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Friday Five with Johan Lindstén

We head to Sweden for this week’s Friday Five, spotlighting designer Johan Lindstén who calls Stockholm home. Born in 1981, Lindstén decided early on that he wanted to be a designer so he went on to study industrial design at Växjö University and furniture design at Carl Malmsten CTD at Linköping University. After his degrees were acquired in 2008, he promptly set up his own studio, Lindstén Form Studio, and hit the ground running. Working with companies like Cappellini (remember Meltdown?), FontanaArte, Johanson Design, Gärsnäs, and Gallery Pascale, this talented Swede continues to add his signature unexpected details to everything he touches. Now, Lindstén opens up about what keeps him inspired.

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1. Weather
The force of nature and weather has always fascinated me and given me respect and insight into how small humankind is up against Mother Nature. I love the changing of the seasons that appears in Sweden, from cold snowy roads with ice around you to the idyllic summers in our beautiful archipelago. My best tip for clearing your mind and being focused is to go outside on rainy days with a big umbrella and just listen.

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2. Workshop
Computers and 3D modelling are both well and good, but the workshop is where the real product development occurs and the design finds its final form and shape. There is something satisfying about creating prototypes with my hands and seeing products come to life.

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3. Young at heart
To stay young at heart sounds like a cliché but it is something I live for. Playing with LEGO bricks and building sandcastles with my son are examples of activities that create energy and creativity.

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4. Travel
Traveling is absolutely fantastic, a few hours on a plane gives you the opportunity to experience other cultures, different architecture, temperatures, and food. I often get inspiration from my journeys. The only hitch is my irrational fear of flying that arises every time I sit on a plane. Though I promised myself several years ago that this stupidity should not be allowed to control my life and my way of living. Now, it has almost become a friendly fear that greets me before the flight.

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5. Music
Not a day goes by without music streaming from the loudspeaker. Mostly 60s and 70s rock, but also everything from classical music to country.

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.