A big congrats to Nathatham Rojanusorn (@naspocks), one of our 30 TDK Awards winners' for 2020. A Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti graduate from Milan, their work was chosen by Daniel Martínez of Futura (@byfutura) in Mexico City: 'Eye candy from head to toe! Nathatham has his references well landed and creates worlds from scratch with an excellent use and understanding of color. I can tell he has a graphic design background but I’m more drawn to what I can see he is passionate about; which are rendering and digital art. His project HONG KONG JEWELRY AND GEM FAIR is a perfect example of bringing together his editorial skills with his 3D rendering skills. 3D modeling and rendering are definitely skill sets we are always on the lookout for because they help the studio tell the story better to the client, but they also enhance the quality of our portfolio'. We asked Nathatham to answer a few questions for next years TDK Awards hopefuls.
What do you wish you’d known now when you started your design course?
I wish I knew how irrelevant design degrees are in the industry, so I don’t need to spend a lot of money on my design education which wasn’t that great. And spending more time on learning technical skills online and exploring my own voice as a designer.
What originally lead you into design, and how has that changed - what do you want to do/are doing now?
Beauty leads me into design. I have always been in love with beautiful forms and colors in everything around me from graphic art, furniture, architecture to fashion design. I am interested in all of that to this date. But what has changed, now it’s not just about beauty anymore. Being a professional designer, functionality and practicality are values that are as important as beauty because we are not designing for the sake of ourselves but we are designing for the people who are in need. Clients would not be happy to see the logo that is beautiful, but hard to use or only working on a very big scale. That's why when I design I need to take all the beauty, functionality and practically in account. But of course, beauty comes first.
Any hot tips for getting ahead at uni?
For Uni, I invested a lot of my time into internship and freelance gigs. I know it could be hard managing the time going to classes and interning and freelancing at the same time. But it’s definitely possible. It would get you ahead from your peers because working in school is nothing like working in the real industry. At the same time you get to learn how to manage your time and prioritize things in life. I really recommend it. You can start now sending your best work to the studio that you want to work with. You never try you never know.
What do you love about the design scene in your city and what companies are on your dream list to work or collaborate with?
Lately, I have been moving a lot. But right now I am in Milan, Italy. The reason why I chose to go to university here is because of the design culture. Art and design rooted so deeply in the culture from the city plan that so well designed to be well-connected to the centre, exhibitions around the city to the big event like Milan design week (Salone di mobile) one the biggest furniture and design fair in the world. That doesn't count fashion week and much more.
Live and breathe art in design. It’s just so beautiful.
My dream studio to collaborate would definitely and has always been &Walsh (Sagmeister& Walsh). They have always been my big inspiration for design from the aesthetic perspective to the business perspective. They have done amazing work, I have always looked up to them. &Walsh would be the dream list to collaborate.
Being a professional designer, functionality and practicality are values that are as important as beauty because we are not designing for the sake of ourselves but we are designing for the people who are in need.
Where do you see your career in 5 years?
I would love to see myself be a better designer and hopefully run an independent design studio, in New York or Berlin and get a Young Gun award on the shelf.
2020 for you in a sentence
It’s gonna be a tough year, but I know it will be fine.
Where to find Nathatham Rojanusorn online.
Instagram: @naspocks
Website: naspock.com
