Jules, a graduate of the École Supérieure d’Art et de Design in Reims, was a jury prize winner for the Rado Star Prize France 2015 for his Projet S.

What made you decide to become an industrial designer?

There are many things. My family environment was always very material. My father, who worked with antique cars, is a collector (plaques, oil cans, vintage cars, small cars, vacuum cleaners, ashtrays, furniture…). This environment allowed me to get an idea of the concept of quality, which gives objects their interest (shapes, volumes, colours, materials, etc.).

And then there was the Lego. For a large part of my childhood I wanted to be an engineer at that company to imagine new designs. Today I work on products for the Construction and Public Works sector.

What skills, traits or ideas do you think young designers bring to the profession of industrial design? In your opinion, what types of people are best suited for the profession of industrial design?

Creativity, curiosity, and technique. One must be sensitive and rooted in reality, have an interest in other cultures, in what is ‘other’, in materials, and be a philanthropist as much as possible.

Where did you study industrial design and what was the most important thing you learned?

I did a baccalaureate in Industrial Science and Technology, Applied Arts in 2008 and then I went to the École Supérieure d’Art et de Design (ESAD) in Reims until 2013. I succeeded in building a professional project during my Master at ESAD, working with businesses.

What do you believe are the major obstacles or challenges for young industrial designers today from a professional standpoint?

Finding your place in a field undergoing a transformation. This profession is changing and the image our elders had is no longer the future of young people. With the change in society (ecology, digital transformation, financial crisis) we must propose a new vision of design, or at least return to more local considerations. Large furniture companies are struggling when it comes to trusting young designers; I think it’s an opportunity for us to suggest a new approach to production.

Who are some of the designers or artists that have influenced you or your work?

My references are fairly standard : Tallon, Zekely , Prouvé, Iratzoky, modern architects, Charlotte Perriand, Oroza, Béhar… I’m more interested in the cultural elements that have built companies (Popular Arts and building techniques).

Tell us about the projects you are working on now.

In September, I join the Ateliers de Paris, a fashion, design, and crafts incubator. This will be an opportunity for me to embed my projects within a commercial venture, all while taking advantage of new experiences at the Ateliers!

Thinking of those most important challenges facing your generation, do you believe that industrial design is part of the solution?

Without being self-absorbed, yes, I think design can do a lot. But only when fully engaged with all other disciplines around us that we work with.

What do you most love about industrial design?

The production facilities, craftsmanship, solutions that provide a tangible improvement to society. I like global projects like Yves Béhar does, for example. Those projects reaching the producers of raw materials to those that dismantle what we have designed.

As an industrial designer, what is your biggest dream?

To succeed internationally by developing projects in close collaboration with the communities concerned. To design a brick that might facilitate the work of bricklayers on construction sites would be great, for example.