The project which earned him an award at Łódź Design Festival is called Breakup. It is a cup with a specially designed crack in its rim where the user can fasten the string of a tea bag. The shape of the fissure protects the "tail" of the bag from falling into the cup when filling it with water. The design of the cup suggests an extension of the crack and is a decorative element in its own right.
Łukasz Wysoczyński graduated with honours from the Warsaw Academy of Design, which was a natural consequence of his long-standing interest and secondary education in design. He decided quite early on to focus on furniture. His master’s degree project Ordinary Furniture was selected for the Coming Out exhibition of the best graduate projects at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw in 2010. The designer explains:
The aim of the project was to create a set of furniture - chairs and a table, along with additional equipment - that would demonstrate the extent of the possibilities of the design of the ordinary fruit crates that were the inspiration for the set. This is a proposition for affordable furniture that is simple, even typographic. The reference point for whole set was the design of the chair. It determined the remaining elements of the set.
The impression one may have when looking at the furniture and objects designed by Łukasz Wysoczyński is that he plays with their form and function and imaginatively combines them in order to create unique designs. For instance, the Oh! Lamp is at the same time a stool and a lamp. It can just be used as a seat, but when it is switched on, the underside of the seat begins to glow. This project incorporates the unobvious juxtaposition of two different functions while maintaining its simplicity and naturalness.
Wysoczyński applied a similar strategy in designing the Ubytek (Lack) coffee table. He cut out a part of the table top, creating a place to store magazines. As in the previous example, the furniture retains two functions - that of a table as well as that of shelves for newspapers. Another design based on the same principle is Pałeczki Two Tu (Sticks Two Here). These are two wooden chopsticks that can also be used as traditional cutlery, depending on the way they are held, so they are as equally suitable for grasping pieces of sushi as they are for helping yourself to a pork chop. In an interview for Culture.pl the designer revealed:
I am interested in everything that concerns the environment in which we live and work. I am interested in how the environment and objects can affect and build moods, and create relationships among people. Everything that surrounds us, the environment in which each of us grew up, in which we move and act, gives me incredible opportunities when it comes to look for inspiration for creating well-designed objects that are often surprising in form and function.
In the design process, good vibes are of great importance to me. I think that you should feel the object which you want to make. The end result can sometimes differ from the original idea, therefore I leave myself some room for improvisation, but that is what makes the process of reaching the final form so exciting. Sometimes, finding simple and obvious solutions is the hardest task. And that is the reason of difficulty in obtaining a timeless universal form. It is a challenge that I am trying to meet.
Łukasz Wysoczyński has a special affection for all kinds of seats, chairs, stools, footstools, and sofas. He believes that it is crucial to have a comfortable place to rest, sit down, stretch out and enjoy the moment. An important aspect of an object, apart from its utility and convenience, is also the special character that makes it unforgettable.