meet our designer, Simon Stevens
The man behind all our beautiful pottery, the mastermind that designed the collections. From our classic Ergo. Bond cups and Brewers collections to the latest cutlery design Chateau, Simon Stevens has designed for Loveramics for a decade now. We finally have a chance to share his design philosophy and his methods of creation.
Q: Tell us about your design background.
I was originally trained in ceramic design a training that allowed me to work across many disciplines giving me the opportunity to work with some of the World’s most prestigious ceramic manufacturers. i have also taught and lectured on the subject of ceramics design throughout the UK. I have headed up Design Teams for lifestyle brands and now continue my design career as the founder of the Simon Stevens Design Studio in London.
My most successful ranges are also part of the permanent collections of the V&A Museum and Frankfurt’s Museum of the Contemporary Applied Arts.
Q: What are the inspirations of Chateau?
I have always been a student of the history of cutlery design, respecting the tradition and integrating that into contemporary and relevant designs for today. My designs are always inspired by the interaction of the consumer, creating a design that both works and is aesthetically pleasing, walking the line between beauty and practicality.
From these first principles designs often naturally present themselves. The final concept is therefore a combination of experience, intuition and inspiration. The central theme for the ‘Chateau’ collection is the purity of mathematical geometry. The circle has been employed in each element of the collection and then resolving how this element can be integrated into a clean geometric form while at the same time not compromising practicality or balance.
Q: What was the design process you usually take?
I start every design by drawing in my sketchbook to explore and resolve any variations to my initial thoughts. Once I am satisfied with a clear direction to the design I will then move onto CAD creating photorealistic images and then 3-D printing the initial concepts.
At this point I will review the 3D object and then revert back to sketching and drawing around this concept honing and refining all the time until final realising these developments into 3D surface data for manufacture.
1. Simon's design process often starts with hand sketching.
2. Once the idea is approved, he would go into 3D surface, and would visualise the finest detail of his design digitally.
3. The next stage would involve 3D printing. The prototype allows us to visualise the potential products in proportion, and even try making a coffee in it!
4. when we feel really good about it, Simon will go further in really detail drawings to the millimetre, just to make sure the products will look exactly like his concepts.
5. And that goes into manufacturing for the beautiful products you see in store!
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