Interview with Sergey Smirnov, industrial designer, CEO of Smirnov Design LLC, speaker of the workshop ‘Space Inspector. Inspection in orbit’
Sergey Smirnov is an industrial designer with 30 years of experience, vice-president of the Union of Designers of Russia. He creates objects that must survive in the extreme conditions of space and at the same time remain ‘friendly’ for humans. On the eve of the international workshop ‘Space Inspector: Testing in Orbit’, where Sergey will be a speaker, we talked about why space design is not about beauty, how a moon rover can weigh 4kg and why a designer should learn to speak the language of medical professionals.
- Sergey, you are the speaker of a workshop dedicated to designing extraterrestrial objects. How did an industrial designer end up in the space theme?
- It all started with my family. My father, Albert Smirnov, was a designer and artist. In the 60s, he designed the K-2 lunar movie camera for the Soviet lunar programme. If the USSR sent a mission to the moon, it would be his camera that would capture the historical footage. It's like a genetic code: I followed in his footsteps, graduated from Stroganovka and have been working in industrial design for 30 years. And space entered my life through the Selenokhod project, a lunar rover for the Google Lunar X-Prize competition. We created a 4kg walking robot that could have been part of the Luna-Globe mission. Alas, the project was shelved, but the experience is invaluable.
- Why is industrial design important for space? It seems to be all about function.
- Wrong. Yes, in vacuum and radiation there is no room for decoration, but design is not just about the shell. My definition: industrial design is an interdisciplinary endeavour that, through research and development, determines the look, aesthetics and perception of a product, taking into account technology, business objectives and.... human psychology. In space, the designer becomes the astronaut's ‘advocate’. We balance between engineering limitations and human needs: how to make the interior of the station not only safe, but also psychologically comfortable? How to place hundreds of instruments so that they are intuitive to use even under stress? This is our job.
‘A designer in space is a psychologist, an engineer, and a bit of a shaman.’
- What skills does a designer who wants to work with space projects need?
- The first is curiosity. You have to immerse yourself in related fields: medicine, material science, ergonomics. For example, we were designing a bowel stapler, a device on which lives depend. Our designer learnt the procedure so deeply that a surgeon professor asked: ‘What med school did you go to?’. The second is systems thinking. In space, every detail affects the whole. The third is communication. You will speak 10 languages: with engineers, psychologists, medics, and then find compromises.
- What about creativity? Or is there no room for imagination in space?
- Creativity here is about solving contradictions. You want a bigger porthole to reduce stress? But it weakens the structure. Dream of cushioned seats? But they'll eat up precious metres. The designer looks for solutions where others see a dead end. For example, in a project for a Russian orbital station, design students from Stroganovka experimented with colour and light: how to visually ‘extend’ the walls in a tiny module? Such tasks are a real challenge.
‘Ilon Musk is a genius of PR. But his Starship is a lesson for everyone.’
- How do you feel about SpaceX's approach, where Starship design is part of marketing?
- Musk is brilliant at creating an image of the future. His Starship looks like a Star Wars set, but it's not just beauty. A Tesla rover sent into space is a gesture that inspires millions. Yes, sometimes it sacrifices practicality for effect, but it works: the media talks about it, investors believe, and talent goes into the industry. Our school is more conservative, but we are changing too. Roscosmos is already attracting designers from Stroganovka and Stieglitz Academy - it's a trend.
- You mentioned joint projects with Roscosmos. What kind of work is this?
- We are involved in creating interiors for the new Russian orbital station. Under the guidance of Mark Serov, students have been developing module concepts. The task is not just to arrange equipment, but to think through how a cosmonaut will live in this space for years. For example, how to zone the module so that there would be a place for work, rest and even the illusion of personal space.
‘Space design is a profession of the future. But you need to learn it now’
- The workshop will bring together young specialists from different countries. How is such an international format useful?
- Space unites. Each culture has its own view: Europeans value minimalism, Asians value technology, Russians value reliability. When these approaches collide, innovations are born. For example, Chinese colleagues suggested using folding structures to save space, and Iranian colleagues suggested using ornaments in the decoration as a reminder of the Earth. This is invaluable experience.
- What is your advice to the participants of the Space Audit?
- Think boldly! The workshop is a place for experimentation. Try things that seem impossible: gravity simulators in weightlessness, ‘smart’ materials that change shape. Remember: today's fantasy can become tomorrow's standard.
About the workshop ‘Space Auditor: Orbital Inspection’
On 24-25 April 2025, Moscow (MSTU-MASI) will host an international workshop where students and young specialists from Russia, China, India, Iran and other countries will design objects for extraterrestrial missions. Experts from Roscosmos, NASA and private companies, including Sergey Smirnov, will share useful cases.
Sergey Smirnov is an industrial designer with 30 years of experience, vice-president of the Union of Designers of Russia. He creates objects that must survive in the extreme conditions of space and at the same time remain ‘friendly’ for humans. On the eve of the international workshop ‘Space Inspector: Testing in Orbit’, where Sergey will be a speaker, we talked about why space design is not about beauty, how a moon rover can weigh 4kg and why a designer should learn to speak the language of medical professionals.
- Sergey, you are the speaker of a workshop dedicated to designing extraterrestrial objects. How did an industrial designer end up in the space theme?
- It all started with my family. My father, Albert Smirnov, was a designer and artist. In the 60s, he designed the K-2 lunar movie camera for the Soviet lunar programme. If the USSR sent a mission to the moon, it would be his camera that would capture the historical footage. It's like a genetic code: I followed in his footsteps, graduated from Stroganovka and have been working in industrial design for 30 years. And space entered my life through the Selenokhod project, a lunar rover for the Google Lunar X-Prize competition. We created a 4kg walking robot that could have been part of the Luna-Globe mission. Alas, the project was shelved, but the experience is invaluable.
- Why is industrial design important for space? It seems to be all about function.
- Wrong. Yes, in vacuum and radiation there is no room for decoration, but design is not just about the shell. My definition: industrial design is an interdisciplinary endeavour that, through research and development, determines the look, aesthetics and perception of a product, taking into account technology, business objectives and.... human psychology. In space, the designer becomes the astronaut's ‘advocate’. We balance between engineering limitations and human needs: how to make the interior of the station not only safe, but also psychologically comfortable? How to place hundreds of instruments so that they are intuitive to use even under stress? This is our job.
‘A designer in space is a psychologist, an engineer, and a bit of a shaman.’
- What skills does a designer who wants to work with space projects need?
- The first is curiosity. You have to immerse yourself in related fields: medicine, material science, ergonomics. For example, we were designing a bowel stapler, a device on which lives depend. Our designer learnt the procedure so deeply that a surgeon professor asked: ‘What med school did you go to?’. The second is systems thinking. In space, every detail affects the whole. The third is communication. You will speak 10 languages: with engineers, psychologists, medics, and then find compromises.
- What about creativity? Or is there no room for imagination in space?
- Creativity here is about solving contradictions. You want a bigger porthole to reduce stress? But it weakens the structure. Dream of cushioned seats? But they'll eat up precious metres. The designer looks for solutions where others see a dead end. For example, in a project for a Russian orbital station, design students from Stroganovka experimented with colour and light: how to visually ‘extend’ the walls in a tiny module? Such tasks are a real challenge.
‘Ilon Musk is a genius of PR. But his Starship is a lesson for everyone.’
- How do you feel about SpaceX's approach, where Starship design is part of marketing?
- Musk is brilliant at creating an image of the future. His Starship looks like a Star Wars set, but it's not just beauty. A Tesla rover sent into space is a gesture that inspires millions. Yes, sometimes it sacrifices practicality for effect, but it works: the media talks about it, investors believe, and talent goes into the industry. Our school is more conservative, but we are changing too. Roscosmos is already attracting designers from Stroganovka and Stieglitz Academy - it's a trend.
- You mentioned joint projects with Roscosmos. What kind of work is this?
- We are involved in creating interiors for the new Russian orbital station. Under the guidance of Mark Serov, students have been developing module concepts. The task is not just to arrange equipment, but to think through how a cosmonaut will live in this space for years. For example, how to zone the module so that there would be a place for work, rest and even the illusion of personal space.
‘Space design is a profession of the future. But you need to learn it now’
- The workshop will bring together young specialists from different countries. How is such an international format useful?
- Space unites. Each culture has its own view: Europeans value minimalism, Asians value technology, Russians value reliability. When these approaches collide, innovations are born. For example, Chinese colleagues suggested using folding structures to save space, and Iranian colleagues suggested using ornaments in the decoration as a reminder of the Earth. This is invaluable experience.
- What is your advice to the participants of the Space Audit?
- Think boldly! The workshop is a place for experimentation. Try things that seem impossible: gravity simulators in weightlessness, ‘smart’ materials that change shape. Remember: today's fantasy can become tomorrow's standard.
About the workshop ‘Space Auditor: Orbital Inspection’
On 24-25 April 2025, Moscow (MSTU-MASI) will host an international workshop where students and young specialists from Russia, China, India, Iran and other countries will design objects for extraterrestrial missions. Experts from Roscosmos, NASA and private companies, including Sergey Smirnov, will share useful cases.