Liset van der Scheer

Van der Scheer spoke with freelance curator, writer and DAE alumnus Tiiu Meiner about her time at DAE, as well as the state of contemporary textile production, and the importance of market research.

→Tiiu Meiner: What was it like to go to Design Academy in the 70s? What was the atmosphere in the school like, and how did you fit into the world at the time?

Liset van der Scheer: I think when I started no one really knew Design Academy. It was still very new and small, because it had only been started after the second world war, and we would have a maximum of 20 people in each year. There were three departments called A, B and C. A was for product design, B was for communication and C, which I was in, was for textile design.

It was quite a new profession, being a designer. You could not imagine what it was. My father was a teacher at DAE, and he had been an industrial designer. That’s why for me, it was quite normal to go in the direction of also being a designer. But I remember him telling me about an article that he wrote for the company he worked for, ERRES, where he mentioned that he really had to fight for a product to not only be functional, but also beautiful. I think that is what was new that was being taught at DAE at the time — that you can have design with function and style.

The relationship between teachers and students was also quite hierarchical, but I had no problems with it because it was normal for me. I do remember that there was one teacher, though, who had been there for 35 years, and he was extremely arrogant. I had bad dreams about him for years. Our personalities just did not match, so we had a lot of fights, but on the other hand, he did teach me a lot and because I wanted to prove him wrong so much that I think I ended up succeeding more.

→TM: How do you think the school shaped you as a designer?

LS: I really learned to solve problems from A to Z and to be able to take on any problem. I did an internship at several different factories for one whole year during my studies, and I think that really taught me how to apply this thinking to the industry demands. Then during my graduation, I was very lucky that I immediately got invited to work with a big textile company. It’s very different now, I believe. It’s more difficult for designers now to get a job, compared to that time, unfortunately.

→TM: You always design with material research in mind. Can you talk a bit more about how research and experimentation can be incorporated into mass production in the textile industry?

LS: It is possible to produce a lot more durable and efficient things than our mass-producing industries currently do. I always went to design fairs to see what the industry was doing, but also what it is missing. But once I would find out and try to make things better, I understood that it takes a lot of effort to convince people to change. In big industry, you are always working with other people, and it takes a lot of convincing that things can and should be done differently.

You mostly just have one big industry that is very efficient in producing, but not necessarily the best things. This is really the death of all the small industries where people are working with a lot of knowledge about machines and materials. So you have to pair the research with big industry and believe that you can change things. I made a website with my research called Know How Wow so that people have more access and awareness of the material qualities that they work with and their potential.

→TM: So how do you see the role of craftsmanship in the design field today?

LS: Craftsmanship is very important, but unfortunately it is very hard to live on because it takes too many hours to make things. So it’s very good to involve craftsmanship in industry and make it a combination of the two. For example, I used to make yarns so I know what material wears out in what way, and the best uses for it. I see hemp being used as a fibre for carpets, but I know that material — it is very good for a lot of things and sustainable, but it breaks easily, so it is actually not a durable fibre for carpets. In a way, you get a relationship with the materials much better than in the big industries.

→TM: You work a lot with colour. Can you talk more about the role of aesthetics and colour in design?

LS: I think taste is a very human side of design that you cannot neglect. It’s not only about the necessary things in design that are relevant, because humans love beauty, so we have to be allowed to remember that too. I studied the psychological effects of colours, so I try to combine it in my color consultations, for instance. It’s kind of about balance. You can look at the world, but you also need to look at the individual because both are important.

→TM: What would you hope for the future of the design field?

LS: I would like to see it be more about the design and not so much about the designer. Because the designer dies, but the design lives on. But of course also who am I to judge that? I just want to see more of a balance between these things. I think the more you see the way real things really work in industry, the more you can begin to think about better solutions. Design could be closer to industry and not only conceptual.

→TM: What kind of advice would you have for current graduates from Design Academy Eindhoven or young designers?

LS: Hmm. Yeah, it’s always important to acknowledge how you feel and follow your heart. Of course, that’s a very simple answer because you also have to earn money, right? That’s always the problem.

→TM: Finally, what are you up to today?

LS: I have my own brand TETTEX, where I design with 100% cotton made in Belgium. I use this fabric to upholster interior furniture. I am also developing a knitted plaid and cushion collection in 100% certified yarn, coloured with natural dyes. Along with that, I made this Know How Wow website about my research, which I still maintain and really hope people can use to take on my knowledge. But to be honest, I’m not wanting to do more than that anymore, because after many years I also like spending time with the grandchildren and supporting my children.