DOES

Q: How does working on a functional object differ from creating artwork for a traditional canvas?

DOES: Functional objects challenge artists to innovate within limitations, pushing them to explore new methods and envision how art integrates into everyday life.

Q: What do you think art can bring to the world of product design and innovation?

DOES: Art brings soul, emotion, and a sense of humanity to product design and innovation. Where engineering ensures functionality and technology pushes boundaries, art introduces a layer of storytelling, beauty, and meaning that connects people to the product on a deeper level. Art imbues products with visual harmony and identity. It’s not just about creating something functional; it’s about making it beautiful and desirable.

Q: Your art and our designs are both rooted in innovation. Where do you find your inspiration, and how do you translate that into something tangible

DOES: To make it tangible, I approach the canvas—or any medium—as a dialogue. Each layer is a response to the last, built with intuition but refined by precision. My process is about balance: vibrant colors echo raw emotion, while sharp edges and symmetry represent focus and discipline. The goal is to create something that invites the viewer to pause, explore, and discover their own connection to the piece.

Q: What excites you most about this collaboration, and how does it differ from other artistic projects you’ve been involved in?

DOES: What excites me most about this collaboration is the opportunity to blend my style and techniques with the unique vision of another creative mind. Working with someone else often sparks new ideas and pushes me to explore new dimensions in my art. It’s always a challenge to step outside my usual comfort zone and experiment with fresh concepts, colors, and styles that I wouldn’t typically consider on my own.

What sets this project apart from others I’ve been involved in is the sense of shared narrative and the chance to co-create something that reflects both our influences. I’ve worked on many solo projects before, where I could focus entirely on my personal aesthetic, but collaborating allows for a dynamic interplay of ideas. This fusion of perspectives leads to unexpected discoveries and fuels my passion for innovation within the art space.

 

SOLID GRAY
Q: What inspired you to incorporate art into a functional product like a backpack?

SOLID GRAY: Our backpack serves as the perfect blank canvas—both functionally and aesthetically. It not only provides unique features that go beyond the ordinary backpack but also offers the ideal surface for artistic expression. By blending art, design, and practicality, we transform the backpack from a utility item into a functional piece of art. This cross-pollination of creativity makes every collaboration a dynamic and inspiring process. Blending different fields of creativity makes collaborations like these a blast!

Q: How do you balance innovative design with maintaining practicality in your products?

SOLID GRAY: We treat innovation and practicality as inseparable halves of the same whole. Every new idea must serve a real purpose and enhance functionality, rather than just looking impressive. This approach involves rigorous testing, iterative prototyping, and a willingness to revisit and refine concepts until each design delivers both visual impact and everyday usefulness.

Q: Your designs are known for their futuristic aesthetic and technical precision. What inspired you to create such innovative backpacks, and how did you decide on the aluminum hard shell as your signature material?

SOLID GRAY: Our creative direction draws heavily on nature's own engineering—specifically, the lightweight strength and protective qualities found in crustaceans and beetles, also known as bio-mimicry. At the same time, we're influenced by the technical precision and aesthetics of robotics, Gundam, and other futuristic sci-fi elements. We began with the material, exploring its functionalities as a design choice and a functional advantage. What can you make of it, how can you process/manipulate it, and what would really benefit from using this material. These are all questions that we worked with. The Aluminium-composite material is used for our flagship model, and for a backpack that already stands out, this material pushes it even further.

Q: As a fellow Dutch designer, what does the term 'Dutch Design' mean to you, and how do you think this collaboration reflects that ethos?

SOLID GRAY: Studying at the Design Academy Eindhoven profoundly shaped my perspective, giving me the tools to hone my creativity into purposeful design. To me, Dutch Design embodies a certain clarity and strength—a pursuit of simplicity that never compromises on impact. It's about stripping away the unnecessary, ensuring that every detail serves a function while still making a strong visual statement. This collaboration reflects that ethos by harmonizing form and function, resulting in timeless and distinctly forward-looking products.

The CONCRETE GEM backpack is exclusively available on SOLID-GRAY.COM

More info about the project can be found here