Nattakul Sevikul

LEGENDARY INTERVIEW

Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer Nattakul Sevikul ("NS") for their original perspective and innovative approach to design as well as their creative lifestyle, we are very pleased to share our interview with our distinguished readers.

DL: Could you please tell us a bit about your design background and education?

NS : Design chose me — or rather, it forced me to choose. This profession doesn't allow you to borrow someone else's mind. You can't outsource your thinking, your taste, or your judgment. At some point, you realize that if you want something done right, you have to develop the ability to do it yourself. That realization is what made me a designer. And it's what keeps me one.

DL: What motivates you to design in general, why did you become a designer?

NS : Design chose me — or rather, it forced me to choose. This profession doesn't allow you to borrow someone else's mind. You can't outsource your thinking, your taste, or your judgment. At some point, you realize that if you want something done right, you have to develop the ability to do it yourself. That realization is what made me a designer. And it's what keeps me one.

DL: Did you choose to become a designer, or you were forced to become one?

NS : Design chose me — or rather, it forced me to choose. This profession doesn't allow you to borrow someone else's mind. You can't outsource your thinking, your taste, or your judgment. At some point, you realize that if you want something done right, you have to develop the ability to do it yourself. That realization is what made me a designer. And it's what keeps me one.

DL: What do you design, what type of designs do you wish to design more of?

NS : We specialize in spatial and experiential design — trade show exhibits, brand activations, and environments where a brand communicates its identity through physical space. If I had more time, I would push further into inclusive and accessible design. We've touched on it, and I'd like to explore it more deeply.

DL: What should young designers do to become a design legend like you?

NS : Three things: build experience relentlessly, keep filling your knowledge, and find tools that support your laziness. That last one isn't a joke. The most successful designs are designed by lazy people, for lazy people. If you're always looking for the easier, smarter, faster way — you'll innovate.

DL: What distinguishes between a good designer and a great designer?

NS : A good designer solves the problem. A great designer solves the problem in a way that makes you wonder why no one thought of it before. The difference isn't technical skill — it's taste, judgment, and the courage to arrive somewhere unexpected rather than settling for the obvious answer.

DL: What makes a good design a really good design, how do you evaluate good design?

NS : When you can't imagine it any other way. That's the test. A really good design feels inevitable — like it could not have been anything else. It solves what it needs to solve, it looks exactly right, and it doesn't call attention to how clever it is. It just works. Quietly, completely.

DL: What is the value of good design? Why should everyone invest in good design?

NS : There is no such thing as "good design" in the abstract. There is only design that is appropriate — the right solution, in the right place, at the right time. Value doesn't come from how beautiful or clever the work is. It comes from how precisely it fits its purpose, its audience, and its moment. That's what everyone should invest in: not design for design's sake, but design that belongs exactly where it is.

DL: What would you design and who would you design for if you had the time?

NS : Anyone who comes with a real problem and trusts the process enough to let it be solved properly. Not someone looking for decoration — someone looking for a solution.

DL: What is the dream project you haven’t yet had time to realize?

NS : An event so immersive that every corner makes people stop and say "wow." Not a space you walk through — a space you don't want to leave. Where every zone rewards exploration, every detail invites a photo, and you immediately want to call a friend and say "you have to see this." I haven't found the right client for it yet. Some projects need a partner, not just a buyer — someone who shares the vision and trusts it completely. I'm still waiting for that one.

DL: What is your secret recipe of success in design, what is your secret ingredient?

NS : There isn't one. Just do your best, every time, without exception. And make sure the work is right — not just for you, but for where it is, who it's for, and when it needs to exist.

DL: Who are some other design masters and legends you get inspired from?

NS : Steve Jobs. Not because of the products alone, but because of the philosophy behind them. He understood that great design is not about adding — it's about removing everything that doesn't belong. He designed for people who didn't yet know what they needed, and he was right every time. What inspired me most wasn't any single product — it was his insistence that the experience matters as much as the object. That the box, the interface, the store, the packaging — all of it is the design. Nothing is accidental.

DL: What are your favorite designs by other designers, why do you like them?

NS : The iPhone and the Mac. Steve Jobs gave us devices that redefined what a personal tool could be — not just functional objects, but extensions of how you think, communicate, and create. The level of intention behind every detail set a standard the entire industry still measures itself against. And I say this as someone who uses Android and Windows. Great design doesn't require blind loyalty. It requires honest judgment.

DL: What is your greatest design, which aspects of that design makes you think it is great?

NS : The Reforma Trade Show Exhibit. It is simple, direct, and honest. No pretense, no greenwashing, no unnecessary complexity. Most importantly, it answered the client's needs precisely — nothing more, nothing less. That alignment between intent and outcome is rare. When a project achieves exactly what it set out to do, that's the purest form of satisfaction I know.

DL: How could people improve themselves to be better designers, what did you do?

NS : Observe everything. Use things that aren't yours. Question why they work or why they don't. The best design education isn't in a classroom — it's in paying attention to the world around you. And find the clients who are honest enough to tell you when the work isn't good enough. They are more valuable than any course.

DL: If you hadn’t become a designer, what would you have done?

NS : Honestly, I'm not sure I could have been anything else — it feels too deeply wired into who I am. But if I had to choose: a traditional Thai artisan. The craft of classical Thai art — its precision, its patience, its devotion to detail — represents a kind of design mastery that I deeply respect. It would have been a different medium, but the same soul.

DL: How do you define design, what is design for you?

NS : You cannot define love. And you cannot define design. Both are felt before they are understood. Both resist explanation. Both reveal themselves differently to every person who encounters them. I've spent years working in design, and the more I understand it, the less I feel the need to put it in a sentence. Some things are better lived than described.

DL: Who helped you to reach these heights, who was your biggest supporter?

NS : Invoices. Nothing motivates like financial obligation. Every bill that needed paying pushed me to work harder, think sharper, and deliver better. There's no more honest motivator in the world than knowing something real depends on what you do next.

DL: What helped you to become a great designer?

NS : The pressure of consequence. When the stakes are real, you don't have the luxury of mediocrity. You figure it out. And in figuring it out, repeatedly, over years — you grow.

DL: What were the obstacles you faced before becoming a design master?

NS : The same invoices. They were both the fuel and the friction. The obstacle and the answer. I wouldn't have it any other way.

DL: How do you think designers should present their work?

NS : Present it the way you'd want to hear it. Make them snap their fingers — not sit there confused. A great presentation doesn't explain everything; it makes the listener feel the idea before they fully understand it. If you need to talk for twenty minutes before anyone gets it, the idea isn't clear enough yet. Sharpen it until it lands in thirty seconds.

DL: What’s your next design project, what should we expect from you in future?

NS : A new invoice just arrived — so the search is on. I'm actively looking for the next project right now. The right one will come. It always does.

DL: What’s your ultimate goal as a designer?

NS : A Gold A' Design Award. That's the next benchmark. Every level of recognition represents a new standard to reach, and right now, that's the one I'm aiming for. Not for the trophy — but for what it would mean about the work.

DL: What people expect from an esteemed designer such as yourself?

NS : People don't expect much from me yet — and honestly, I don't expect that much from myself either. But here's what I can guarantee: every project, without exception, will be done to the absolute best of our ability. Not because of expectation. Because that's simply the only way we know how to work.

DL: How does design help create a better society?

NS : The most successful designs are designed by lazy people, for lazy people. When design removes friction from daily life — makes things easier to use, easier to access, easier to understand — it quietly improves the quality of life for everyone. Good design is inclusive by nature. It doesn't ask people to adapt to it. It adapts to people. And a society where things work well, feel right, and belong where they are — that's a better society.

DL: What are you currently working on that you are especially excited about?

NS : Waiting for the award level announcement. That's what's keeping me excited right now. Everything has been submitted, everything has been done to the best of our ability — and now it's out of our hands. There's something both terrifying and exhilarating about that.

DL: Which design projects gave you the most satisfaction, why?

NS : The Reforma Trade Show Exhibit. It is simple, direct, and honest. No pretense, no greenwashing, no unnecessary complexity. Most importantly, it answered the client's needs precisely — nothing more, nothing less. That alignment between intent and outcome is rare. When a project achieves exactly what it set out to do, that's the purest form of satisfaction I know.

DL: What would you like to see changed in design industry in the coming years?

NS : Less decoration, more intention. The industry has a tendency to reward what looks impressive over what actually works. I'd like to see the conversation shift toward design that serves — that solves real problems for real people in real contexts. Beauty is welcome. But it should arrive as a consequence of doing things right, not as a substitute for it.

DL: Where do you think the design field is headed next?

NS : Toward less. As tools become more powerful and AI handles more of the execution, the designers who will matter most are the ones who know what to leave out. Simplicity will become harder to achieve — and therefore more valuable. The future belongs to restraint.

DL: How long does it take you to finalize a design project?

NS : It depends on the scope and complexity. A typical project runs from a few weeks to a couple of months — from brief to final delivery. But what I'm most proud of is what happens at the end: the physical setup. Some of our most demanding installations have been assembled on-site in as little as 48 hours. An expo with three full zones, completed in 12. The design process may take weeks. The moment of truth takes hours. Both matter equally.

DL: When you have a new design project, where do you start?

NS : I start by getting to know it. Before any sketches, any concepts, any conversations about aesthetics — I study the brief, the brand, the audience, the context. You cannot design something you don't understand. The time spent at the beginning asking the right questions always saves far more time than it costs.

DL: What is your life motto as a designer?

NS : Take it easy. Not as an excuse for laziness — but as a reminder that clarity comes from calm. When you force design, it shows. When you let it arrive, it fits. The best ideas never came from panic. They came from the quiet moment after the chaos settled.

DL: Do you think design sets the trends or trends set the designs?

NS : Design that follows trends is already outdated by the time it's finished. Trends move faster than production cycles. But design that succeeds — that truly solves something and does it beautifully — earns admiration. And admiration, over time, becomes influence. That's how real trends are born: not from chasing, but from creating something worth following.

DL: What is the role of technology when you design?

NS : Technology, for me, is the act of replacement — finding newer, smarter materials and processes that do the job better, with less waste. The technologies I value most are the ones you can touch: the ones that change how something is built, how long it lasts, and how little it leaves behind.

DL: What kind of design software and equipment do you use in your work?

NS : The Adobe suite is the backbone of our production workflow. Beyond that, the most important tools are the physical ones — the materials, the fabrication methods, the on-site knowledge of how things actually get built. Software visualizes. The real work happens in the space.

DL: What is the role of the color, materials and ambient in design?

NS : Color is not mine to choose. When you design for a brand, the color is already decided — it's their CI, their identity, their language. My job is to work within that language faithfully and intelligently. The same applies to materials and atmosphere: they must serve the brand's story, not mine. The designer's taste is irrelevant here. What matters is whether the space feels like the brand it was built for.

DL: What do you wish people to ask about your design?

NS : "How did you think of this?" That's the question I'd love to be asked. Not "how much did it cost" or "how long did it take" — but that one. Because it means the work made someone stop and wonder. And that's exactly what it was supposed to do.

DL: When you see a new great design or product what comes into your mind?

NS : "How the hell did they think of that?" Every single time. No analysis, no deconstruction — just that immediate, genuine reaction of someone who recognizes something unexplainable. That feeling is what I chase in my own work.

DL: Who is your ideal design partner? Do you believe in co-design?

NS : Someone who disagrees with me. Not for the sake of conflict — but because the best work comes from friction. I don't need a partner who says yes to everything. I need someone who asks "why?" and means it. Co-design works when both sides bring something the other doesn't have. That tension, handled well, produces something neither could have made alone.

DL: Which people you interacted had the most influence on your design?

NS : The clients who called me a friend. Those are the ones who told me the truth — what they actually needed, what wasn't working, what I got wrong. A client who treats you as a friend doesn't soften the feedback. They give it to you straight. And straight feedback, however uncomfortable, is the most valuable thing a designer can receive.

DL: Which books you read had the most effect on your design?

NS : None, honestly. I'm not much of a reader. My real textbook has always been the client — specifically, the honest ones who weren't afraid to tell me exactly how bad the work was. A client who tells you that you're terrible is more valuable than any book. Because they're right in front of you, with real stakes, telling you the truth in real time.

DL: How did you develop your skills as a master designer?

NS : Someone told me I was terrible. So I got better. Then I went back and showed them I wasn't terrible anymore. That's it. That's the whole method. Criticism without action is just noise. But criticism that makes you prove something — to someone who matters — that's the sharpest tool there is.

DL: Irrelative of time and space, who you would want to meet, talk and discuss with?

NS : Steve Jobs. Not to ask him questions or pick his brain — just to give him a hug and say: "You actually changed the world. Thank you." I think sometimes the people who shape everything around us never really hear that from someone who meant it. I'd want to be that person.

DL: How do you feel about all the awards and recognition you had, is it hard to be famous?

NS : Incredibly proud. Not in a quiet, modest way — genuinely, deeply proud. This recognition means the work holds up beyond the context it was created in. That's not something you can manufacture or negotiate. You either earn it or you don't.

DL: What is your favorite color, place, food, season, thing and brand?

NS : Color: whatever feels right that day — I don't commit to one. Place: home. Food: anything that's genuinely delicious — I don't discriminate. Season: rainy season. Thing: my Hirono art toy. Brand: Freitag — a brand that built an entire identity out of what others threw away. That, to me, is design at its most honest.

DL: Please tell us a little memoir, a funny thing you had experienced as a designer?

NS : We pitched a concept and didn't win the job. Then we saw the final execution — and more than 50% of our presentation had been directly copied. I think they must have assumed our pitch deck was just a very curated Pinterest board. It was the most expensive compliment I've ever received.

DL: What makes your day great as a designer, how do you motivate yourself?

NS : Winning a pitch. That moment when the client says yes — when the work you believed in gets chosen — there's nothing quite like it. Every difficult day before that moment becomes worth it in an instant.

DL: When you were a little child, was it obvious that you would become a great designer?

NS : Looking back — absolutely. I failed mathematics, chemistry, biology, and physics. But I was the only girl in class who got an A in metalwork. I got A's in every single art subject. And I was in the science stream — not by choice. My mother insisted. The signs were always there. My mother just read them differently.

DL: What do you think about future; what do you see will happen in thousand years from now?

NS : Honestly — what were you thinking when you asked that? A thousand years is beyond imagination, beyond prediction, beyond any honest answer. I have no idea. And I'd rather admit that than pretend otherwise. The only thing I'm fairly certain of is that someone, somewhere, will still be asking "how did they think of that?"

DL: Please tell us anything you wish your fans to know about you, your design and anything else?

NS : Thank you.