Max Harper is a designer and product developer, currently working on his own lighting and furniture collection in Sydney, Australia. Max is focusing on material innovation within product design, developing his expertise of different materials and their attributes. He is also working as a freelance designer on bespoke furniture design projects. Max graduated from RMIT with a qualification in industrial design, and since then has received accolades, including the Fringe Furniture Sustainability Award. So we are proud to bring you the Designer Insights of Max Harper.
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1) In your own words describe your unique style and creative aesthetic?
I like to take the approach of pared back design and let the materials and processes speak for themselves. I believe the simplicity of a design combined with effective detailing, really make the design.
2) When starting a new project, what is your creative process?
Once I have the brief and define the project, I tend to take a technical approach. I develop my concept and prototypes in tandem, to realise a developing aesthetic form.
3) Out of the creative people you have worked with, who is it that you respect and admire the most?
My father, he is a patient and fastidious woodworker, a good problem solver. I have a lot of respect for people who can repeatedly craft fine furniture from something as complex as wood. A lot of the time he is my sounding board for process and development.
4) When looking for inspiration is there a particular thing you do to get inspired?
Inspiration is hard to pin down. I find inspiration in the man-made world. I always find something fascinating when I look close enough, as a designer you learn to look with openness, but also for the details.
5) What has brought you to this point in your career? And what is your advice for people looking to follow in your footsteps?
I’d say always be working on something and then keep putting yourself out there, you never know what opportunities may present themselves. Talk to emerging and established designers and listen anything they offer, they are both a wealth of information.
