Design studio BIG-GAME fill the world with beauty and function, meeting daily needs with elegant solutions while keeping close the unexpected
“Things are just things”, the popular saying goes. And that’s certainly true. But who knows, maybe it’s precisely this alleged limitation the main reason of their power and magic. Grounded in pure simplicity, we are surrounded by objects capable of transforming our everyday and make us feel as if the world had been created just for us. Many times, seamlessly. Things are things. Of course. But also invitations to feel, tools to remember, means to leave a mark. To keep on dreaming. To live inspired. That's the power of object design.
Like the alluring products created by design studio BIG-GAME, founded in 2004 in the picturesque city of Lausanne, between lakes, mountains and an immense design heritage. Simple, functional and optimistic, the design trio behind the Swiss-based studio have been making the everyday more enjoyable with their accessible and charming creations for almost 15 years. A brilliant collection of furniture, tableware, lamps or watches that embody that perfect equilibrium between form and function, usability and aesthetics.
Everyday cutlery collection for Danish brand HAY, 2017
We talk to Greg, Elric and Augustin, the brains and hands behind BIG-GAME, to have a quick glimpse of their origins, dreams and motivations for meeting the world’s needs with beauty, simplicity and fun.
Here goes the ice-breaker… Your craziest dream up to now (not necessarily accomplished)?
To get to design the new Fiat Panda.
How did you end up joining paths to create BIG-GAME? What moved you to start this amazing project?
Greg is Swiss, Elric is Belgian and Augustin is French. We met when studying industrial design at ECAL in Lausanne. We became friends, and in 2005 we decided to exhibit our work together at the Milan furniture fair. We chose to call ourselves « BIG-GAME » because our first products were some hunting trophies in plywood to build yourself. 13 years later, we still work together and more importantly we are still friends: that’s our biggest achievement.
OVERVIEW Solo exhibition at the Musée du Grand-Hornu in Belgium, 2008
Many of your projects share a sense of optimism and fun. What is the role of experimentation and daydreaming in your work?
With eight people, our studio is relatively small. Our working process is based on the discussion between the three founders. When we have a problem to solve, we spend time investigating different options – and the fact that we are a trio helps us to find unexpected solutions. It also makes daily work quite interesting.
If you had to pick just one, what would be the most precious object for you?
The reason we became industrial designers is because we believe in the beauty of functional every day objects. If we had to list things that are precious to us it would surely include an OPINEL n°8 folding knife, a CARAN D’ACHE 849 roller pen and a SWATCH classic 85.
What do you see if you raise your eyes from the screen?
We share a large table at the back of our studio, so when we raise our eyes from the screen, we see each other!
BEAM Coat rack system for Danish brand HAY, 2014
FUMIDAI Multifunctional object for Japanese brand IDEE, 2017
Thanks, BIG-GAME for making us feel so good!
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Header image: BOTE Series of floating boats in cork and plastic for the Portuguese company Materia, 2011
OVERVIEW Solo exhibition at the Musée du Grand-Hornu in Belgium, 2008
Many of your projects share a sense of optimism and fun. What is the role of experimentation and daydreaming in your work?
With eight people, our studio is relatively small. Our working process is based on the discussion between the three founders. When we have a problem to solve, we spend time investigating different options – and the fact that we are a trio helps us to find unexpected solutions. It also makes daily work quite interesting.
If you had to pick just one, what would be the most precious object for you?
The reason we became industrial designers is because we believe in the beauty of functional every day objects. If we had to list things that are precious to us it would surely include an OPINEL n°8 folding knife, a CARAN D’ACHE 849 roller pen and a SWATCH classic 85.
What do you see if you raise your eyes from the screen?
We share a large table at the back of our studio, so when we raise our eyes from the screen, we see each other!
BEAM Coat rack system for Danish brand HAY, 2014
FUMIDAI Multifunctional object for Japanese brand IDEE, 2017
Thanks, BIG-GAME for making us feel so good!
