“I draw and make things, that’s it” — well, not just that
A watch, a scooter, or even a diving mask: what links all these everyday objects? Andy Lee, a passionate product designer at Makerversity who is often sleep-deprived.
It all started with a packet of Monster Munch. 25 years later, Andy Lee’s enthusiasm is still intact. From his hotel room in Hong Kong, before heading to Japan to help a craftsman creating instruments, he recounts, “While eating Monster Munch when I was young, around 15–17 years old, I said to myself… I like drawing and making models, and if I could draw and make money, that’s what I’ll do for the rest of my life.” He adds, “I went to the library and read books on Da Vinci and how he draws stuff. So, it’s kind of a combination between Da Vinci and Monster Munch.”
Fast forward a quarter of a century and Andy is now an accomplished product designer with several dozen of his designs being used in commerce. Among the highlights of his career are the Hatchimals, these colorful plush toys and small figures that hatch from their shells, a real success among the younger generation, and more sustainable projects focused on the environment such as the Skoot S1 for Kenyan drivers and vendors, an electric scooter that also serves as a charging station to meet energy needs in a sustainable manner.
After obtaining a degree in Product Design at the University of the Arts London, Lee worked first in electronic products for Thomson and Audiovox, then in sports equipment for Stallion Sport, and for a toy company. “I was responsible for creating the shell of the material of the toy Hatchimals.” In 2017, he founded ARVenture Studio with two collaborators and became a member of the Global Entrepreneur Program in 2022. Of all these experiences, Andy Lee admits, “My favorite must be working with toys, I think, because I really like seeing kids being happy.”
Each of his passions becomes a product. Take martial arts, for example. “I thought, what if I could motion capture my masters and 3D scan them and put them in an app so I can learn easier. It’s for my own learning purpose.” Who would have thought of doing that?
Somewhat idealistic, Lee knows that product designers are not the only decision-makers in the creation of products. While product designers are keen to highlight their knowledge of sustainability, the reality is quite different: “Sustainability is becoming more and more important even for toys or electronic devices. But over all these years what I’ve seen is not what I’ve been taught. People are still focusing on the profit margin. Designers are never the ones who make this decision, they can’t because they don’t control the money.”
Some products designed by Lee for commercial purposes have seen their objectives change during the creation process. In 2017, Lee and his collaborators at ARVenture Studios created an e-Tuk-Tuk for Cambodian street vendors to help reduce pollution and cope with flooding. An internationally acclaimed project as Domus mentions: “Cambodia is the main market addressed by the concept, but electric mobility is a promising development for other ASEAN countries like Vietnam, Thailand, or Malaysia”. But the project has evolved since then. “When we sold it to a company in the Netherlands called the E-Top Factory, it was totally out of our hands. It is going to be a delivery truck for the Italian Post or the Portuguese one. It’s a bit of a waste.”
Budgetary constraints have also prevented Lee from seeing his Holomagik project created within the Makerversity, located at Somerset House. Lee’s enthusiasm was nonetheless high, “When I have an idea, I’ll try to push it through. I put some effort into it and try to build something new that hasn’t been seen before.” The Holomagik aimed to create an image in mid-air without being projected on any medium, just in the air: “like a mirage.” This mirage has a name: holography. Created by Dennis Gabor in the early 20th century, it is defined as “the time difference between both diodes indicated the time of the holography picture related to the arrival of the laser pulse at the target.” Don’t understand? Neither do we. Picture the Jedi in meetings in the Star Wars prequels, those who attended remotely with their holograms. Lee had plenty of ideas to accompany this holographic project: a better display for products, weird art pieces, new games behind the image. Yet, budgetary constraints got the better of holographic magic. “I gave all the stuff to one of my former students.”
Lee may have put this project aside, but he remains very busy. “If you’re really a good designer, it’s almost 24/7 you’re thinking about your stuff anyway, you simultaneously run a few projects.” A passionate job but a tiring one. Andy Lee admits he never manages to switch off his brain: “You’ll actually dream about it and then you’re probably working in your dream. That sounds scary but it also helps because when I wake up, I jump on the computer and do the work.” What keeps him awake right now is a shamisen, a traditional Japanese stringed musical instrument. Lee helps to promote the craftsman’s work by creating the instrument as a souvenir.
Before heading to Japan to help a craftsman on his new instrument, Lee offers one last piece of advice for those wishing to embark on a career as a product designer: “Get real. If you’re a good designer, you would have considered all aspects in the product’s lifecycle. It’s a much tougher job than just drawing stuff.”
