A candid chat with Paul Epp

For someone famed as a grand designer, Paul Epp carries himself simply, without any airs or walls about him. Upon our meeting for an interview, he is dressed comfortably in casual wear, but it is his eyes that reveal the dramatic enthusiasm that is mainly attributed to artists such as him. And then he starts to explain his world of creative design.

Paul Epp is an award-winning furniture and product designer, based in Canada, specializing in Industrial Design particularly in furniture. He has a penchant for office furniture designs, like in the executive office setting or the ergonomic chair but he has also done residential design, as well as boat design, health care furniture, clothing and jewelry. He is also currently a professor at the Ontario College of Art and Design at Toronto, which is the largest school of art and design in Canada and 3rd largest in North America.

When asked how he started out, Mr. Epp explains that when he was young, he spent a lot of time at church. He admits it was there that he'd imagine different things, different furniture and interior designs around. When he got older, he went to school to study design, got a job to learn the ropes of the trade and then started his own company. He now mostly teaches and does freelance design. He has a lot of experience to his name, such as participation in the show "Convergence", an Australian and American Studio Furniture Exhibition in San Diego, San Francisco and Chicago in 2005, as well as being recipient to prestigious awards, such as the 1998 winner of the Best of Canada Design Award. All these make him an effective and knowledgeable professor, indeed.

Mr. Epp sums up his style of design in 3 E's: elegant, effective and efficient. That combination goes splendidly with the office designs that he mainly does. His influences are from (in his word) everywhere. That is why he advises young artists to keep their eyes open and look at the world in a different way to be able to absorb all kinds of ideas. Traveling has also proved to a great influence on his design, as it's useful and important in stimulating the mind.

In fact, Mr. Epp's been traveling all over the world since April last year and upon the positive recommendation of the Canadian Honorary Consul in Cebu, Mr. Robert Lee, Mr. Epp came to Cebu and has been staying here for several months already. He says it's been a very interesting stay.

Naturally, I asked him for his professional viewpoint of our local furniture industry. "The design is good", he candidly commented, "but the range of style is limited." It is mostly warm-weather furniture we have here, since we're a tropical country. The caliber of design is impressive, but apparently not enough is done with marketing efforts.

So his advice for the local furniture industry players would be to create a strong brand identity. Instead of waiting for the market to go to the shop, the shop should go to the market. There is a wide range of materials available locally and the quality of the materials is good, but there's a need for greater design flexibility.

I then asked him for advice he'd like to give for budding young designers as there are surely plenty around town. Mr. Epp pointed out that young designers should get advice from older designers and that they should design everyday. "When you're new, most designs are not that good but one learns from experience. Don't forget though, that the market rules. One has to design what the people want. Designing isn't only about what you want, as a artist, but also what people would like to see," he concluded.

While sharing these words of wisdom, Mr. Epp took out a leather case containing a notepad and a pen. "See these?" He pointed to his items. "I carry them wherever I go so just in case I suddenly get an idea in my mind, I put it on paper." He always has paper within reach so whenever he gets an idea, he never lets it get away. This is a great tip for young artists, to put ideas on paper and to always have necessary tools at hand.

Talent must be developed to its fullest. Take your cue from Mr. Epp. For the budding artists out there, let your creative juices flow every single day. Passion for art is essential to getting far in the industry.

(For a look at his work, check out www.paulepp.com)