Smart urban environment
Interview with Ilian Milinov
Ilian Milinov is a product designer who works with an innovative approach and scope that has been noticed beyond the borders of our country. He has received the most prestigious design awards more than once, and his products range from a pregnancy test, to a sports car and a stool, to medical equipment and a device that converts kinetic energy from a child's swing into wi-fi. The choice of smart playground equipment is growing, and Playground Energy is now available in Australia, Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, England, and several places in Bulgaria. Besides design, Ilian is passionate about sailing, mountain running and as he says "strumming a guitar".
- several times winning the most prestigious design award Rеd Dot. What was it for and how did this recognition make you feel?
so far I've had the honour of being awarded the RED DOT design award 4 times, the first two were for furniture, the third was for a pregnancy test design, the last was a baby bouncer for the company Playground Energy which I co-founded. I have enjoyed this recognition every time.
- are there rules in design? What does a design product have to be to be good?
there are certainly rules. I wish I knew them, but over the years I've learned to improvise. For me, that's how things work out best.
Good design for me is a complex concept. How the product looks is undoubtedly important, but it's only one aspect to consider. The more things you consider about the product, the better - how it is used, delivered, manufactured, recycled.
- you create urban furniture that produces energy from the children's movement. Tell us a bit more about the project - when did it start, where did the idea come from, who supported you?
my partner and friend Hristo Alexiev and I founded the company 5 years ago with the support of the ELEVEN accelerator and with the idea to motivate kids to play outside more and balance that with online entertainment.
- what's next?
things are evolving fast. We now export to 5 continents, partnering with some of the biggest in the industry.
- what provokes you to do design that solves problems and what problems do the products you create solve?
all the little improvisations in everyday life provoke me. Good design is like a good joke..it makes you smile.
top 3 features that are missing in the urban environment in Bulgaria, in your opinion?
First priority should be safety, I wouldn't invest in cool lounge chairs and ashtrays in the park when a stroller can't safely reach the park itself.
At the moment we are with a 1 year old child, in general you can't walk 20 meters in Sofia without having to do heavy physical exercises or putting your child at risk...