Meet Design Contest Winner Peter Clare
Meet Design Contest Winner Peter Clare
Meet Peter Clare, Award Winning Designer
Meet Peter Clare, winner of Mockett’s Annual Design Competition. We caught up with the 24 year-old product and apparel designer from North Carolina to find out a little bit more about the inspiration for his design entry and his bold and refreshingly unconventional approach to design.
How did you hear about our Design Competition?
I am currently enrolled in the Industrial Design Program at Appalachian State University. The competition was introduced to us in the form of an assignment in my Senior Studio. We had about two weeks to create a new design for one of the many products Mockett has to offer.
So what was your inspiration for your design?
I knew I wanted to design something that could be incorporated into multiple dimensions of interior expression. I also wanted my design to represent myself as a young designer with a unique aesthetic. As I allowed these intentions to resonate, I started to think about the approaching completion of my formal education and about how the world has recently seemed to grow right before my eyes. I am surrounded by hundreds of doors just waiting to be opened. It was at that moment, that it occurred to me, “What better way to open a door…than a handle?” That’s when I came up with the “Quantum Door Handle”.
What was your approach after deciding on the basic idea of your design?
During the initial sketches, I decided that I wanted my design to embody my unique style without sacrificing versatile horizontal and vertical function. In order for the handle to achieve the presence that I envisioned, I decided to make it 18 inches long. I received a good amount of skepticism and negative feedback for this idea. Everyone thought it was just way too big. Luckily, I have never been one to play it safe, so I decided to take a risk and stick with my initial design.
How did that decision pay off?
Once I discovered that my design had been chosen as a winner, I was definitely glad that it was a risk I took. I’m inspired by the symbiotic relationship between organic, modern, and futuristic design. I believe it just takes just a few small details to turn a regular product into an iconic design. The hunt for those details is what motivates me. I’ve always prided myself on being someone who thinks outside the box.
What did winning the contest mean to you personally?
In the past few years, I’ve luckily managed to tame my crazy design aesthetic into a refined style that is both bold and unexpected. It was very fulfilling to receive such wonderful feedback for a design that I had such a strong connection to. Feedback which, I should add, came from a group of professionals whom I have a great deal of respect for. I have learned that calculated risks are what give my projects the edge needed for truly innovative design, and I am glad that Mockett has given me and other designers a chance to share that with all of you.
