience of the user with the object. Our focus was user interaction and the use of technology behind the experience. The development proces was really exciting as the technology turned out to be more delicate than we anticipated. For that occasion we were fortunate to have been working with an amazing group of engineers and developers.

We love the legendary Dieter Rams and his designs because they are well thought and honest. In our opinion he is the ultimate icon of product design. When we first learned about his principals in school, it left a great mark with our thinking about product design.

We love to travel and learn about the world this way. Good design is about sharing knowledge and experiences, the more you know the more you wish to learn. We are trying to find a balance between the urban living and nature, technology and healthy habits.

We love to collaborate and always seek for exerts to help is make the best of our projects. In our professional encounters we feel very fortunate every time we work with skilled from other fields. In business we are very easy to work with and we value other peoples time and commitment.

Growing up in a country with a really tough social and economical environment we really experienced first hand how many difficult challenges young people need to overcome in order to make things happen. We always respond to a call for a good cause and engage to share any knowledge of experience we gained. Tamara also teaches at the university and gives enormous efforts beyond curricular requirements to give better education for young generations.

Participating in credible design competitions is a great opportunity for emerging and professional designers to gain recognition and media attention. It is an environment where we can share our visions and personal takes on design with the community. Since the projects can also be concepts, it is a great way of presenting design ideas unbound with some manufacturing capabilities.

We loved art and creative work from the early age. After painting and sculpting we discovered Design in school and were obsessed with it! The possibility of creating an object or an experience that would affect someone’s life (in a good way) is a really powerful and motivating notion.

We both chose to become designers. We loved it from the early school days.

We design various things, light objects, furniture for children, electronics, audio equipment.. We would love to design more objects with focus on interaction and generally meaningful design solutions.

We would like to stress the importance of getting involved in the industry as early as possible. The essence is learned at schools but the biggest knowledge comes from real projects. It is common for designers to be involved with very different projects in terms of technology, experience and context. We would encourage young designers to gain experience through internships or pro bono projects. And of course expand their knowledge outside design – world culture, psychology, technology, even economy and business.

Good designer will solve the problem and even make a beautiful product. A great designer will also elevate the user experience and recognize some needs to be met but weren’t obvious at start.

We think a really good design needs to examine all aspects of the product as a whole. The user, the need, the technology, the context, the economical side, impact to the environment and the product after life.

Good design will have strong emotional and practical impact on the user. He will then become a returning customer and a brand ambassador.

If we had the time we would love to participate with any project that resolves any of the many world problems and struggles.

The dream project would be some smart medical product that will hopefully help people in everyday health care.

We believe in honesty in design. Designing not to impress but to make what you think is valuable and important.

Luckily we have many designers to admire. Dieter Rams, Jasper Morisson, Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, Benjamin Hubert, Konstantin Grcic.

We love the legendary Dieter Rams’ designs because they are well thought and honest. The Chair One for Magis by Grcic is beautiful with its structural aesthetic.

We like the simple appearance of our Moonlight luminaires, where the focus is on the user interaction and technology.

We think designers need to engage in many different and challenging projects. And also to try to expand their knowledge and experience beyond design.

Miroslav would most probably be an architect and Tamara would be a letter maker, calligraphy and type designer.

For us, design is a cross-disciplinary process where aesthetics, technology and emotion are integrated to create meaningful solutions.

Our biggest supporters were family and friends who believed in what we do and were there many times when we needed help and understanding. Some of them are amazing professionals in fields of physics, engineering or electronics and shared their time and knowledge selfishly to help us make the best of our projects.

We think that designers are usually muli-talented people. They can draw, paint, build things, play instruments, good with trades, very curious and eager to learn. People should find time to nourish their talents and guide them into a profession.

Our biggest obstacle was the socio-economical environment, growing up in a Eastern European country with developing economics. The design projects were scarce so we had to make enormous effort to advance professionally.

With today’s technology and software available it is easy to make a good quality computer generated visualization of your idea. It is also easy to build your own website. We encourage designers to invest in prototyping and creating production friendly real life representations when possible as the real object delivers an even more powerful impression.

We are hoping to finish some ongoing projects and to engage more directly with manufacturers.

Our ultimate goal is to have many people happily using our product around the world.

To use our creative capacities to solve problems which will hopefully make world a better place.

Design has the power to not only help create more beautiful or more useful products but to enhance lives, everyday experiences and reduce problems. It also has an important role to be a humanist voice in the society of modern production.

We have been developing designs for a range of high end audio equipment for over a year now. It is reaching the pre production stage and we are very excited to be able to share it with the world very soon.

Two of our favorite projects are Moonlight and Creachair. The first one is a series of interactive luminaires that change intensity with touch. It received A’Design award and the Red Dot: Best of the Best Award, and is currently permanently featured in the Red Dot Design Museum in Singapore. We created these as an in house project and have made the luminaire series by ourselves. It it was very unique experience to create and produce such technology objects by means of self production. The other project is also an A’Desing awarded design, a chair with caracter that encourages tactile experience and learning through play for small children. It is of great satisfaction to create design objects for kids, and especially if they enhance creativity. Developing both projects was a wonderful experience.

We would like to see more attention towards design for sustainability. Products need to be designed to serve a better experience, creating less harm to environment and designed to be easily recycled. This should become a standard not an additional design feature.

Awareness for the human centered and holistic design is more present in the design and we hope it will keep this course.

Here comes the dreaded “it depends” answer :) Because the designers are one link in the whole process we are often tied up by other people, decisions or events. More straight forward project that do not require in depth user research can be done in one month. Yet we have projects that have been lasting for over two years.

At the beginning of the design process we try to identify the need for the product and to locate the problems and examine the overall context. We research to understand the users perspective, the technology and the market. And then we start with ideation and brainstorm solutions.

For us, design is about finding a balance between the need, the form, the technology and the context of the experience.

In our opinion design should be aware of trends but not slave them. Good design has to outlive trends.

Technology is a very important aspect when you design physical objects. We try to understand it the best as we can, and to learn as much as we can to be able to give the best solution in the current time frame.

We use both surface and parametric software, depending on the project. There are so many affordable prototyping options available for rent, that we use only when needed - like 3D printing, CNC milling or laser cutting. We are also big fans of traditional prototyping with clay, foam or wood.

Those are integral and essential elements of design. They equally affect the emotion and user experience. Sometimes it is sufficient to tackle color, material and ambient without much designing the form, to successfully meet the need with the product.

Actually, the feedback that people are giving as about our products are useful and inspiring so it is always good to have a conversation in two directions.

When we see a new great product we want to learn more about the people who stand behind the design. It is inspirational to find great thinkers and good professionals in the industry.

We work as a team. We use the best of our sometimes different perspectives and sensibilities to offer unique design solutions. Co-design is one of the best ways to find new solutions.

We were privileged to meet a lot of young designers at design exhibitions worldwide and it's always influencing and inspiring.

To name a few - The design of everyday things by Donald A. Norman, The Elements of Design: Rowena Reed Kostellow and the Structure of Visual Relationships by Gail Greet Hannah, Dieter Rams: As Little Design as Possible, Change by design by Tim Brown, etc.

We think that accepting challenges and stepping out of comfort zone had a significant role in diversifying skills and knowledge. We approached every project with passion and in-depth attention.

We would want to discuss with Nikola Tesla, a fellow Serbian who left his small home town and changed the world.

We have received only handful of awards and we feel grateful that all of our effort is being recognized. And we are surely not that famous (yet).

Color: Neon Yellow-Green Pantone 396 (from our logo); Place: Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Louvre Museum; Food: Southeast Asian; Season: Winter and Spring; Brand: Normann Copenhagen.

Oh there are so many memories, it is really hard to pick a one.

We think a day was great if we learned something exciting, managed to move the project forward or have a coffee with a fellow designer. We have a lot of ideas and finding ways to visualize or conceptualize them motivates us to continue with the development.

Miroslav: My teacher in kindergarten pointed out the creativity with drawings, which I still keep. And I was that kid who took most of the toys apart and made new ones combining the various parts.
Tamara: I loved drawing and making things. I was a dreamer with an extraordinary imagination.

We like imagining the happy version. Everyone is healthy and educated. There are no wars, famine or a mistreated child. Machines do all the work and we spend time traveling space.

They can find out interesting details on our instagram page @oblikusdesign

Our design studio emerged from our need to create meaningful design objects and products. Both of us have been working in various creative fields after graduating, and decided to spend some time working together creating things we like and consider important. We started with self-initiated projects that received few design awards and then we started working for clients.

For us, design is a cross-disciplinary process where aesthetics, technology and emotion are integrated to create meaningful solutions and experiences.

We have been designing really diverse works, furniture for kids, lighting objects, audio equipment and really enjoyed every project. Maybe it is the diversity that brings us freshness and enjoyment.

We love the legendary Dieter Rams’ designs because they are well thought and honest. The Chair One for Magis by Grčić is beautiful with its structural aesthetic.Two of our favorite projects are Moonlight and Creachair. The first one is a series of interactive luminaires that change intensity with touch. It received A’Design award and the Red Dot: Best of the Best Award, and is currently permanently featured in the Red Dot Design Museum in Singapore. We created these as an in house project and have made the luminaire series by ourselves. It it was very unique experience to create and produce such technology objects by means of self production. The other project is also an A’Desing awarded design, a chair with caracter that encourages tactile experience and learning through play for small children. It is of great satisfaction to create design objects for kids, and especially if they enhance creativity. Developing both projects was a wonderful experience.

The fist thing we were hired to designed together as a studio was a PET water bottle.

Every new project is the opportunity to explore new materials and technologies. So far we have enjoyed working with the aluminum and wood.

We feel most creative early in the morning, when our mind is fresh and we are powering up for the day.

We try to have a holistic approach to design, where all aspects need to be balanced to achieve a well designed product or experience.

Design is a process and we have different emotions throughout all stages. There is empathy, passion, a positive drive to continue the pursuit for the solution. And sometimes stress and excitement when things reach production. Overall it is a very enjoyable journey.

Feelings of proudness and joy.

In our opinion successful design should reach beyond solving the initial problem or need. It should rise above trends and inspire people.

We think a really good design needs to examine all aspects of the product as a whole. The user, the need, the technology, the context, the economical side, impact to the environment and the product after life.

In our opinion designers should feel responsible not only to be a humanist voice in the modern technological society but to create awareness for the environmental impact of manufacturing. The design of the product should anticipate how that object would be disposed or recycled.

We think that awareness for the human centered and holistic design is more present in the filed and we hope it will keep this course. We think that design will be greatly affected with ever evolving technology, automation and digitalization. Hoping it will be used to reduce world problems and make life better and enjoyable.

Moonlight luminaires are currently permanently featured in the Red Dot Design Museum in Singapore, as a part of the exhibition "A Preview of the Future"Our last exhibition was in the City Museum of our home town Belgrade in Serbia in May 2018. Celebrating the 70th years anniversary of the Faculty of Applied Arts, our projects were displayed at the Industrial Design section.

We really feel that design inspiration comes from a need to make things better and more enjoyable. Feeding this inspiration is a lifestyle, paying attention to all the things, little or big, that affect your day. We talk a lot about personal insights and reflect on observations. Technology is often inspiring and gives ideas for new possibilities. We are always curious to learn about technology and its application.

We don’t think we have a distinctive visual design style. Our approach to design is to examine all aspects we possible can. Equally integrating aesthetics with needs, users perspective, but also technology and the economical requirements. Visually we choose a simplified appearance.

We are based in Belgrade, Serbia. This region of Europe has had many social and economical difficulties in the resent past that are still making a great impact on the people and the business here. The economy is far from thriving and relies mostly on trade rather than production. However there are a number of companies with a strong focus on the foreign market and we try to work with ones that recognize the importance of good design. One of the biggest pros of living here is having to make enormous effort in order to accomplish anything, and the result is learning an amazing set of diverse skills.

Most of the companies we have worked with came to us by recommendation. Sometimes we offer collaboration to companies when we have a suitable idea for their production capabilities or brand. When we are engaged with the project we always insist to be part of the whole process, from initial concept to production. Often the very important iterations happen in very late stages when it comes to production, and designers need to be there to make sure the product design, function and all other aspects meet with the best possible outcome.

In our opinion that depends on the project as well as the size and capability of the company. Some designers’ strength is being able to create powerful concept, other can tackle the projects to the very detail. There is also the aesthetical aspect or being able to articulate the user data well. Selecting a good designer is finding the one to match the project and team requirements.

The Design Thinking has become more popular as a term outside the design industry lately. We find this process very intuitive and natural. We try to truly identify the need to be solved, we try to ideate widely and prototype as early as possible. We always consult engineers and technology experts along the way to see where the current technical boundaries are and try to challenge them. And we are not afraid to question the concept and iterate very late in the development process.

Apple product just have to be on this list. So far they have rarely disappointed us with their synergy of hardware design and the whole user experience. Miroslav would add Copic markers, M+R round brass pencil sharpener and Fiskars garden shears. Tamara..

Living in the city is often hectic and chaotic, so we are both trying to find a balance between the things we have to do and the ones we love doing. We both choose morning for most creative work. Tamara also teaches at university so the schedule tailors her week. Miroslav is also a long term contractor for an oversea company and spends a lot of time engaged there. We meet several times a week to work together on our mutual projects, so the time spent is very productive.

We would like to stress the importance of getting involved in the industry as early as possible. The essence is learned at schools but the biggest knowledge comes from real projects. It is common for designers to be involved with very different projects in terms of technology, experience and context. We would encourage young designers to gain experience through internships and pro bono projects. And of course expand their knowledge outside design – world culture, psychology, even economy and business.

For us the positive aspects of design are those that give you a chance to truly make people’s lives better or easier. To be a humanist voice in the world where every thing is mass produced. The freedom to sometimes choose your projects. The negative can be related to many other modern occupations as well, simply sitting in font of the computer for too many hours.

We try not to get carried away with designing things just for the sake of being designed. For us design is much more than form, and we think that overall experience in the related context is equally import.

Designer has to be a thinker and has to be able to see things from the widest possible angle. Has to be curious and restless. Then to be able to visualize, communicate and shape.

We are big fans of traditional sketching and prototyping. Including clay, foam or cardboard that help you visualize things in real world quickly. We use both surface and parametric software, depending on the project or the stage in the process.

One of our university professors used to say that design is a process never finished but abandoned at one point. This is such a wisdom, because you can iterate on any project almost indefinitely. So finding the balance between design stages comes with experience. We always have more to learn but it seams to us every time we do thing better and faster than the last time.

Here comes the dreaded “it depends” answer :) Because the designers are one link in the whole process we are often tied up by other people, decisions or events. More straight forward project that do not require in depth user research can be done in one month. Yet we have projects that have been lasting for over two years.

Every experience where we learned something about the industry, people or business and how things work in real everyday life.

So far our clients have been local manufacturing businesses that recognized the importance of design in the world market.

We enjoy projects where we can elevate a really good product with the power of design. We find it very satisfying to see the excitement of both producers and users with unexpected solutions.

We plan to engage more with manufacturers directly.

We work as a team. We use the best of our sometimes different perspectives and sensibilities to offer unique design solutions.

We are currently developing designs for a local high end audio manufacturer. After more than one year of development they are in the final stage so we are excited to reveal the design soon.

People can reach us through or web site www.oblikus.com or with directly with our Instagram page.

No, thank you.