Serge Atallah
Which products have you designed for PHILIPPI and where do the ideas for your designs come from?
I have designed the Ring card and photo holder. Inspiration is everywhere—sometimes on the street, in a dream, or during a conversation. Above all, inspiration is about observation, analysis, and—most importantly—a willingness to question existing habits or objects.
Which product would you like to design for PHILIPPI?
Many product! But most of all, lamps and candle holder or vases for example !
Which PHILIPPI product would you give away and which one would you like to receive as a gift?
The Philippi range is huge, appealing and interesting! Not easy to choose but as funny gift I would choose the Elmar calendar ( funny and interesting concept) and range like Oslo lanterns. To receive as a gift it would be vases like Serenee or Plissee which I find poetic or for my garden maybe the Flames fire pit but a lot of others options are possible!!
How long do you work on your designs?
It depends on the product and the inspiration; sometimes it is very straightforward and quick, while at other times, several avenues require research—a single day might suffice, or it could take several weeks..
Do you have a favorite colour?
Black is a choice, but color is closely linked to materials, especially in design. Nowadays, there is too much monochrome, and I think that adding color to objects can brighten up our lives.
What natural gift would you like to possess?
That’s a big question; the power to read people's minds is alluring, but the power to heal or save would be amazing! For now, I'm content with improving people's lives through my creations !
How and when did you decide to create design?
It goes back a long way; even as a very young child, I was drawing all sorts of things. I became an architect and naturally wanted to master the entire creative process—from the building's envelope to what lay inside. Creation is a somewhat magical, almost divine act; for me, it is the meeting of spirit and matter... a process combining inspiration with technical and scientific know how.
What does good design mean to you?
Good design is design that evokes emotion and connects people; it is timeless, while also prioritizing ergonomics and functionality. Everything is inspiration, and I consider that: "... to make a good product, you just need to love the human being ...". According to Joe Colombo: Design is a universal language and I think that Design is a response, a universal smile, which should be a common denominator to men.
If you weren't a designer, you would...
That’s a hard one to answer—probably a creative profession like painter, DJ, or photographer, or a life-saving job like firefighter….
