We talk hull stripes, table edges and furniture showrooms with Gulf Craft designer Hussein Alshaali
Steve Chalmers
Interviews
HUSSEIN ALSHAALI: DESIGN MATTERS
What was your first role?
When I started here at Gulf Craft I was in quality control, because everybody’s good at criticising, right? My job was basically to go find problems.
That sounds like fun?
All of it’s fun. I mean from day one. Every time I set foot on a boat, I think “Wow!” For my job, though, it was more about usability. I would get on a boat and make a point of pretending that I lived there. I would sit down opposite the TV to see if there was any glare. I’d sit on the toilet to see how the towels hung. That sort of thing. This led me on the path to product development.
It started with just a few lines on the computer and it grew from there. I’ve drawn a few designs before that, but this was the first concept to be entirely realised.
An ideal department?
It was, but product development was a department of one for a very long time! But it was here that my interest in design went from just a hobby to being my day job.
Did you train as a designer?
No, design for me was nothing but a total hobby. I’ve always liked taking things apart and seeing how they worked. I remember getting a remote control car as a kid. I’d play with the car for maybe a day and then I’d completely disassemble it – that was the coolest thing in the world to me.
On the weekends I would go to furniture shops for fun. I have an architect friend and we used to go and visit new hotels just to check out the suites. When I’m out at dinner with my friends, I’ll be peering under the tables to see how an edge is terminated. Is it a veneer, is it solid?
Variety is the spice of design: One of the intriguing aspects of boat design is being able to work with paint, upholstery, carpentry and metalwork.
What did you start on?
My first project was the Silvercraft 36HT. I worked on the colour scheme. When it was in the plug stage, it looked high, so I added hull stripes and tinted glazing to visually lower it.
What’s the latest?
Currently, we have a new line of Oryx coming out and that is entirely my project – it’s been really fun to do. It started with just a few lines on the computer and it grew from there. I’ve drawn a few designs before that, but this was the first concept to be entirely realised. It’ll be ready for its world premiere at DIBS.
Is it smooth sailing in the weeks before the boat show?
Not at all. It’s full tilt. It’s hectic. It’s scary. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.
