TOM CHUNG & GREG PAPOVE

of

DOODIO 

Doodio is the collaborative efforts of Greg Papove and Tom Chung. They are a local Industrial Design studio that works on a wide variety of projects. They have recently completed work for the lululemon lab space.

We asked them 10 questions about their work, likes and inspirations.

1- How did you begin your career in design?

Tom: Doodio started while we were finishing our 4th year of Emily Carr’s Industrial Design program. Greg and I hadn’t really worked together until we both came back from a semester abroad (studying) in Europe at separate schools. My school in Sweden had a ping pong table that helped create a sense of community I felt lacked in Vancouver. When I got back I asked Greg if he was interested in working together and we designed and built a ping pong table for the Emily Carr Studio.

Greg: During that project we found that we worked well together and shared a similar philosophy. We continued to collaborate and bounce ideas back and forth on different projects and it just sort of led to us working together.Tom: The initial concept was that we could be hired to apply our skills to anything, i.e. Doodio, we’ll mow your lawn.

2- What inspires your creative process?

Greg: I would say, our process is influenced by humour, popular culture, internet videos, and social culture. Although we have some similar tastes, we are also very different, and can bring two perspectives to the same project. We often try to meet in unexpected public locations to discuss new projects. WhiteSpot, Elysian, Cafe Bica, Go-Fish, Granville street, and grocery stores with Wifi are some of the places you might find us generating ideas..

Tom: The thing that frustrated us most while in school was how design was taught to be a linear process that starts with a clear problem and ends with a clear solution, when in reality there is a lot of grey area. When we work on projects we aren’t too concerned about going through a defined process that starts at sketching, moves to user testing and ends in a presentation. The end result is what matters most.

3- How do you see your work evolving in the next 5 years?

Greg: I’ve seen my interests change drastically in the last 5 years, so I would imagine that they will continue to change. The work will evolve with the influences. I have liked working on a wide variety of projects and taking on new challenges, so I think that will stay a big part of the work. I really enjoy working with different materials and challenging myself to do something new.

Tom: I’ve found myself to be getting more interested in technology, hardware and concept design. If you asked me 2 years ago my only interest was wood furniture. As Greg said, we are both hungry to learn new things and move on to the next project. As a studio this means our work will always be evolving with our skills and our interests.

5- What’s your style?

Greg: Designers can take themselves very seriously. We like to approach things with a fun attitude because it can lead to some really interesting results. Rather than finding the most logicalsolution for a problem, why not find the funnest solution or at least consider it? We are both very aesthetically driven and appreciate specific objects for various reasons. However, we also appreciate things that are different or unusual, and we think that goes for a lot of people. It’s nice when you notice something unusual and appreciate it for just that reason.

Tom: We like to let the parameters of each individual project determine the outcome. I get bored easily and try not to repeat a certain style over and over again, even if it may be to my advantage. That being said it’s hard to get influenced by the certain trend of the time. Overall I try to keep things smart and simple.