Hafsteinn Júlíusson is a product designer from Reykjavik, Iceland. With his projects he aims for “simple, but funny solutions which have a rich and strong concept.” The 24-year-old designer caught our attention with the unique items he creates, such as Slim Chips, Growing Jewelry and the napBook. All of these items are closely linked to Iceland, a country that was two years ago ranked as the most developed country in the world by the United Nations' Human Development Index and now sees itself - due to the worldwide financial crisis - nearly bankrupt.
The graduate of the Iceland Academy of Arts is particularly interested in how society and ecology intersect. Confronted with the paradoxical notion that in order to be involved in society you have to know what moves the masses, he answers: “I am designing for the people but not for the big corporate companies. One of the products he obviously designed to appeal to the superficial masses is called “Slim Chips”: chips made from edible paper with zero calories.
A wonderful slogan accompanies the product: “Instead of getting fat you can now eat paper with different flavors. It's like eating tasty air.” An ironic statement on our overweight society or a plausible consumer product? That’s in the eye of the beholder, we suppose.
Another noteworthy Júlíusson creation is “Growing Jewelry”, a collection of silver plant-rings that have to be watered. The product’s attempt at “redefining our modern day values and reminding people that they should care for the most important things in life” is both aesthetically pleasing and chic. Designed for concrete jungle dwellers, the green jewelry is intended to reunite humans with nature.
But exactly what is it about his homeland that proves so special and influential? Júlíusson explains: “due to the small population everybody in Iceland is linked somehow and people are curious to know what the neighbor is up to.Another good thing is that the country has almost no history in art or design - you are allowed to experiment and do whatever you feel like.” Indeed, with a population of only 117,000 in Reykjavik, it’s difficult to avoid the public eye. Júlíusson also notes that the general population is positive and open-minded and as such, he extracts much of his inspiration from the local people.
Unfortunately the crisis has greatly impacted the opportunities for independent creatives in Iceland, so for the moment Júlíusson lives in Milan, Italy, where he is busy setting up an online store to sell his deliciously quirky creations.
Check out Hafsteinn Júlíusson’s website.
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