008 - Innovate

In this episode of But Why? A Design Podcast, Eugene and Stirling are joined by Alex Lotersztain of Derlot. Alex is an engaging creative who is globally recognised for his work across interiors, product, brand and materiality. Our discussion explores the influence of his childhood and travel experiences, and how he transitioned from being a rebel to becoming obsessed with design through channelling his curiosity to create passion and drive.Alex’s journey is one that many entrepreneurs may be able to relate to. At times he has worked many more hours than he has slept and has had to be overtly bold to receive opportunity. We enjoyed his stories on how in the beginning he made his studio appear as a studio of ‘three’ (although all emails were received and responded by him as the only employee) and how he gained an impromptu 3hr walk-up meeting with a design legend. Alex doesn’t describe his journey as hard. This is because he has had fun along the way and loves what he does. Our conversation gives insight to this. Alex says “we are all born designers but it is stripped away from us”. He believes that modern day challenges provide an abundance of visual stimuli and distraction from experimentation and curiosity.This episode also touches on:* The emotional rollercoaster associated with research and development.* Being forced to be creative (and arguably a better designer) through not having the resources of the ‘big guys’.* Physical manifestations of sustainability storytelling.* The importance of understanding the ‘market pulse’ before risking wasted energy.* Innovation is continuous improvements not just market changing inventions.We hope you enjoy.Keep questioning, keep exploring, and most importantly… keep asking, But Why?Keen to Support Us?But Why? A Design Podcast is proudly an independent self-funded publication. By subscribing, you signify our content is valuable and it gives us reason to keep creating.If you are feeling generous, you can make a pledge, but if you would rather just buy us a coffee, we would love that too! Shout us a coffee through the below link:Show LinksDerlotMarc NewsonWombatGK DesignProduced by us.Music by Jessica Hooks. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.butwhyadesignpodcast.com