2022 Hot New Things: Huy Tim, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
Each summer DA profiles a selection of the top design graduates coming out of our tertiary institutions. We welcome these talented emerging professionals to our industry, learn about their passions, final projects, developing creative confidence and ambitions for the future.
Today we speak with Huy Tim, one of Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington creative graduates. You can find out more about Aotearoa NZ creative study options by visiting our design schools page.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I am a young creative with a focus on design, materials and sustainability – explored through varying mediums of craft.
What did your graduating project focus on?
My masters thesis ‘Adding Value’ is a practice-based research approach that includes material experimentation and reflective practice to inform the creation of design outputs. The investigation explores the upcycling of bottle caps and sticker labels as difficult and low value waste streams. Outputs include 3D printed artefacts for a variety of applications, including lighting, furniture and craft objects. These design outputs aim to demonstrate how undervalued and neglected materials can be reincarnated in a more durable form, to raise awareness and elicit responses regarding throwaway culture and the global waste problem.
Why did you choose to study at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington?
The first year of the Design Innovation degree at Te Herenga Waka appealed to me as it offered a broad opportunity to explore all areas of design, such as industrial, media and social innovation. As someone who wasn’t sure of their trajectory, being able to experiment with a varying array of design fields allowed me to navigate which creative pathway I was interested in.
What did you enjoy most about your course, or what do you feel you can take away now that you’ve completed it?
I really enjoyed being able to explore different means of making and designing, and bringing a sense of individualism into my projects. My interests and passions lie mostly in the materiality of a design product, where I have grown to value the notion of craft more as my relationship with materials and sustainability has developed. Overtime, a curation of specific core values and design principles has
developed and manifested itself into the work I do, and my day to day lifestyle.
Were there any exciting or unexpected discoveries to come out of your studies?
The importance of design itself, and how significant of an impact it has. Realising that design is at the fundamental core in everything that we do, and opening up perceptions around the vast and endless possibilities that design can be interconnected.
Was there someone (or something) that inspired you to pick design as a career path?
– I grew up a very academic driven child, held by strict personal standards and expectations. This was the case throughout all of my schooling, but simultaneously while striving for academic excellence, in the background I was always doing or making something, selecting classes such as art, digital visual communication and photography, and being driven more by creativity more than anything without realising it. It wasn’t until university enrolments came around in my final year of college that I realised I wanted to be immersed within a creative
field and surrounded by like-minded people.
What does your creative process look like?
It depends on what I am crafting. The process that I tend to adopt follows finding existing precedents through different resources, conceptualising through sketches or digital models, and iteration and development before final outputs are made. In between all of this, I find it helpful to reach out and connect with others for insight, take time to process ideas alone, and draw inspiration from nature and the environment around me.
How do you see your work and practice developing, and what are your main aspirations?
The pathway in which my work and practice will develop remains in an infancy, but I hope to see it come to fruition in a way that facilitates connectivity and creativity within a community aspect. Getting my own studio space, developing and refining my creative identity, building relationships with other creatives, and even facilitating community-led initiatives are all ideas that I want to explore.
What’s next for you?
Navigating post grad life is the next step for me. I’m sure this will present itself in many ways, but will entail continuing to develop creative interests and hopefully a community to help enrich creativity. Moreover, continuing to explore and hone in a niche area that I want to focus my efforts on (for a while) is a goal too. Travelling has and always will be in the picture as well! Nothing is set in stone, but I’m equally as scared as I am excited for all of it to unfold.
How can people get in touch or see more of your work?
My email address is huytim@gmail.com, that would be the best way to get in touch. Additionally, a digital portfolio is in the works.
