Less but better

Industrial designer Martin Doller is still near the beginning of his design career. But with the sure-fire design principles of Dieter Rams in his back pocket, we think his future is as bright as his lighting designs.

What was your favourite subject in high school?

Mathematics

What did you want to be when you were a kid? 

Plastic surgeon

What do you do now?

I have my own industrial design studio in Cape Town.

What are you designing now?

My own lighting collection called FRAMED. I have always been fascinated with light as a medium, and how it enhances mood and ambiance in a living space.

What are some of your biggest accomplishments as a designer?

To be fortunate enough to convert my favourite hobby into a profession. Having won the Carrol Boyes Metal Design competition in 2009, and thereby having my first commercial product distributed through her stores. Winning a SABS prototype award for my fourth-year thesis, which was an electric bicycle.

Who are some of your favourite designers? 

Thomas Heatherwick, Zaha Hadid, Ross Lovegrove, Dieter Rams

Should form follow function or should function follow form?

In product design, function is imperative otherwise the design is useless, so in my opinion form should always follow function.The art of a designer is however to find the perfect harmonious balance between function and form, which then transcends into a desirably beautiful yet functional object.

What is your design philosophy? 

German industrial design master Dieter Rams’s principles of good design have had a huge influence on my design aesthetic. Simplifying the design to its bare necessity by eliminating the non-essential elements leaves a product that is as Dieter puts it: “Less but better”.

Do you feel that local design is well supported?

I think that the South African consumer is gradually becoming aware of the importance of supporting local design. Cost will always be a challenge, but generally South Africans are very patriotic so they want to support local goods where they can.

How important are clothes to you?

Very important. Like packaging, clothes are a form of expression and send a powerful message about the contents.

martindoller.com

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