2020 Sep Verboom
In the unconventional year 2020, the jury honours a designer who is not nearly a typical representation of the profession as the public understands it. It is not so much the end result which defines his work, rather than the context in which it takes place. Sep Verboom (1990) seeks to combine local crafts, social engagement and environmental awareness with design as a tool to form a process, a way of working, and a common approach.
“Taking just the look or the saleability of a design into account is no longer of this time,” says the young Ghent-based designer. “This process results from a specific question or need. We still have a long way to go in terms of durable design. My aim is to offer an alternative approach.”
The 29 year-old designer graduated in Industrial Design in 2012 at Howest in Kortrijk and later added a post-graduate Durable Development qualification from Vives University of Applied Sciences. He created his own Livable® brand five years ago. Part of the next generation of Belgian designers who are motivated by a deep sense of social responsibility, Verboom’s work demonstrates a diverse selection of projects that have in common the key principles of research, innovation and sustainability.
Working closely with small communities globally over the last eight years, which are experts in their field of craft and technique, Verboom immerses himself in the culture and location of the project in order to observe specific challenges, build relations, and define common goals. The object resulting from a project is the result of the environment rather than the goal itself. The story and the process behind it are equally important. Made available in limited quantities through the Livable website, the aim is to provide full transparency to the end consumer, in a bid to promote responsible consumption.
