Amarist Studio

LEGENDARY INTERVIEW

Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer Amarist Studio ("AS") for their original perspective and innovative approach to design as well as their creative lifestyle, we are very pleased to share our interview with our distinguished readers.

DL: Could you please tell us a bit about your design background and education?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: I graduated from my Masters in Architecture at 25yo and had the great opportunity to fly to California to design a house for a private client. I spent a year working there and I then was hired by an Architecture+Urbanism firm in Zurich, Switzerland, where I worked on a urban planning competition to design a whole new neighborhood in Marseille, and we won! So by 27yo I could say I had designed, along wonderful teams, a house and a neighborhood. It was very fulfilling, but I felt the need to start my own venture and that is how I joined Aran Lozano to build Amarist Studio. Since then it has been a rollercoaster ride, a great journey of learning and growth, a path full of difficulties but also with big achievements. ARÁN LOZANO: I did not carry out a specific academic education in design, it was a self-taught process, experimenting with materials, techniques and technologies.

DL: What motivates you to design in general, why did you become a designer?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: I like to create and build experiences, buildings, objects…. Solve problems and functionality challenges. I never had a clear idea of becoming an architect/designer, I think it was a process of maturation in which I discovered that I liked three fundamentals: art-creativity, functionality-engineering, and business. ARÁN LOZANO: I never thought I wanted to be a designer ... I think I became one without wanting to, chasing my curiosities and satisfying my concerns, I discovered that I was happy when creating.

DL: Did you choose to become a designer, or you were forced to become one?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: I don’t think anyone can be forced to be a designer. As any field you have to love what you do otherwise it is impossible to do great work. ARÁN LOZANO: I do not think anyone can devote themselves to being creative by being forced to do so ...

DL: What do you design, what type of designs do you wish to design more of?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: Because of my Architecture foundation, I design anything from buildings to urban plans to furniture. Despite the differences on these fields I think they have a lot in common, and there are multiple examples of architects through out history with works in all of these three disciplines. At Amarist Studio we currently have a good balance of different type of projects, and that is very fulfilling. ARAN LOZANO: I like conceptual design, works that are able to shake minds, provoke and with a big visual power.

DL: What should young designers do to become a design legend like you?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: I don’t consider myself a design legend. I am just at the beginning of my career… I would recommend young designers should study history of art, architecture and design to have a good foundation. Work hard on their vision and dreams of who they want to become. ARAN LOZANO: Hahaha I do not think I am a design legend. If one day I am, maybe then I can save everyone work and explain the secret recepie... For now I can only say that you have to work hard, visualize the top you want to reach, be bold in the decisions you make and prepare a large dose of perseverance.

DL: What distinguishes between a good designer and a great designer?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: The ability to give a soul to their designs, when is able to touch and move the users. ARAN LOZANO: A good designer is able to create a product that solves the need in the most efficient way. A great designer I think that also breaks with the established, surprises, and sets new limits.

DL: What makes a good design a really good design, how do you evaluate good design?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: Observing how the different elements that configure the piece (shape, materiality, usage, light/shadow, rhythm, etc) become a unique entity where nothing can be added or subtracted, with a soul that can touch you. ARAN LOZANO: A design is really good when you fall in love with it.

DL: What is the value of good design? Why should everyone invest in good design?

AS : Good design makes people and society better, in every single way.

DL: What would you design and who would you design for if you had the time?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: Not having the time is an excuse. I would go to areas affected by natural disasters and help the community design and build everything they need. ARAN LOZANO: I would design my country-side house. Since I was a child I have been imagining it and making sketches. As I mature, travel and discover new influences I evolve the ideas. If I had made a sketch of each idea during these years, it would be a great visual diary of the experiences that have impressed me during my life, I imagine that the final project will gather all those moments.

DL: What is the dream project you haven’t yet had time to realize?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: A dream project would be to be part of Google X team and design the perfect city.

DL: What is your secret recipe of success in design, what is your secret ingredient?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: There is no secret recipe for success. There’s a long journey of work, perseverance, trip overs and getting up back to work more. The secret ingredient is love, to be passionate on the work you do.

DL: Who are some other design masters and legends you get inspired from?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: I think my “legends” are basically architects, also with projects spanning from urban planning to buildings and furniture. Masters like Frank Lloyd Wright, Mies van der Rohe, Louis Kahn and Peter Zumthor.

DL: What are your favorite designs by other designers, why do you like them?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: I don’t have an exclusive favorite design. There’s so many good works in the world and through out history to be able to choose one. ARAN LOZANO: If I had to choose a design, I would keep the "schiphol-clock" clock of Maarten Baas, it is a piece that surprises, makes think about important issues in a nice way.

DL: What is your greatest design, which aspects of that design makes you think it is great?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: With Amarist Studio, the greatest project we have done to date is “Welcome Jewelry”, a solidarity initiative to raise awareness and funds for refugees. Deeply touched by the current Syrian refugee crisis we transformed the razor wire installed along the southeastern European borders into a symbol of respect and support for the war-displaced people. All proceeds are donated to UNHCR – the United Nations Refugee Agency. ARAN LOZANO: The Welcome Jewelry solidarity collection. Although it is not in our usual field of action (collectible furniture) is a very special collection for us. Our work consisted in changing the meaning of a cruel element like the concertina installed in the borders. With a few small changes, we reconverted a physical border of wire into a beautiful collection of solidary jewelry to raise awareness and funds for the Refugees.

DL: How could people improve themselves to be better designers, what did you do?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: Studying history of art, architecture and design. You can learn a lot going through the works of the great masters. ARAN LOZANO: You have to question yourself every day, it's the way to evolve. It is very important to not stay in the confort zone.

DL: If you hadn’t become a designer, what would you have done?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: I would be working in the fields of innovation and business. ARAN LOZANO: Possibly I would have set up another company in some other creative area.

DL: How do you define design, what is design for you?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: Design is making ideas come to life.

DL: Who helped you to reach these heights, who was your biggest supporter?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: My team and my family. ARÁN LOZANO: The team that surrounds me and with whom I create the studio and also the family that decided to support me from the beginning of this adventure.

DL: What helped you to become a great designer?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: Love for nature, philosophy and art. Observation, attention to detail and search for perfectionism. Being organized. ARAN LOZANO: Energy, ambition, passion and certain nonconformity, are the tools that push me to keep growing.

DL: What were the obstacles you faced before becoming a design master?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: I don’t consider myself a design master. The difficulties when creating your own design firm are building the name and client base. The first years are financially difficult. ARAN LOZANO: “When you are inside the school you are warm, but in the street it is cold.” This sentence summarizes the experience of practically anyone who decides to start a career as a professional or an entrepreneurial project. You realize a harsh reality, you have practically everything against you: experience, contacts, money, realism, etc. Your energy and talent are the only tools to make your way between them.

DL: How do you think designers should present their work?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: In the best way possible. Communicating the design is almost as important as the design itself. ARAN LOZANO: Many times I still do not know how to present ours ... hahaha, but always with passion.

DL: What’s your next design project, what should we expect from you in future?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: our most important work-in-progress project that we have right now is a sculptural canopy for a public plaza; which is a great challenge and a huge responsibility. ARAN LOZANO: In Amarist studio we are always proposing new projects; Now we are producing the first public work of the studio, a project that combines art, design and architecture to give rise to a large illuminated sculpture in a medieval village in Spain, together with the urban development of the whole environment. On the other hand, we will continue to work on a line of provocative design that explores the beauty of objects with politicial, social or economic symbolism.

DL: What’s your ultimate goal as a designer?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: Create great designs that people fall in love with. ARAN LOZANO: I do not have a fixed final goal, every day you have new concerns, for which the goals may vary ... I think this can answer the question by ensuring that we like to explore different fields, so we will presumably expand the type of projects we address.

DL: What people expect from an esteemed designer such as yourself?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: To keep working and realizing innovative designs able to surprise and amaze. ARAN LOZANO: It is not something that I ask myself or worries me, the question I ask myself is: “What do I expect from me?” When you have had an idea that you think is good, sometimes you think that it will be the best one you will ever have, that has been the top of your ideas. Then you realize that ideas are infinite, that it is like an algorithm that learns more as you do more.... I hope to continue surprising and I hope that people continue to be surprised with our creations.

DL: How does design help create a better society?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: Design is such a broad word and discipline; it comprises so many different fields, from UX design, to industrial design, to cities and buildings for example. Therefore design as a whole has the power to improve every single aspect of people’s life, from happiness to efficiency. And in consequence, has the power to create a better society. ARAN LOZANO: Before I talked about our collection of solidarity jewelry “Welcome”, I think it is a clear example of how design can be an important actor to build a better future. In our scope of work (collectible design) we try to provoke with our designs, generate debates around ideas of the current social, economic, technological, etc. Design along with art, has the power to provoke emotions and reactions in people, a society with awakened minds is the only one that can evolve towards a better model. In the most technical aspect, the pieces that we make are like prototypes, limited units, where regardless of the costs or the times that are demanded in the most industrial design, it allows you to experiment with new design methodologies or in the implementation of new materials and techniques, which can mark a path of the future.

DL: What are you currently working on that you are especially excited about?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: At Amarist Studio we are working on our first public work. It’s a sculptural canopy for a town’s central square. ARAN LOZANO: We have started working on a new design collection within the studio, especially focused on furniture, a very conceptual line that will experiment with the latest 3D printing technologies, along with natural materials to establish a dialogue between the existing and the future.

DL: Which design projects gave you the most satisfaction, why?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: Our “Welcome” solidarity jewelry project. We are raising awareness and funds for refugees. ARAN LOZANO: Currently the public project that we are developing in Boltaña, Spain. We do it with special love because it is the town where we spend a lot of our childhoods.

DL: What would you like to see changed in design industry in the coming years?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: The unpaid competition system to grant projects. ARAN LOZANO: If it refers to the INDUSTRY of design and not to the art of design: I would not like to see € 2 shirts in stores produced by humans.

DL: Where do you think the design field is headed next?

AS : Now it seems that there is a fever for new technologies and for everything that is made with new digital production methodologies.... It is clear that in the next 5 years 3D printing, robotics and AI applied to production will take a very important leap and expand the fields of action. This, together with open source, will accentuate the democratization of production.

DL: How long does it take you to finalize a design project?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: It depends on the project, the technical challenges, innovation, dimensions, materials, etc. It’s impossible to set the same timeframe for every design. From experience, never less than a year. ARAN LOZANO: According to the experience in our studio, it usually takes at least a year since you start a project until it is executed.

DL: When you have a new design project, where do you start?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: I first reflect on what the project needs to achieve, the goals, and then I start sketching ideas, brainstorming, and doing research on references, materials, techniques… ARAN LOZANO: I run for 1h and then helped by the endorphins I start visualizing ideas, drawing. I let the sketches sit and revisit them again a few days later to see if they make sense or are not worth anything ... If they are worthless, I repeat the process until the opposite happens ... hahah

DL: What is your life motto as a designer?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: “God is in the details” ARAN LOZANO: Provoke

DL: Do you think design sets the trends or trends set the designs?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: Trends set the designs. ARAN LOZANO: This is like the egg or the chicken dilema, I think neither egg nor chicken, is evolution. The trends establish the designs of the mass market as a general rule, but the trend must be established, and I think that is decided between daring proposals of people who put themselves on the edge of the cliff to be caressed by the breeze every morning and the reaction of society.

DL: What is the role of technology when you design?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: Depending on the project. We usually use design software on the development phases, and new digital production machines on production. ARAN LOZANO: It is getting bigger and sometimes it makes you want to start carving stones ... LOL

DL: What kind of design software and equipment do you use in your work?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: We can use software like Rhino, AutoCad, Photoshop, etc. and equipment like laser-cut machines, CNC, 3D printing, etc. ARAN LOZANO: Mostly Rhinoceros, but we use others if necessary.

DL: What is the role of the color, materials and ambient in design?

AS : Depending on the project.

DL: What do you wish people to ask about your design?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: I never really had that thought. I wish my designs can make people fall in love, make people think or reflect…

DL: When you see a new great design or product what comes into your mind?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: “How it has been made?” I try to analyze what makes it great.

DL: Who is your ideal design partner? Do you believe in co-design?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: Yes I believe in co-design. The ideal design partner is one with complementary design skills, open-minded and flexible. ARAN LOZANO: We are a clear example of Co-Design in Amarist studio, where I work with my partner Clara Campo. Collaborating has good things and bad things, but I keep with the good ones. I think you can be more complete to tackle projects, since each one contributes from its nature value to round up the final work.

DL: Which people you interacted had the most influence on your design?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: This early on in my career, I guess my bigger influencers are still my professors at University.

DL: Which books you read had the most effect on your design?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: Atmospheres, Peter Zumthor.

DL: How did you develop your skills as a master designer?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: I don’t consider myself a master designer. I have developed my skills through hard work, willpower, and long nights of design marathons. ARAN LOZANO: One part I owe it to genetics, each one is born with some skills, and then there is the development you make of them. I was fortunate to grow up in a creative environment, my parents either for leisure or for profession have always had a lot space and workshop with machines where since I was little I started creating things that I always left unfinished. Traveling and growing in different environments also helped me to stimulate my curiosity and to ask many questions, but since I was shy, I did not express them and that gave me a very active inner world .... Then I grew up and I learned that it was easier to ask and that no one was eating me ... But a very reflective personality remained inside me.

DL: Irrelative of time and space, who you would want to meet, talk and discuss with?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: Difficult question. I would love to meet and talk to a lot of people; from great politicians, to philosophers, artists and entrepreneurs. Mainly from XXth century. ARAN LOZANO: I think I would choose a conversation with the main galerists and curators of design, often it seems that there is a barrier between the creators and them.

DL: How do you feel about all the awards and recognition you had, is it hard to be famous?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: It has been great to receive the Forbes 30 under 30 nomination and the A’Design awards, it makes you realize that you are working on the right direction…. but these recognitions don’t make you famous, so I haven’t had that problem yet ;) ARAN LOZANO: It seems that in the last few months all of them are arriving at the same time, it is always gratifying to receive back slaps, you feel that you are working in the right direction, although the awards are not the mission of the job.

DL: What is your favorite color, place, food, season, thing and brand?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: Color: blue Place: Barcelona Food: Chocolate Season: Summer Thing: Love Brand: I don’t have a favorite brand. ARAN LOZANO: I do not have favorite colors I try to get the most out of each season of the year, in winter it is a lonelier and more reflective time, in the spring ideas come up and begin to materialize, this is usually the work calendar. I practice adventure sports all year round, in each season a different sport: I ski, hike, rock climb, etc. And better not to talk about food... I love food!

DL: Please tell us a little memoir, a funny thing you had experienced as a designer?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: A funny moment at the Studio was when a Chinese client called and we tried to communicate through google translate’s speaker. It didn’t work haha ARAN LOZANO: I remember that in our first international exhibition, Design Days Dubai, I had a piece of lighting in our suitcase, and when we arrived at the fair to set up our booth and get off the taxi, amazed by the Burj Khalifa, I forgot my suitcase in the taxi. It was not until after more than 1 hour later that I realized that I had left the suitcase with the piece that we were exhibiting. Fortunately the management of the fair made some arrangements and two hours later the taxi driver appeared with the suitcase intact.

DL: What makes your day great as a designer, how do you motivate yourself?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: What makes everyday great is being able to unleash creativity. I motivate myself having a vision on who I want to become and what do I want to achieve.

DL: When you were a little child, was it obvious that you would become a great designer?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: No. I didn’t even know I wanted to become a designer. ARAN LOZANO: No, I had the skills to create things, it was imaginative, but I never knew that I would be a designer.

DL: What do you think about future; what do you see will happen in thousand years from now?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: If humans are still around, they will coexist with AI and potentially be living in other points of our galaxy.

DL: Please tell us anything you wish your fans to know about you, your design and anything else?

AS : CLARA CAMPO: Creativity, as any other ability, is a skill that you work on and improve with dedication and effort. Don’t believe it’s innate. ARAN LOZANO: The life of the creator is lonely.