“Ilse Crawford is a designer, academic and creative director with a simple mission to put human needs and desires at the centre of all that she does.”
Her design philosophy means to create environments where humans feel comfortable and able to celebrate de sense of place. In “Studioilse”, her multidisciplinary team, not only designs interior spaces, but furniture and products that support and enhance human behaviour and actions in everyday life. As professor of the Design Academy Eindhoven, her mission is to tell students to always question why and how their work improves the reality of life.
Looking through her designs, I found a strong influence of Scandinavian concepts, a translation of the Nordic way of life. It is evident a deep analysis of materials, in terms of their physical and sensory characteristics, that can turn an ordinary moment into an extraordinary one through design. The materiality speaks to the place.
Another important concept in her language is “Imperfection”, the beauty of the imperfection in the materials, humans and the life itself. The challenge is how to she translates it into big ideas to bring life to places. She speaks through the Drawing line as the base of her thoughts.
I found very inspiring her motto: “Design is a frame for life”, that actually is the name of one of her books as well, along with “Home is where the heart is” and “Sensual home”. It works focuses on Human Experience, which is shaped through forniture and also with the conection to other people. In collaborative designs, she enjoys learning from others in each project.
I really like her style and design process, based on look into the history of the place, observation of natural conditions and specialy, in the celebration of the human behaviour.
Images from http://www.studioilse.com/