Walmir Luz

LEGENDARY INTERVIEW

Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer Walmir Luz ("WL") 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?

WL : I graduated from the architecture program at Cornell University back in 2015 and since then I have had the opportunity to work in major architecture projects while working at Gensler before transitioning to a more concept design/branding role at Westfield.

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

WL : I love the idea of trying to solve a problem through the creation of something new.

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

WL : I chose it. It was very clear to me from a very early age that I wanted to do something related to design. Creating new and different things were a huge motivation throughout my whole life.

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

WL : I started my design career in the architecture field but I have been transitioning to a product and brand designer which better aligns with my future aspirations.

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

WL : It sounds cliché but you need to do what really motivates you. I can use myself as an example: I started in architecture which I still love but as I developed my design career I discovered that my true motivations came from other areas and since then I have been driving my professional endeavors in those directions and every day I feel more and more accomplished and happy with what my future might hold.

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

WL : I believe a good designer knows how to solve a need or a problem in an efficient way but a great designer truly embraces the challenge and accomplishes a final solution that goes beyond solving a problem: it creates an experience; it delights, it introduces something unexpected.

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

WL : A really good design is a story that feels complete and tight on all ends without gaps. It a design that goes beyond solving a problem.

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

WL : Design in general is something that enhances any project and achieves a final value that goes beyond fitting a function.

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

WL : Always keep evolving. When you create something, you might have a finish line in mind but even when you reach that point, you should always push a bit further. Just a little step forward already open a world of possibilities and evolves the design to the next level.

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

WL : Create! Practice makes perfect.

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

WL : I would like to see design to be more accessible. In today's society, great design is still seen as an elitist thing. Very few companies bring design to the masses. Apple and Dyson, for example, create great design products but they have helped elevate the idea that design costs more.

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

WL : Someone that thinks differently than me. 2 designers that think alike don't really push the boundaries between one another. It is through divergence that new possibilities are born.