Yellow Goat Design have been shortlisted for Lighting Piece Award in The International Design and Architecture Awards 2021. Read more about the Design Manager below:

Name: Conrad Johnsson
Company: Yellow Goat Design
Position within company: Design Manager
Website: www.yellowgoatdesign.com

Tell us a little about your background in design (education, experience, etc)
I graduated with a Bachelor of 3D Design from Queensland College of Art, Australia in 2002 and joined Yellow Goat Design shortly after where I have worked on large scale project all around the world with my team. I am passionate about mentoring up-and-coming designers and acting as an advocate for local, creative industries.

How would you describe your personal design style?
My aim is to design simple but quirky products that have a sense of movement. The founder of Yellow Goat Design, Jerzy Lesko, taught us the importance of beauty and doing things your own way, which is something that has stuck with me.

Where does your design inspiration come from?
Reading, sketching and working in a creative environment.

In what direction do you feel that design is moving towards in a general sense?
I am hoping to see a departure from a generic, blended global style towards a culture flavoured by local peculiarities and opportunities.

Name five key themes to consider when approaching design in 2021 and beyond.
Sustainability, beauty, quirkiness, community and colour!

If you could offer one piece of advice when it comes to design schemes, what would it be?
Be an expert observer of what’s out there and what’s coming but go your own way.

How important are The International Design & Architecture Awards?
Design awards such as The International Design & Architecture Awards gives a company like Yellow Goat Design the opportunity to reach a new and wider audience. It is of course also very nice to be recognised for the hard work we put in.

What projects are you currently working on?
We are currently working on everything, from creative sculptural lights for hotels, life-size cardboard dinosaurs for a library and colourful seating-concepts for a university. 

What was your favourite project to work on and why?
There have been too many, but we love collaborating with our clients to come up with creative solutions for problems that at the start seem impossible to overcome. We also love the opportunity incorporating new materials and ideas into our designs and bring something unexpected to our clients.

What was your most challenging project to work on and why?
Projects can be challenging when communication is not clear or when budgets are slashed, however, creative solutions can overcome most difficulties and most hard-ships are forgotten when we see the final result.

Which products/services could you not live without when designing
Coffee and Artline 200 pens.

What are your aims and goals for the next twelve months?
To further explore our capabilities as a creative company and have the opportunity to work with even more innovative designers and visionaries. Also, a family holiday is long overdue, hopefully in Europe, but I am lucky to live in Australia so there are plenty of beaches to choose from.

Final thoughts; tell us a little more about yourself and your daily inspirations:

Your most treasured possession? My stereo.
Your favourite holiday destination? Tokyo!
Your favourite hotel, restaurant & bar? When travelling, my preference is staying with friends, I love a good Izakaya (does that count for both restaurant and bar?)
Your favourite book, film & song? The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy / Spirited Away / Cages by Christian Scott. aTunde Adjuah has insane energy.
Your favourite food and drink? Spaghetti with pipis picked from the beach and a hazy IPA from one of the local brewers.
Your favourite way to spend an afternoon? In the water swimming or surfing.
If you weren’t a designer, what would you be? A pâtissier.

Yellow Goat Design, shortlisted for Lighting Piece Award in The International Design and Architecture Awards 2021.

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