Philosophy

Upbeat power of design
My design is successful if it provokes a smile. ‘I believe in the upbeat power of design’. That’s why I always try to give each design a likeable appearance. In my view, that makes design more approachable, it speaks to people and they are going to love it… And most importantly, people are going to use it and it will become part of their lives! As a designer, I think this is the biggest compliment you can receive.

“You see a repetition of shapes in my designs.” Repetition gives strength to my designs. On the other hand, I also like a simple pattern of lines that illustrates and communicates the design’s aesthetics and the techniques involved. You can also recognise these important ingredients in my creations.

‘Design it & Make it’, is one of my spearheads for creating in a refreshing way. The design studio is therefore set up so that an idea can be developed straight from drawing to prototype. My drawing board is therefore at the centre of the studio, where all the products start out. This works very effectively, because you can immediately incorporate feedback from the prototype stage. Reproducibility and finding the right production technique also play a prominent role in the design process. The process of making, improving and reconstructing the design is an intensive journey, during which I can count on a team of highly engaged and expert co-workers.

Biography

Tristan Frencken (1977) graduated cum laude from the Design Academy in Eindhoven in 2004. Shortly afterwards, he won the René Smeets Foundation’s Melkweg Prize and the Eindhovens Dagblad Public Award. In 2008, he was nominated for the Dutch Design Award and four years later he was nominated for the Dutch Material Award.

Today, his design agency is located in the heart of Den Bosch, where he works with a team of four enthusiastic co-workers, each of whom brings a different set of talents to the table. He gives his co-workers the freedom to complete their tasks in their own unique way. It is Tristan’s vision that you arrive at the best designs and creations by combining various talents and delegating responsibility to your employees. Some of Tristan’s recent, successful designs, which were created in this way, include: the Bent chairs and side table, the Sqround dining table, the Bubble cabinet and the Twister lamp. Not only in the Netherlands but also beyond its borders, his designs are seen as ‘Out Of the Box’ and ‘No N onsense’ with an occasional wink. In short: Dutch design at its best.

The added value of good design is increasingly receiving recognition. As well as creating, producing and bringing his own designs to the market, Tristan is often asked by clients to come up with solutions to design issues; both for businesses, within the framework of the new method of working, and also for private individuals.