๐ฆ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฆ๐๐๐น๐ฒ๐ - ๐๐ถ๐ฝ ๐๐ผ๐ฝ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด, ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ & ๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ป ๐ถ๐จ
No ideas original, there's nothing new under the sun. It's never what you do, but how it's done.
- Nas
You might wonder, what does hip-hop sampling have to do with my design approach? ๐ค
Let me break it down.
Growing up with 90s โboom-bapโ hip-hop, the โart of samplingโ was at the heart of the music. ๐ง ๐ฝ
๐ฆ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ป ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐.
Just like DJs and producers take snippets of old music (often from vinyl) to create loops, layering sounds to build something fresh yet rooted in the past, I apply the same mindset to design.
Hereโs how:
1๏ธโฃ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ป ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ ๐
Taking inspiration from iconic past designers allows me to channel timeless styles and reintroduce them into todayโs world. This creates depth, meaning, and familiarity within the spaces we design.
Humans often connect with whatโs familiar, even in subtle ways. Thatโs why historical references evoke a comforting sense of nostalgia in modern design.
2๏ธโฃ ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐น๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ข๐๐ป ๐
I love blending different styles to craft something fresh and exciting. ๐จ
By curating elements from various eras and aesthetics, I combine them to create harmonious designs. Sometimes, it clicks, and sometimes, it doesn't, but thatโs all part of the creative journey.
This ensures that spaces arenโt 'frozen in time' or stuck in one style. Instead, they become dynamic expressions of diverse influences.
3๏ธโฃ ๐๐ฑ๐ฑ ๐ฎ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ง๐๐ถ๐๐ ๐
While honouring the past is cool, adding a modern or local touch is crucial to making a design feel relevant and tailored to its environment.
This could involve using local materials, collaborating with artists, or integrating brand-specific elements to create a personalised, unique experience.
Remember:
- Don't just copy
- Use past styles to tell your story
- Always layer in something fresh
In essence, sampling, whether in music or design, is about circularity: paying homage to what came before while creating something entirely new. ๐ก
What past influences inspire your work?
Thanks for reading
