Out Of The Clouds Tal Zur on the language of crochet, trust and creating social impact through design
Tal Zur is a trained industrial designer who lectures at the Holon Institute of Technology. She is also the co-founder of Iota Project, a Tel Aviv-based lifestyle start-up with the goal to create social impact through design. At the core of this enterprise is an ancient technology, or rather, a technique: crochet.
In this interview, Tal talks to Anne about how she came to study industrial design, curatorship and patisserie (an eclectic combination), how she chose to move away from working in fashion and, while she was considering the next steps in her career, how she had a serendipitous connection with her co-founder, Shula Mozes, the one to brainstorm the idea of crochet as the basis for their social mission.
Tal explains how industrial design is like a methodology and how she became inclined to approach crochet in a modern way, all the while drawing on old Greek doilies as inspiration. As she tells it, crochet can be communicated and replicated like one could a piece of music, and that’s how Iota Project is able to share design drawings with women and collaborate with skilled communities over several countries.
Anne and Tal also discuss the meaning and importance of slow design, and how Iota Project aims to create sustainable social impact by being a platform for change, which includes putting the opportunity in the hands of the consumers, designers, architects and other entities that will engage with their products.
The two finish by talking about how Tal approaches her life as a mother (of three!) while being an entrepreneur, the importance of trust and not micromanaging when working remotely, and how teaching in front of design students twice a week is a bubble that keeps her feeling creatively connected.
A very inspiring interview with a compelling and fascinating woman. Enjoy!
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You can find more about Iota Project and Tal at https://iotaproject.com/
as well as connect with them on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/iotahandstitched/
and Instagram - https://www.facebook.com/iotahandstitched/
And you can find Tal on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tal-zur-4b17a434/
Hulon Institute of Technology - https://www.hit.ac.il/en
Il Camino de Santiago - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camino_de_Santiago
The ICA Museum in Boston - https://www.icaboston.org/visit
The exhibition Fiber Sculpture from 1960 until today - https://www.icaboston.org/exhibitions/fiber-sculpture-1960%E2%80%93present
Jaipur Rugs - https://www.jaipurrugs.com/
The current range of swings by Iota Project - https://iotaproject.com/?s=swing
The Peugeot x Iota Project collaboration - https://iotaproject.com/blog/peugeot-automotive-2016-2017-2/
Her book of choice is the History of Love by Nicole Krauss - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_History_of_Love
Tal's choice of song is Blackbird by the Beatles - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Man4Xw8Xypo
The playlist from Out of the Clouds - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4Viqm1uiiHtM5Y0FwTCtFR?si=07e38d1790614665
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If you enjoyed this episode, click subscribe for more, and consider writing a review of the show on Apple Podcasts, we really appreciate your support and feedback. And thank you so much for listening!
For all notes and transcripts, please visit Out Of The Clouds on Simplecast - https://out-of-the-clouds.simplecast.com/
Sign up for Anne's email newsletter for more from Out of the Clouds at https://outoftheclouds.com.
Follow Anne and Out of the Clouds: IG: @_outoftheclouds or @annvi Or on Threads @annvi On Youtube @OutoftheClouds
For more, you can read and subscribe to Anne's Substack, the Mettā View, her weekly dose of insights on coaching, brand development, the future of work, and storytelling, with a hint of mindfulness.