Sebastian

Q%What was your professional vision before you started studying?

A%Before my studies, I was planning to study architecture or automotive design. At the time, I had the opportunity to take a look behind the scenes of automotive design at Mercedes-Benz, and that really fascinated me. My plan was to go abroad and find my way there.

Q%What ultimately led you to study design?

A%It was more of a coincidence. A friend knew someone who had studied at the university and later founded a design agency. Our conversations sparked my interest. I found the openness of the course exciting, there were no strict guidelines or fixed structures. It was a space for creative free spirits where you could shape your own path.

Q%Were there any challenges during your studies that you overcame unexpectedly easily?

A%I don’t remember any major worries. Of course, there were project phases where you were under pressure, but nothing that would have put me under pressure in the long term.

Q%How was the time after your studies? What surprised you?

A%I quickly realized that I didn’t want to work as an employee in an agency. I wanted to decide for myself how and what I did. I started working freelance, got into teaching through projects and discovered the joy of working with students. In practice, the focus is often on deadlines and client specifications, whereas you can experiment more freely in a university context.

Q%Did you work in an agency during or after your studies?

A%No, I trained as a carpenter before my studies and worked in that field. This allowed me to earn a living without having to work in an agency. I also did exhibition stand construction and worked a lot during the semester break so that I had more freedom during the semester.

Q%Do you feel sufficiently financially appreciated?

A%Money is important, of course, but for me the fun of the work is the most important thing. If finances were my main motivation, I wouldn’t be working in a university context.

Q%Are there any projects that you are particularly proud of?

A%Proud is perhaps the wrong word, but there are a few projects that have given me particular pleasure. One was a trade fair stand for Electronic Arts, which we developed during our studies. Later, I built a model of the Capitol stamp for the Roman-Germanic Museum, among other things. I choose my projects so that I enjoy them – if that’s no longer the case, I stop.

Q%How was your career start? Were there any difficulties or fears?

A%Fear is part of it at the beginning, because you don’t know exactly where you’re going. Especially when you have financial obligations, you have to think carefully about how to proceed. One challenge was finding your way around self-employment issues such as tax brackets and price structures. The first projects were rather negative financially, but that’s part of the learning process.

Q%Was there a dream that you had to give up?

A%I always wanted to go abroad, but that wasn’t so easy with a family and a child. At that time, there were no structures that would have made it easier to study abroad, so I had to put this wish on hold.

Q%What advice would you give students for starting their careers?

A%Use the time during your studies to experiment a lot and develop your own projects. You’ll never have this freedom again. In professional life, there are deadlines, customer requests and little room for unconventional ideas. Here you can try things out, make mistakes and learn from them. Making decisions is one of the most important skills you should develop.

Q%Is there a lack of critical debate during your studies?

A%Definitely. There is often too little criticism in project meetings, both from students and lecturers. You can only develop further through honest feedback. Praise is nice, but real progress is made through constructive criticism.

Q%What role does knowledge of materials play in the design process?

A%When I design something or develop concepts, I should also have an idea of how it can be implemented. Without knowledge of materials, ideas often emerge that cannot be implemented in reality or become extremely expensive. It is important to get to grips with the materials, regardless of what they are – wood, ceramics or textiles. If you are interested in fashion, for example, you should work with patterns or do an internship in a tailor’s shop.

Q%How has the university program changed over the years?

A%In the past, many students already had training or work experience, which made it easier to exchange ideas and work together. Today, many start straight after school, which brings different perspectives, but also means that some work less independently. In addition, important social and practical aspects of studying have been lost due to corona, such as the opportunity to exchange ideas in open workshops or workspaces. The workshops and workspaces used to be open late into the night. We often worked until one o’clock in the morning or met up to exchange ideas. Today, opening hours are more restricted, which makes it more difficult to work more intensively on projects. But design thrives on exchanging ideas with others and talking about them.

Q%Thank you for your time, Sebastian!