For former Launch Pad finalist Alex Zanda Lee, inspiration comes from all manner of places – you just have to know how to look.
March 19th, 2012
“Inspiration can be found everywhere,” says designer Alex Zanda Lee. “All it requires is seeing things a bit differently.”
Working in the banking industry by day and designing furniture as a creative outlet, Lee describes his career path as being “a bit different from other designers.”
“While some of my colleagues like to do dance classes or yachting for fun, for me [it’s] building and making furniture and products,” he explains. “It is more a creative outlet than a career progression.”
Lee entered Launch Pad in 2010 with his Lady Elizabeth Standard Lamp, and in 2011 with his Belt Chair. The pieces garnered much attention, are in limited production and exhibited in various galleries.
Lady Elizabeth Standard Lamp
Belt Chair
2012, he says, should be an exciting year. “There are a few collaborative design projects I’m involved in, which I can’t say too much about now,” he explains.
Lee has experienced first-hand the positive impact of initiatives like Launch Pad which support emerging designers, and he emphasises the importance of “promoting dialogue between the industry and designer” in the Australian industry.
“The design market is still considered a niche market in Australia in comparison to Europe, where good design is a norm and demanded by the consumer, therefore creating more opportunities for the designer,” says Lee.
He remains positive about public perception of design, however – “from my personal observation,” he explains, “Australian public awareness of good design is slowly but surely growing.
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
Marylou Cafaro’s first trendjournal sparked a powerful, decades-long movement in joinery designs and finishes which eventually saw Australian design develop its independence and characteristic style. Now, polytec offers all-new insights into the future of Australian design.
Savage Design’s approach to understanding the relationship between design concepts and user experience, particularly with metalwork, transcends traditional boundaries, blending timeless craftsmanship with digital innovation to create enduring elegance in objects, furnishings, and door furniture.
In the pursuit of an uplifting synergy between the inner world and the surrounding environment, internationally acclaimed Interior Architect and Designer Lorena Gaxiola transform the vibration of the auspicious number ‘8’ into mesmerising artistry alongside the Feltex design team, brought to you by GH Commercial.
The elegant simplicity of the Norma chair belies the painstaking ergonomic and functional research that went into its development.
Ownworld’s Danish partner Gubi has unveiled a range of new furniture and lighting to inspire the best for your next residential, commercial or hospitality project in 2020.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
Adaptive reuse is all the rage across the design industry, and rightly so. Here, we present a selection of articles on this most effective approach to sustainability.
Boasting unmatched cooking and food preservation capabilities, Sub-Zero and Wolf enable designers to set a new standard for kitchen design, and inspire a higher quality of culinary experience.