Shmuel Linski, Design Studio Owner (Israel)
Shmuel is an independent designer working out of Israel who’s made a name for himself building everyday objects out of concrete (and other materials too of course). Key takeaways from this interview include:
- Being freelance is tougher but it keeps you sharp and at the top of your game.
- You don’t know the design world until you are actually part of it away from academic study.
- Concrete floats!
You can visit his studio at http://www.linskidesign.com
Can you describe the education you got at Shenkar College and how it has helped you in your career as an industrial designer? What could be done to improve the program? What did you dislike about it?
Shenkar College (www.shenkar.ac.il) is multidisciplinary college, where design, art and engineering meet. I’m bachelor of industrial design, and there’s few issues I think would improve it:
- Better connection to the industry – I have not met real industry leaders or experience till I finished my studies.
- Internships and student exchange (there is, but more is needed), I think it is very important to see other places to share knowledge and ideas, and to change the surroundings.
You have some awesome works… unlike many designers to stick to wood or plastics… your primary material of choice is concrete. Why? Other than concrete, what other materials do you like to use for your designs and why?
Many reason to stick with concrete. I think that from the first place I chose this material during my college because it was available to explore for real (hands on). You can just cast with very basic equipment, and you can experiment a lot with this material.
I learned a lot about this amazing material, and I realize everyday that I have a lot to learn. Personally, I like the feel and the rough texture of this material. I also like to take this material to unexpected places ,such as consumer products-which brings with in many challenges.
Can you describe your expresso solo project? Where did the concept come from and how well does it actually work as a coffee maker? What are some improvements you have in mind to further perfect the model?
The espresso solo project was a college project, tutted by Mr. Alex Padwa (www.padwadesign.com). I tried to bring different approach to concrete, when used in consumer product. I believe that product can be made of this material. In these days I’m working on this project, in an entrepreneurship program. I hope to bring it to production this summer. (I do look for company or partner, who will work with me on this great project)
Concrete canoe? What made you think that you could build something out of concrete and actually have it float on water? How well does it float and why didn’t you also make the paddles out of concrete? I thought salt water was bad for concrete.
Salt water is bad for concrete, and the canoe wasn’t in salt water (its a lake). It was built for a canoe contest, that local concrete company arranged – and I won the contest with my canoe. It is floats great, I used special concrete mix for this and then sealed it with concrete based material. It was very challenging project – low budget and experimental and everything on very short schedule. Every step in making it was actually experiment – you can find on Youtube how to build a canoe, but not made of concrete… so I had to invent everything in the course of production! Of course:the taste of victory- it was unforgettable.
Being an independent designers can be challenging compared to your corporate industrial designer counterparts – what do you enjoy most about being independent and what types of resources do you envy that your corporate counterparts have that you’d like to have access to?
Being an independent designer is much more challenging – indeed. It keeps you “hungry” and you have to substantiate your skills to your customers, and you have to be at your best all the time. Also,you have to be the most innovative, different and sometimes even to make extreme projects to stay in the spot.
Anything else you’d like to add?
As a independent designer and a person who likes interesting and challenging projects, I’m always open for collaborations with designers, engineers, and even big companies who is open minded for different design and approach to it. I’m always glad to discuss about projects and when possible to take a part in the project.
