In this interview series, we will enter into a dialogue with the designers we work with. How do they perceive the design profession? Where do their motivations and fascinations come from? How did the products that are included in the Vij5 collection originate and what influence has their education had on what their design studio looks like now?
This time, we’re talking with Iris van Daalen. Together with her partner Ruben Thier, she runs Studio Thier & van Daalen in Eindhoven. He has strong technical skills and excellent problem-solving abilities, while she focuses more on the play of light and how colours respond to it. Together, they create a beautiful product. Design stems from a fascination with light, reflection, colour, connections, and sustainable materials. The Angled Cabinet is an example of this; since 2017, the cabinet has been part of the Vij5 collection.
Text: Daniëlle van de Haterd(Staaldraad Tekstschrijver)
Photography on location: Blickfanger
Portrait photography: Blickfanger
Product photography: Vij5 + Studio Thier & van Daalen
Arjan & Anieke: “Can you tell us a little more about how you came up with the design for the Angled Cabinet?”
Iris: “This cabinet was created primari by ’s technical approach. He was inspired by by the joints in the wooden frames we use for other Design and explored what else could be done with them. So the Angled Cabinet was actually born out of a fascination with wood joints and the fact that you can create something very strong out of slender slats. The layered structure of the glass used to make the shelves ensures that it has become a true “ Thier & van Daalen ,” as this creates a layering of colors and light reflections.”
Iris: 'The biggest stumbling block in the design was the production price (and thus the selling price). To limit that, we now put a little extra love into the closet. For example, we drill the holes ourselves; Ruben has made a mold for this. We can do this because we're not dealing with large numbers. If we were to sell a large number of cabinets every month, we would be forced to find another solution, and that would be a new challenge!'
“The essence of product design is that something works in every way and that you want to keep looking at it.”
Studio Thier & van Daalen
Arjan & Anieke: “In your opinion, why does the Angled Cabinet fit well into the Vij5 collection?”
Iris: “Especially because of the material the cabinet is made of. At first glance, it’s ‘just’ a wooden cabinet, but if you look closely, you’ll see the innovation. That’s how I see it with all the products in the Vij5 collection. Something may seem simple, but it’s actually very innovative from a technical standpoint.”
"I think that's also the essence of product design: that something works in every way and that you want to keep looking at it."
Arjan & Anieke: 'Which education did you follow and what did you really remember from it?
Iris: “Both Ruben and I studied at the Design Academy. For me, it was the building that initially appealed to me the most. I really enjoyed the way the space felt. I also saw myself reflected in the people there and was inspired by by the diversity of the courses and the faculty. This allowed me to explore the various facets of the design profession and develop my own style.”
Ruben took the course from a different starting point than I did. He is more technical. Even as a child he took things apart to see how they were put together. That's why he focused more on the product side while I focused on the interior side.'
“Looking back, we were very naive. ‘Yeah, why not?’ we thought, and before we knew it, we were exhibiting our products at the design fair in Milan.”
Studio Thier & van Daalen
Arjan & Anieke: 'After your training, you started your own design studio. Why did you choose to do this at the time?'
Iris: 'When we completed our education in 2011, we were in the middle of the crisis. Jobs in our sector were not easy to come by so we decided to start our own business. In hindsight, we were very naive. 'Yeah, why not?' we thought and suddenly we were at the design fair in Milan with our products. It was very overwhelming, we had a lot of visitors but we had no idea who was interesting for us and who was not.. It was only then that we realized what is actually involved in having our own company. Everything we know now, we learned by trial and error and by surrounding ourselves with like-minded people. We now see this crisis as a blessing in disguise.
"By the way, it's not like we've never done anything other than work for ourselves. In addition to the studio, we've had various side jobs, and even now, Ruben still works two days a week as a design engineer at an LED lighting company."
"By not acting too well behaved, innovative ideas emerge."
Studio Thier & van Daalen
Arjan & Anieke: “What does your design process look like?”
Iris: “ Design ’ s designs actually always stem from research and curiosity about a material. When we discover something interesting, we start working with it. Inspiration can come from all sorts of places. Before the pandemic—when we were still able to go places—we found it, for example, in museums, factories, or on vacation.”
Arjan & Anieke: 'Talking about corona, another crisis. Does this affect your work?'
Iris: 'In a positive sense, you could say. At first, our work fell silent, which gave us time to think and focus. At a certain point, the demand for our products suddenly increased. The colour shelves and lamps, in particular, were very popular. People had to be home a lot and wanted to make their house beautiful, they couldn't go to the store and had to rely on online purchases. Fortunately, they also found us. For us, this meant that the focus shifted. We had to create instead of invent. The latter is also because there are no fairs, this reduces the pressure to design new items. Of course, we are still designing, but at a different pace.'
"Our designs are always a fusion between natural behavior of a material and a path we have devised."
Studio Thier & van Daalen
Arjan & Anieke: 'What do you think is characteristic of your work?'
Iris: 'Our designs are always a fusion between the natural behavior of a material and a path we have devised. So we put something of ourselves into a natural process. We have a preference for materials that have flexibility in them, we give them a restriction which gives them a form that is partly natural and partly man-made. A good example of this is our framed glass forms as you see for example in the Captured Bubble Light.'
Arjan & Anieke: “How important is collaboration to you?”
Iris: 'We find that very important. Anyway, as a duo we like working together, we have our own qualities and tasks, we help each other by asking critical questions. We also find collaboration with other companies, craftsmen and brands very important, we would like to do that even more in the future because it can lead to surprising results.'
Arjan & Anieke: 'Is there something you want to pass on to a new generation of designers?'
Iris: 'Think carefully about sustainability. You can make something that looks very beautiful, but if the materials or production lines are bad or harmful it won't make the world a better place.'