I studied Product Design at the Luca School of Arts in Genk, Belgium. After that I did some practices in Germany, Sweden and France to finally land at Kiska Design, Austria´s biggest design company. Here, I stayed for 10 years. When I was offered to become responsible for the Product Design Department at the Luca School of Arts in 2010, I returned back to Belgium and started my own office. After two years I decided to concentrate completely on the self-employed design work. I have been enjoying this work since then.

I have always been a maker. With an interior designer, a graphic designer and photographer in the family, it was quite early clear that I would evolve in this direction. Creating things that make other happy is my mission.

“Creating outstanding products; together” is my motto. With an initial strategic approach and a customized design process, I can serve startups as well as multinationals. Diversity is the continuity in my portfolio: from sports products, over medical devices to professional measurement tools or decorative lighting; I love it all!

I am working as a one man office. It is my choice to keep the communication with my clients close and do the design work myself. In my point of view, this is the most honest way of working.

Design means finding solutions and solving problems in an unexpected way. Unfortunately, “design” became a misused adjective for anything that looks more or less cool.

I have no specific favorite style.
I prefer product design over for instance, interior design or architecture.
I like to hold the products in my own hands.

When the user's functional wishes are fulfilled in a technical, intelligent way and it is produced in an efficient and ecological way with interesting materials that not only look good but also feel nice, or when the proportions are right and the styling fits the target group, then I think you can talk about good design.

Since I design for the most diverse target groups, I cannot say I have my own style but I always try to put some emotion in it. When the design has to be reduced, it will be with the use of materials. When it has to be dynamic, I love to play with the surface treatment. If it is a technical product, the technology will be communicated in the formal language.

Every project, every product requires a specific design process to achieve the best possible result with the available budget. Therefore a custom-made process will be proposed and fine-tuned together with the client at the beginning of a cooperation.

It´s recommended to start with a profound market analysis at the beginning of a new product development. Stan Maes Product Design offers tools to define the market efficiently. Often this can be done together with the client during a workshop.

After that the most efficient process will be chosen. All design tools are available and will be used when necessary; hand sketching, digital sketching, 3D CAD, 3D Printing,… The design can be worked out until production drawings. On my website you can find a more detailed description of the different steps.

Since I worked in Austria for more than ten years and 90% of my clients are not in Belgium but in Switzerland, Germany or Holland, the heritage of my country does not play a big role.

With this product, we also won the European Product Design Award. Winning a Muse Award, which is more US orientated, is nice since it proves that the design is liked has a huge geographical area.

“Fusion” is a suspension light for long tables. The basic structure, an H-formed aluminium profile provided with supporting arms, is surrounded by a volume built by a glow-in-the-dark wire. When you leave the room and turn off the light, a glowing cloud remains, floating in space like memories of the stories just told. Since the wire is hand-woven, every model is unique.

This product deserves the promotion. Since I love it, I want people to see it.

I made the first prototype myself with 3D-prints and parts from the DYIshop around the corner. It was, is, a great model. At that moment I did not know yet which company would buy the design. So from transferring the design to a production model to adapting to the production capacities of Ilfari was an interesting challenge.

Since the Muse Award was made public, I noticed more visits on my website from northern America. To say if and how it influenced my career, it is a bit too early.

First it is constantly evolving, in a technical way, in a formal way,… Second it is constantly challenging; ecological, economical,… Third: you are never too young or too old to design. Design is a lifelong passion.

Belgians are severe and serious hard workers in general. That makes them reliable partners in the creative industry. They will go the extra mile, even if you think you are already there.

The ecological aspects will define all developments even more than they do now. At this moment “ecological” is a USP. In ten year's time, it will be self-evident.

Know what you want to do with the eventual award. It is an investment in time and money. If you just do it to show off by your friends and family, it is not worth it. A profound communication strategy is needed beforehand.

Build a network and expand it. Look for specialty skills; you can´t do everything on the highest level on your own. But find the right people before you need them short term in a project. Look for good suppliers for materials, model making or production. If you design high end products, you will need high end suppliers. Treat your competitors well. They might change jobs and become a client.

Even with several design awards on your wall, it is not always easy. Clients come and go. Sometimes they go, unpredictably, and it takes a while before the next one comes. Sometimes they come, unpredictably, with several in the same time and you have to work your brains out. Balance is a something I didn't expect to find.

I never really had heroes in my life. I always try to define my way myself, based on my personal experiences and expectations. There are people I respect more. Ross Lovegroove used to be one of them when I was a student. His way of working and his formal language are really nice to my humble opinion.

I don´t see myself as successful. Staying humble and respectful to humanity in general is more important than success. It is the only way to create meaningful products.

It is like Dalai Lama says: “when you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something new.

See you next year!