Form Maker is a Shanghai-based design studio that produces a wide range of unique furniture and products for the home from renewable paper materials. Founded in 2013 by Chinese-Australian interior designer Kira Pan, the studio makes designs that have a playful, often geometric, and eye-catching sense of form. Since Form Maker products are constructed from cardboard, they have a delightfully tactile and striking texture. Perhaps surprisingly, the lightweight furniture is also quite durable and sturdy.
Form Maker是一家位于上海的设计工作室，他们以再生纸为材料制作各种独特的家具和家居用品。这家创始于2013年的工作室是由澳籍华裔室内设计师Kira Pan一手打造，出自这里的设计总是充满趣味和几何图案，极为吸引眼球。因为Form Maker的产品是由卡纸制作，它们触感舒适且拥有独特纹理，然而也出乎意料的结实耐用。
Form Maker’s products typically range from small desktop stationary items to much larger pieces of furniture, such as tables and chairs. Each design is carefully crafted in their workshop, with the intent to bring joy and sustainable awareness to homes. Read our interview below with Form Maker’s Creative Director Kira Pan to find out more.
Form Maker的产品包括了小至文具，大至桌子、椅子等各种品类。每一件设计都意在将欢乐和可持续性发展理念认知带进家庭。接下来，让我们与Form Maker创意总监Kira Pan一起带你了解更多关于他们的故事。
Neocha: What is the concept behind Form Maker?
Form Maker: People usually don’t put paper as their first choice when it comes to choosing furniture and homeware, but Form Maker would like to change all that. MDF, polyurethane, plastic are the more common materials that have always been used for furniture making, and they can do a lot of damage to our environment. The idea behind Form Maker is to use design as a language to convince people of alternative sustainable solutions when it comes to making a choice.
Neocha: Form Maker背后的理念是什么？
Form Maker: 人们在选择家具或家居用品时通常都不会将纸质产品作为首选，但是Form Maker希望改变这样的观念。中纤板、聚氨酯(简称PU)、塑料是目前家具制作中更广泛使用的材料，而它们也是破坏环境的罪魁祸首之一。Form Maker背后的理念，就是以设计为话语，去说服人们选择环保的解决方案。
Neocha: Describe for us the process in making a Form Maker product.
Form Maker: Currently we are a small team and all designs are made in-house within a shared workshop space. The process usually involves colouring, cutting and hand making each piece with a lot of care. It is done with a dynamic mix of cutting-edge technology and traditional handcraft.
Neocha: 跟我们讲讲Form Maker的产品制作流程吧。
Form Maker: 目前我们还只是一个小团队，所有设计都是我们几个人在工作坊内一起完成的。制作流程通常包括上色、剪裁以及精细严谨的手工部分，利用前沿技术和传统手工艺的密切结合来完成。
Neocha: What are your design inspirations?
Form Maker: I like to think about what we can create to bring our eco-friendly idea into every aspect of people’s home and workspace. The thought becomes a brief, waiting for a moment when something in life gives that spark of inspiration and lead to sketching and prototyping. We will make sure we road test all designs in our own homes. Functionality is just as important as the look. I want all our cardboard pieces to not only be creative and fun, but also useful and would last the distance.
Neocha: 你的灵感来源是什么？
Form Maker: 我时常会想，要创造一些怎样的东西才能将我们的环保理念带入人们的日常生活以及工作环境中。这个想法，生活里的东西去点燃那个灵感的火花，继而变成一个初步构思，随之形成设计草图和产品原型。我们会在自己家将所有设计都实地测试一遍。对我们来说，功能性和外观同样重要。我希望我们的卡纸作品不仅富有创意、充满乐趣，还要实用并且耐用的。
Neocha: Why is sustainable design important, and how are Form Maker products sustainable?
Form Maker: As a designer we feel the obligation to practice sustainable design, because we need to be the ones pushing the boundaries and define the way future looks like. It is especially critical now as our planet is under serious threat.
Compared with a product of the same size made from plastic, one of our products emits nearly six times less CO2 per kilogram during the production process. We also use water-based adhesives with non-toxic ink to ensure safety for users and to minimize the impact on the environment. With our flat packed designs, carbon footprint during transit has also been reduced.
Neocha: 你为何觉得环保设计如此重要？Form Maker商品是如何遵循这一理念的？
Form Maker: 作为设计师，我们认为自己有责任去尝试环保设计，因为我们要成为那个推动和勾画未来的人。当下是非常关键的时刻，因为我们的星球正在饱受威胁。
在制作过程中，同样大小的塑料制品每公斤比我们的商品多释放出6倍的二氧化碳；并且我们使用无毒的水性粘合剂，确保了使用者的安全，也做到最小化对环境的影响。由于我们的设计采用平板包装，运输中的碳排放也相对减少了。
Neocha: Describe for us a couple of your favorite Form Maker designs. Why are they interesting?
Form Maker: My favorite right now is our latest collection of kids’ homeware, called Gobble. This is a very meaningful project and collaborative effort that we undertook with Kae Collective. Gobble is a collection of fun, eco-friendly, animal inspired furniture. We designed Gobble with the aim to teach kids the habits of sustainable living through daily interaction and play.
Neocha: 跟我们说说你最喜欢哪些Form Maker的设计吧，以及为什么觉得它们有趣？
Form Maker: 目前我最喜欢的是，我们最新的名为“Gobble”的儿童家居用品系列，这是我们与Kae Collective合作完成的一个项目，它对我们来说非常有意义。Gobble是一个好玩、环保并且以动物为灵感的家具系列。我们设计这个系列旨在通过日常的互动和玩耍来让小朋友们养成环保的习惯。
Neocha: How would you define good design?
Form Maker: To put things very simply, I believe good design should be inspired by life and created for life. With these two intent fulfilled, the design can then have the true potential to become part of someone’s life and bring them joy.
Neocha: 你如何定义好的设计？
Form Maker: 简单来讲，我相信好的设计应该来源于生活并且为生活服务。满足了这两点，这个设计便有了成为人们愉悦生活的一部分的潜能。
Neocha: What are the future plans for Form Maker?
Form Maker: Form Maker will be stepping into the interior realm by creating more experiential and educational spaces for people to look, feel, interact and most importantly to live in. Then we will truly see how Form Maker’s ideas can combine with daily living.
Neocha: 对Form Maker的未来有什么计划？
Form Maker: Form Maker将会逐步进入室内设计领域，通过建立更多体验空间和教育空间让人们能够观、感、互动，更为重要的是能够让人得以居住其中。到那时我们可以真正看到Form Maker的理念将如何与日常生活紧密结合。
