Nina Naveršnik
Project title: Lucy
Can you tell us a little more about your project?
Exploration in short. That is how Lucy came to be. Exploration of who I am as a designer. The brief we were given at the time was quite open. It encouraged us to think about who we were as emerging designers and so I took the opportunity to discover what my philosophy and design language are. The idea of exploring metal inspired me and I love to make things with my own hands so I followed my joy, went straight into the workshop, bent, twisted, cut metal scraps and that is how I came across an intriguing shape, which reminded me of an inquisitive human being curiously leaning to one side, looking at something. The more time that I spent with this character, the more I learned about it. I named it Lucy because that’s what she was, a light.
How important is being able to exhibit externally?
The best thing about events like this one is that you meet new people, exchange ideas, learn from the experience and make valuable connections outside of university.
What has your highlight of the course been so far?
I attended The Furniture Makers' Company's four day Student Industry Tour earlier this year where they introduced me to a number of furniture businesses and opened a whole new perspective to what the industry is really like. I met many aspiring, passionate and curious young designers on that tour and that is where I learned about the Young Furniture Makers' Exhibition. There are three categories that you can apply to – bespoke, innovation and design. I applied for design. It was an online application process. I had to answer a few questions about the design that I was submitting and email a selection of photographs of the object. I was then shortlisted and invited to exhibit my light in the exhibition in London on October 9th and won first place in the design category.
Could you tell us a little more about your design interests?
The question I am asking myself at the moment is: ‘’Should we all just stop making stuff, move to the middle of nowhere and make our own stuff instead?’’. On the other hand, 8 billion people can’t move to the middle of nowhere and I feel that by being aware of the current environmental situation and having the opportunity to make a difference through responsible design I already am part of the positive change that is happening. Responsible design. Circular design. Nature. That is what I’ve been exploring as of late.
What advice would you give to someone considering studying Product and Furniture Design at BCU?
Listen to what your heart is telling you and do what you love because your passion is kind of like a compass. It’s guiding you towards where you want to be even though you might not know exactly where that is yet.
Follow Nina here @nina.naversnik
