Designing in Three Dimensions

Published in A New Type of Imprint Magazine, Volume Five

You have probably seen The Dots—the beautiful hooks from Muuto? But do you know the designer behind them? The world’s biggest manufacturers have their name all over brilliant products, but it’s important to remember that the design comes from either one or more designers, who spend their days with tremendous dedication to constantly creating something new—something people all over the world will make a part of their everyday lives and their homes.

Photo by Magne Sandnes.

Lars Tornøe designed The Dots in 2005 and they were launched for Muuto in 2007. He has worked for Scandinavian brands like Muuto, New Works and Fora Form, making products ranging from smaller objects to sofas and chairs. After many commercially successful products, he lives a life most designers can only dream of, the competition is though and it’s hard to find manufacturers who are willing to invest in new designers. Tornøe has received several awards over the years, such as the Award for Design Excellence by the Norwegian Design Council and Designer of the Year by Bo Bedre Magazine. The first one was given to him for the chair ‘Copenhagen’. Three years earlier, Fora Form discovered the design at an exhibition in Bergen and they have been its producer ever since.

–I really like designing for clients. It gives me structure. If I design something just for myself, I usually doodle some sketches while I have the idea in my head and I might pick it up later when I have the time. However, when I receive a brief from a client, I’m way more focused and resourceful. Everything I do and think is about the product I’m in the process of making. Naturally, I spend more time on the whole process, but I enjoy every part of it.

Bone chair by Lars Tornøe.

Like many other designers, Lars likes to work with his hands, making things in their actual form and size. He believes in learning by doing, a technique he practiced during his studies at the Bergen Academy of Art and Design.

–I think it’s important to experience the physics of the material and how the product behaves when it’s in use. Many designers create models exclusively in 3D, which I believe doesn’t give them the adequate information about the product’s elements, behavior or structure.

Lars explains a designer’s role in the design process as some sort of filter or medium. He think it’s important to filter what already exists and introduce the world to a new idea, which means he has to find a new approach to either the shape or geometry of the product. The result will depend on what kind of input the designer has been given or what type of designer the person is.

Lars is not a dogmatic designer and is not particularly fond of strict rules. He likes to go with the flow, his instincts and gut feeling are usually what he trusts. However, he is very passionate about shapes and geometry—elements that are essential to every project.

–Shapes and geometry are constantly in the back of my head. Not necessarily triangles and squares, but three-dimensional geometry. I always look for new and interesting expressions and ways to sculpt things.

Dots.

Throughout his years as a designer, Lars has made hooks, lamps, sofas, street furniture and chairs, just to mention a few. You might already have one of his designs in your home, without even realizing? Even though Lars spends his days working for clients, he is certainly still passionate about every part of the process and design in general.

–I can’t pick a favorite category, but I love working with chairs. Mostly because it’s challenging to create something new. There are already thousands of different designs, and this really boosts my interest. There are so many decisions that have to be made, down to every last detail. In fact, it’s the detail that makes for a successful product. A small detail can sometimes be enough to inspire a whole collection of products.

One could think that because this man has an endless flow of inspiration, he is a trained creative, but Lars thinks that creativity is something that is an inherited part of our mindset. It becomes a part of our daily work routine.

–It’s actually a phenomenon that is difficult to explain, because of its unconscious nature. You learn to constantly filter the flow of impressions and influences from the outside world and channel them into whatever you are working on. Eventually you have a bunch of ideas to work with. Hopefully the final product starts selling well, and that’s when you know you have done something right.