DESIGNING homewares for himself and for uni assignments has brought success for recent UC industrial design graduate René Linssen, who has reached the finals of a national design competition.

His latest designs, a folded aluminium coffee table and pendant light, were successful in the furniture concept, lighting concept and colour award categories in “Vivid”, a design and innovation competition open to emerging designers and design students.

“I wanted to make a lighting piece and a furniture piece for myself anyway, then I thought I may as well enter them in Vivid and so I sent them a render,” he says.

“I like things that are well thought out, that have a clear process and a reason for every detail – I like to pay attention to the thinking behind it.”

René says that the light, titled “Bloom”, is minimal and elegant, created from folding a single piece of laser-cut aluminium. His coffee table, titled “Benton”, is functional and sculptural and he says it’s also made by folding one piece of aluminium.

“I like that the user can interact with it in their own way and it can be used for storing magazines or other small items,” he says.

“It’s practical and beautiful in its simplicity. As I’m bending the metal there is only one process, so there is less waste and less cost to produce. I went through a few variations before I decided on the final designs; it was a learning process.”

René says he’s looking forward to being at the Vivid finals in Melbourne on July 21, and to seeing his designs on display at the Decor + Design trade show from July 21-24, but that he has no plans to leave Canberra.

“I reckon Canberra is a nice place to live and you can really make a name for yourself here,” he says.

“I like the lifestyle here, the nature and the country town feel. There are a lot of talented people here and I want to support my hometown by staying and working here.”

Last year, René, 22, won the inaugural Emerging Designer prize for his mortar and pestle design, “Pod”, based on a star anise seed. He is also currently designing a bike rack.

“I enjoy designing things that solve real problems, are meaningful, beautiful and make a difference,” René says.

“I feel like I’m always learning new things. I like to keep up to date with trends and processes, I think it keeps me curious. I’m more in tune with the process, and I’m always thinking, ‘how did they make that’?

“Design doesn’t feel like work for me.”