Category: Interviews

For our next ‘Meet the creative’, we speak to typographic designer, Paul McNeil. Paul runs the design practice MuirMcNeil with Hamish Muir. Founded in 2010, MuirMcNeil’s activities are focussed on exploring parametric design systems to generate appropriate solutions to visual communication problems. We talk to Paul about his A Stool and A Table.

What is your profession?
I’m a graphic designer and lecturer in typography. I’m currently course leader of the MA Contemporary Typographic Media at the London College of Communication and I also run my own collaborative design practice, MuirMcNeil.

Why did you buy the A Stool and A Table?
I bought both the A stool and the A table for specific purposes in different rooms — the table is in my wife’s consultation room (she’s a counsellor) discreetly offering tissues and water, and the stool sits prettily in the living room with all the books. In truth, I bought them just because I love the design so much and because (I’m told), I’m a completist with an obsession about things in sets. I really like the way the A stool and table look together. If ByALEX made a bigger one, I’d have to have it too.

What is your favourite design feature of the Stool?
Immediately, that it’s based on the A from Norm’s Replica typeface. But I also like its functionality. It’s very stable and elegant and its materials are beautiful without being extravagant. Also, it’s surviving the knocks of family life very well as the emergency stool at Christmas and similar gatherings.

Other thoughts
I’m really into good everyday design which isn’t ridiculously expensive (since cost in itself is a design feature). The A Range fits that bill perfectly.

We continue with our ‘Meet the…’ series, where we ask customers of our furniture what they think about the piece they own. Our second interview is with Marc from Bordeaux in France, he purchased his white A Desk last year.

What is your profession?
Assistant Professor at Université Bordeaux Montaigne

Why did you buy the A Desk?
For different reasons. First the design itself, and how simply and beautifully it adapts to the kind of comfort I like: I can lift my feet and I can orientate the tabletop, slightly in my case, but that makes all the difference. Then I also like how robust the laminate wood is, and the white colour, that never interferes with the mess that sometimes is on my desk.
And it adapted immediately to the furniture I already own, and to the most comfortable chairs I know, Jean Prouvé’s Standard. It also isn’t an expensive piece of furniture, for such a beautiful design that I will very probably always like.

What is your favourite design feature of the Desk?
With no doubts because of the letter A. I happen to study Joan Brossa’s visual poetry, and the element he used the most for his collages and assemblages was the vowel A. I immediately got caught by that. A is stability and the beginning of our alphabet, the door that opens to knowledge.

Other thoughts
Well, I need a proper low table for my living room, and there are so many letters in the alphabet…

We always want to hear feedback about our designs, so we have decided to ask existing customers of our furniture what they think about the piece they own. Our first interview is with Jan from Norway, he purchased his black A Desk last year.

What is your profession?
Head of Photography at Skjeberg Folkehøyskole

Why did you buy the A Desk?
It is the most beautiful desk on the market in my opinion. I just love the way all corners are slightly rounded, I love the way it makes me feel when I look at the wee details, how the designer has worked through all the details into one whole distinctive design.

What is your favourite design feature of the Desk?
The materials. I absolutely love how the materials give the desk its weight and and look. It is the key factor in the whole range of products. How everything is thought through, that speaks to me. The materials make the design shine. That is also why I wanted it in black. It is an expression that makes for iconic furniture.

Other thoughts
I searched for a desk for a VERY long time. I could not find a desk that had all the qualities I look for in furniture. When I discovered the A Desk, it was love at first sight. I wish all designers would take a lesson from the simple beauty of the A Desk, as it is really hard to find good and simple furniture that has that little extra something.

Hi Alex, please can you tell us a bit about yourself and your company, ByALEX?
I’ve always been very curious about furniture and product design, but it took me years to develop my first project; the A Stool. As a child, I was attracted to the design world through music formats: Vinyl LPs, 12” and cassettes in the 1980s. Then growing up, my creativity was further encouraged by my dad who ran his own architectural practice, designing luxury hotels. In 2008 I studied traditional upholstery – working on Victorian furniture, and I also started teaching design through some workshops at the London College of Communication. Both of these experiences really shaped my hunger for making physical things.

How did you get into furniture design? Have you always had a passion for the design industry?
ByALEX’s motto is ‘Purity by Design’ – can you tell us a bit more about what this means and where it came from?
I wrote a design manifesto last year which explains this idea further… Our ambition is simple: Purity by Design. All our designs are effortlessly functional, beautifully simple and exceptionally crafted. Frustrated with throwaway culture, we are committed to making quality products engineered to last. Considered design that is considerate to the Planet. Making things you can touch is very rewarding… but I think it is important we don’t contribute ill-conceived products to the world. ByALEX is a vehicle to develop products with a positive impact. In other words, Purity by Design is simply a phrase to describe my design approach.

If you weren’t a designer, what would you be?
An Architect? That’s probably not allowed hey?!…well a music producer then.

What is your favourite colour?
Very hard to say as I keep changing my mind. Klein blue always makes me feel alive as it seems to vibrate!

You are based in London, what do you love most about living in the capital city?
London is my cultural home simply because of the energy it exhales. I’ve worked in central London for the last 14 years and it still excites me – although I have a burning desire to build a house and working studio in the countryside. I hear Copenhagen is being called the new ‘design capital’ but London’s rich diversity will always keep it on top. London’s Art & Design colleges offer the best opportunities for design students in all fields; fashion, interiors, product etc… so it will always have the creative edge. Our studio is in Clerkenwell which is by far my favourite area. I remember going there in 2001 and being amazed at how relaxed it was compared to the West or East end, which are so close. It’s busier now but places like The Eagle and Jerusalem make you feel instantly at home.

How would you spend a perfect day?
With my wife; eggs and coffee at Babbington House followed by an exhibition of work by Sol LeWitt, Olafur Eliasson or Richard Serra.

We adore the A Range collection and can’t wait to see what’s next! Can you give us an idea of what’s to come in the future from ByALEX?
It’s a very exciting time as we have just launched the A Desk for the home office and a bench for the hallway. I have also started designing an accessories range called GEO and a dinning chair called Neighbourhood – both collections are continuing my passion for Purity by Design.

Occa-Home is constantly evolving and developing and our buying team are always on the hunt for exciting new brands and designers to add to our expertly curated collection. That’s why we were super excited to start working with hot new brand, ByALEX and the stylish A-Range. With a desire to create effortlessly functional pieces and a passion for sustainable materials, ByALEX is rapidly gaining international fame for its stunningly simple designs. We managed to catch up with the man behind the brand, Alex Swain, to talk about design, materials and where it all began…

“I had a very varied design education,” Alex tells us. “I was exposed to a lot of different creative disciplines and over time, I started to build a natural passion for furniture. During that time I also lived in a very small flat in London. I didn’t feel like I could afford the Vitra end of the spectrum and I wanted something a little bit more functional and a little bit different design-wise. I felt the disposable throw-away culture was increasing and I didn’t like that from an ethical point of view so I thought I would design something myself. I didn’t really plan to set up a business and build a brand, it all came out of an honest need that I had at the time.”

ByALEX is based on a philosophy of ‘purity by design’ and the A-range with which the brand began embodies this perfectly. Each piece is designed around a simple A-frame which gives each piece a distinctive style as well as incredible functionality. “We started up three years ago with the ByALEX A Stool which has four bolts and three pieces and has been engineered to fit together in thirty seconds,” Alex tells us. “We got a great response from that and so we developed the range around it. The A-range is bold, graphic and pure and the A-frame is a symbol of strength that’s been around in architecture for centuries. People seemed to instantly identify with it. To me, it’s a very simple design, but to others it has a lot of character and personality which, as a designer, you don’t necessarily plan.”

Functionality is at the heart of the ByALEX ethos and each piece has been born out of a specific need. “With the A Stool, I just wanted something that’s very simple and that can be used around the house. It really was that need to have something that you can put your laptop on, use as a seat or as a drinks table that helped create it. The aesthetic has been driven from the idea that design can improve things and we should always be reviewing and trying to make things more practical, using better, longer-lasting materials.”

Sustainable, ethical materials are also something that Alex is very passionate about and his designs kick against the disposable furnishing culture. “I really didn’t like the idea that you take a sheet material like chipboard and wrap it in a nice coating and then sell it,” he tells us. “With the A-range, we don’t try to hide the edges of it, we like to show that it’s made of top-end quality plywood with a great durable finish, which makes it really practical. The pieces are without contamination, in the simplest form and made from the most honest material.”

Functional, simple forms are the basis of Alex’s designs and these characteristics are also what appeal to him most. “Some of my favourite designers are Dieter Rams and Barber Osgerby” he tells us. “I think Dieter Rams has probably been the most influential, the Dieter Rams record player is one of my favourite pieces in terms of its form, its simplicity, its overall function and the materials used. Barber Osgerby also do a sofa that exposes the frame of the sofa, you can peel back all the layers of upholstery and that’s right up there for me too.”

Despite only beginning three years ago, ByALEX already has big plans for the coming year with a number of exciting new projects in the pipeline. “We’re working around the home office category and desktop accessories are an area that we’re looking at now,” says Alex. “I’d like to think I design things that I have a personal interest in and that I recognise a need for. I think right now people want more flexible working so we’d like to focus on that. That’s not to say we’re only focusing on that, we’re also working on a dining chair which will be made of new materials, using new processes. We’re looking at water pressure technology and traditional carpentry, there’s nothing better than a hand-crafted solid wood piece of furniture in terms of sustainability. We’re also looking at a kids’ range as well but I think that will happen in a year or so. We want to focus on two or three things at one time and get them absolutely perfect before we move on to new ideas.”