Revitalization of Polish industrial design projects of the twentieth century through the use of modern technologies and materials

Supervisor:
Assistant Professor Tomek Rygalik

Studio of Product Design (No. 8)

> Jakub Sobiepanek

In my design work I look for inspiration in Polish folk art, as exemplified by the Lacy Table, and address the issue of recycling, as in the piece Barrel Armchair.

> Assistant Professor Tomek Rygalik

What used to be reserved for a few sophisticated global brands with a long tradition, like Classicon or Vitra, has unexpectedly become feasible on our home ground. A case study from the Faculty of Design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw has effortlessly and naturally gained the status of a groundbreaking project.
The seemingly impossible task of finding a balance between rigorous fidelity to the original piece and the criteria for creating a genuinely contemporary, noble product, has been successfully achieved. Kuba Sobiepanek’s project is not only a successful attempt to revive important, historical furniture designs using contemporary production technology. It is also a comprehensive project creating a unique brand, encompassing the deliberate planning and development of that brand’s collection and image, and consistent augmentation of the range of products offered, coherent in all areas of presentation.
This task required full awareness, a great deal of intuition and flexibility along with the freedom to combine skills from different fields. This was true even with the tiniest design-related decision concerning product development, the building of the brand and its identity, as well as targeted and integrated brand communication.
The project implemented advanced designs and communication tools, including diverse technologies and media – both traditional and innovative. This is an accurate and sophisticated response to the growing awareness of the heritage of Polish design among an ever-wider group of potential customers.
In retrospect, the student’s working methods display an impressive professionalism and insightful precision of execution of particular sub-tasks in the course of the project. The vast scope of the degree piece resulted from the artist’s determination, passion and enthusiasm. These qualities will certainly not be missing in any further challenges awaiting the young author and the Vzór brand.