Furniture designer Tim Wigmore admits he has a 'perverse enjoyment' making things and watching his designs stack up in his workshop, and in shops around the globe.

In an effort to reduce his output, and still design and facilitate good design experiences, he has moved into a more structured position as exhibition design assistant with TheNewDowse.

"I don't need to keep pumping out 'things' in order to pay the bills, however my design input still reaches many people."Furniture designer Tim Wigmore admits he has a 'perverse enjoyment' making things and watching his designs stack up in his workshop, and in shops around the globe.

In an effort to reduce his output, and still design and facilitate good design experiences, he has moved into a more structured position as exhibition design assistant with TheNewDowse.

"I don't need to keep pumping out 'things' in order to pay the bills, however my design input still reaches many people."He now works in Experience Design and Delivery, helping design and execute exhibitions.

"It is the user's enjoyment, the value they derive from the interaction, the gaining of knowledge or pleasure - this is the design."

He recently worked on The Enchanted Forest, a behind-the-scenes exhibition on the talents who bring fairytale characters to life in The Royal New Zealand Ballet's Cinderella, Te Ao Marama Tapui Ltd's Maui: One Man Against the Gods and NBR New Zealand Opera's Hansel & Gretel.

During what hours of the day do you feel most inspired?
Early morning - between 6-9amish

How would a good friend describe your aesthetic or style?
Simple but not minimal.

What aspect of your creative practice gives you the biggest thrill?
Initial concept development - generating ideas - exploring possibilities.

How does your environment affect your work?
I tend to absorb my surroundings and then they perculate for a month or several and appear in my work. Certainly since shifting from Taranaki to Wellington City at the beginning of the year I have noticed some different elements appearing in my work. Ideas and concepts discussed with different people, reactions to different stimuli... also access to different materials and suppliers.

Do you like to look at the big picture or focus on the details?
I try to zoom in. I find it's the details that make a work interesting and my process often seems to be a narrowing of focus from a broad initial concept.

What's your number one business tip for surviving (and thriving) in the creative industries?
Being open to opportunities without losing sight of what your goals are.

Which of your projects to date has given you the most satisfaction?
Each project seems to be more satisfying as I become more confident and proficient as a designer. So generally what I am currently working on is what I am most excited about.

You recently won a BEST Design Award, what was this for?
I received a Bronze Award in the concept furniture category. The piece is quite innovative and I worked with engineers and mechanists to realise the design. I think its drawback is that its deliciousness cannot be adequately described by words or pictures. The work is called Through and Through; it's a long narrow breakfast bar that spins and slides through a cavity in the client's kitchen/hallway wall. It's really only when one interacts with it that it becomes evident just how interesting the work is - I quite like that it under-promises and over-delivers in this way.

What does your role as exhibition design assistant at TheNewDowse include?
I assist James Moir, Experience Design & Delivery Manager, in the design and execution of the exhibitions. Depending on the scale and type of the exhibition our involvement can range from simply organising layout, installation and lighting of existing shows to designing whole exhibitions as we are currently doing with The Enchanted Forest.

What is experience design?
It has become increasingly apparent to me in recent years that the value of design is in the user's experience - not necessarily in the thing that the user holds in their hands. It is the user's enjoyment, the value they derive from the interaction, the gaining of knowledge or pleasure - this is the design. We are in a space where the way the museum visitor views, interacts and in some cases understands things is a designed experience. Visitors will bring their own experiences and readings to the space, however the design of the space itself directly impacts on the quality of the visitor experience.

What attracted you to this role?
As a furniture designer I was looking at ways to reduce my output of 'stuff' while still designing and facilitating good design experiences. I have a kind of perverse enjoyment making things and seeing multiples of one of my designs stacked up in my workshop. This extends to seeing them in shops and being distributed around the globe, but I'm beginning to think that this way of gauging the success of my designs is outmoded. I am beginning to think that design can be more than just about making products. My position at TheNewDowse allows me to continue to develop design ideas in a supportive and challenging environment as well as adding some new dimensions to my understanding of design. I don't need to keep pumping out 'things' in order to pay the bills, however my design input still reaches many people.

What are the rewards and challenges of working in a more structured environment?
One of the most exciting things for me is getting to work with interesting people every day and be able to bounce ideas around and have my decisions critiqued. I have in the past predominantly worked alone and it's very exciting for me to be working in a highly creative and more formal setting. I also get to network with a wide range of contractors, designers and artists outside my previous everyday sphere of contact.

What part did you play in the Enchanted Forest exhibition?
I began work here just after the design work for The Enchanted Forest began so I was not only getting my head around being an employee in an office environment but also around the concepts for the exhibition and how exhibitions actually work in general. I spent a lot of time with James discussing the design of the furniture and ways the objects could be presented. I also spent a lot of time making mock-ups' of the exhibition furniture, plinths, object mounts etc - working out shapes and details as well as dealing with suppliers and contractors.

Who or what has inspired you recently?
Ben Pearce. We recently hung his work '21 Snowden Avenue' in the Wallace Art Awards here and I am totally inspired by his craft and consistency of design concepts. Every time I walk past it I see something new.

If you could go back and choose a completely different career path to the one you've chosen, what would it be?
I'm pretty stoked about what I'm doing. I guess if you ruled out being a designer I might look at growing food as a career.

What place is always with you, wherever you go?
My granddad's real junk shed. He was a fisherman and was always working on boats. His sheds were full of junk, the first shed was pretty useful junk like dials and lights, bits of motors and wheels. The second junk shed was less useful, the real junk shed was up in the bush behind the house and apart from a few gems was junk - an amazing place to play and rattle around in.

What's the best way to listen to music, and why?
Have it played and sung to you by your super talented musician friend. It is immersive.

You are given a piece of string, a stick and some fabric. What do you make?
A hammock so I can relax and think of what I can make with my string, stick and fabric.

What's the best stress relief advice you've ever been given?
Breathe in, breathe out. breathe in, breathe out .....

What's great about today?
There's lots of exciting work to do and when I'm finished at 5.30pm I can hang out in the sun with my partner.

What's your big idea for 2009?
My big idea for 2009 is to work very very small.