Newcomer Finalist 2020, Sebastian Viering
Born 1992 in Malsch, Germany Study 2012 to 2019 at the State Academy of Fine Arts, Stuttgart, Department of Industrial Design, graduated with a diploma Current occupation freelance industrial designer since 2019.
Sebastian Viering was born on 21 April 1992 in Malsch. In 2019 he received his diploma in Industrial Design from the State Academy of Fine Arts, Stuttgart. During his studies, which included a semester abroad at Tokyo University of the Arts, he designed a wide variety of objects – often with a focus on technology and its potential to enrich everyday life. He combined his fascination for the interaction between man and object with his passion for music in his diploma thesis by designing a kit for the creation of new musical instruments. Sebastian Viering has been working as a freelance industrial designer since 2019.
A few questions to Sebastian Viering:
You are a Newcomer Finalist at the German Design Awards 2020. What does this award mean for you and your work?
I see the award as a great honour and a sign that I am on the right track as a designer. It allows me to pause for a moment and look back with pride on what I have already achieved, and to tackle the next challenge full of energy.
What do you see as making for good industrial design in the 21st century?
Good industrial design is aware of its responsibilities – to the users who use it every day, to the companies and employees who manufacture the products and, in particular, to the environment, in terms of its manufacture, use and inevitable disposal.
Your main interest is in the interaction between human beings and objects. Can you be more specific about this?
By this I mean on the one hand how a user interacts with products, and how objects communicate with the user on the other. Even a static object communicates certain potentials and possibilities for use through its design. To develop an understanding of this interrelation and let it flow into the design of products that are as intuitive as possible has a special appeal for me.
Amongst other things, your portfolio includes a seed safe intended for outer space. What role do the environment and sustainability play in your projects?
That project aims to draw attention to the decreasing biodiversity of sort varieties and to the fact that global warming means that even permafrost can no longer be relied upon to provide future-proof storage for seeds. In my opinion, however, the environment and sustainability should always play an important role – even in projects that do not deal specifically with problems of this kind – be this through the use of sustainable materials, a design whose construction and form are aimed at longevity, or good reparability.