From replicating his father’s company logo into a 3D object, in the days when he still had hair, to designing the Man of the Match trophies for the World Cup earlier this year. Jonathan Fundudis has come a long way from graduating with a national diploma in Three Dimensional Design in 1996 to launching the snapp™ design brand in 2010. In between, Fundudis has raked in numerous awards, guest lectured on industrial design and worked on more than a few interesting projects.
1. What's been your favourite project to date? A centre console I designed for Ford Motor Company of South Africa. No, actually the first snapp™ product, the "lamellae" fruit bowl. There’s nothing like having your own product with your own brand name on it. Oh there was also the official "Man of the Match" trophies I designed and manufactured for the 2010 World Cup which went to 64 selected footballers.
2. What's your favourite film? Star Wars.
3. What inspires you? Success stories.
4. How old were you when you made your first design and what was it? I was about 9 when I replicated my father’s company logo into a three-dimensional desktop object.
5. Do you recycle? Yes, where possible.
6. Are you passionate about South Africa? Certainly.
7. Do you have a favourite gadget? TV remote.
8. Which superhero do you most identify with? Daredevil. He has heightened senses, but when overloaded cause him pain. My heightened sense for perfection sometimes has a similar effect.
9. What's one thing that you haven't done that you would still really like to do? Design a plastic injection moulded chair for my brand snapp™.
10. Coffee or tea? Coffee.
11. What makes you laugh out loud? My three year-old daughter.
12. If you could have a dream client, who would it be? Myself. I am my own dream client… No limitations.
13. What items would you put in a time capsule? A pencil, my Blackberry, a good bottle of wine, a snapp™ product (maybe it’s a design classic by then).
14. How do you deal with failure? I push myself harder to excel. Failure is essential to grow better and stronger.
15. What's your happiest childhood memory? Having hair.
16. What would you do if you won the lottery? As design is a passion for me I would continue to grow snapp™… Just quicker.
17. What is your present state of mind? Optimistic.
18. What's your pet hate? The inconvenience of traffic… Teleportation is the answer.
19. Do you have a personal motto? Life is not a dress rehearsal.
20. If you could live in any decade, which would it be and why? 2050, imagine the technological advances.
