Tom Man is an industrial designer based in Tel-Aviv, Israel. He has been named a winner in the Loop Design Awards in 3 different categories (Category Winner – Products | Furniture Design, People’s Choice Award and New Talent Award). His works and products are featured on some of the most popular design platforms such as Yanko Design, DesignWanted, PhotoVouge, Deoron, Meguso and others. Here he shares with us his inspirations and how KeyShot fits into his process.
Tom Man
Portfolio | Instagram | LinkedIn
Modeling software used: SolidWorks
How did you get interested in industrial design?
I was a curious kid, always longing to explore, touch and experience. I found myself planning and designing even without knowing or understanding the term. I loved to draw and paint, dismantle and assemble while trying to create the next invention that would help me get through the summer. Later, I found myself traveling the world working at commercial tradeshows and experiencing so many companies, stories and products which brought me to the realization that I want to create stories through objects that will inspire other people. That’s what brought me to study for my industrial design BA in Shenkar College in Israel. I graduated in 2019.
Since 2021, I visualize and design as a freelance designer for companies, start ups, individuals as the lead designer at a security systems company.
How would you describe your design philosophy?
These days, my personal design projects focus on the visual elements as I explore how shapes, composition and materials have the power to attract users, evoke delightful emotions and provide different emotional experiences. In short, design for me has to be rational, while seeking to communicate and embody the intention of the creator.
“Objects that fill our everyday lives are our constant companions,” the philosopher Soetsu Yanagi writes in his book “The Beauty of Everyday Things.” “As such, they should be made with care and built to last, treated with respect and even affection. They should be things of beauty.” While designing I aim to embody those ideas of beauty and attraction in order to deepen our relationship with the objects that surround us.
Where do you find your inspiration?
I believe that inspiration can be found in every aspect of our lives, we just have to be observant. Our everyday lives are full of inspiration; although the objects that surround us tend to be mute they contain different emotional elements so we have to be aware and notice.
I find a lot of inspiration not necessarily in the visual world but in books and words that expose me to new ideas and perceptions. I am influenced by a lot of philosophers in the aesthetic discipline such as Rojer Fry, Soetsu Yanagi, Jane Forsey and Arthur Danto, who try to define the term design and draw its boundaries. I act and design between those lines.
What inspired you to create ViR, the VR Controller?
The motivation was to break the traditional look of existing gun and pistol-like controllers and bring a more settled and elegant design that better corresponds with VR technology required. The design is based on several lines creating a dynamic silhouette, letting go of the configuration of main body and handle and bringing them together in one non-exhausted act.
“The best advice I can give is to stay curious, work hard, and always be prepared to learn because it’s a great privilege to be a creator.”
Where in your process do you use KeyShot?
Every project demands a different process, although I always use KeyShot in order to test how the light falls on the surfaces in the early stages. Later on I use it in order to compare different colors pallets and make decisions pre-manufacture or modeling.
What makes KeyShot an important tool to have?
Rendering creates the power to give your design the most accurate appearance in order to make it desirable and make people feel delight and excitement. It’s also great tool for decision making, helping me determine colors, textures and the right atmosphere.
What’s next for you?
I recently got married to my other half, Maya Peled, who is also an industrial designer that I met in my studies. Currently, we are in the process of establishing our mutual design studio – tomaya, which aims to collaborate with great craftsmen and manufacturers to design and produce beautiful objects that will serve us and help to redefine our human concerns.
What advice would you give to someone interested in doing what you do?
The best advice I can give is to stay curious, work hard, and always be prepared to learn because it’s a great privilege to be a creator.
“Our everyday lives are full of inspiration; although the objects that surround us tend to be mute they contain different emotional elements so we have to be aware and notice. ”
