César Bejarano

LEGENDARY INTERVIEW

Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer César Bejarano ("CB") 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?

CB : I have a degree in Architecture but I specialize in industrial design. Products and recently furniture, which I find I enjoy very very much.

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

CB : I have never wanted a real job because I have always wanted to live off what I consider my talent, or at least my favorite thing to do, which is design. Since I was a kid I wanted to be an architect, which I am, but I find that I like the scale of industrial design better for me. I still love designing everything and anything that has 3 dimensions.

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

CB : Who would force me?

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

CB : Everything that comes in 3 dimensions. No graphic design.

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

CB : I don't think I will be able to answer that even if I ever become a design legend.

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

CB : I wish I knew.

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

CB : First, I consider if it's something that has a real application. Is it really needed or is it vain? If it's needed, can it be improved in some way, any way? If all of this comes together with a beautiful object, then for me, that's good design.

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

CB : Because it's good.

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

CB : I do have the time. I design for myself, hoping others will like it.

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

CB : I dream along as I go along.

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

CB : I'm not successful yet. I'm still working on it. I don't think there's really a formula though. The creation process is anything but linear, and no ingredient is a constant. Each project is different and therefore the ingredients change constantly. If I had to answer something, I guess it would be that I enjoy what I do. I enjoy creating.

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

CB : No legends or masters for me.

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

CB : I have a lot, none in particular. I must like them each for different things.

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

CB : I think my best design is a DIY vertical gardening system called Cara de Planta, which I created. I think it's great because it not only outperforms the rest of the systems out there, it does it in the most stylish and pragmatist way possible.

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

CB : Just knowing there is always room for improvement is enough.

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

CB : We are all designers. Everything man-made is designed. So everyone is a designer. I would still be a designer, but maybe just in a more boring industry.

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

CB : Design is everything that is man made. Design and art are symbiotic, but a designer is not an artist, while an artist is definitely a designer.

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

CB : I have not reached anything, but I have always had the support of my parents.

DL: What helped you to become a great designer?

CB : I will never become a great designer. Even designers that are considered great by others are still working on greatness. If you think you have achieved greatness, then really you have reached your peak, and that's not something I want.

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

CB : I'm always facing obstacles, never becoming a master.

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

CB : Excellently.

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

CB : A lot of things, for both questions.

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

CB : Live off royalties from a myriad of designs I did for different brands.

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

CB : What means this question?

DL: How does design help create a better society?

CB : It's the other way around. A better society helps create better design. It's really a cycle. Who comes first? The chicken or the egg?

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

CB : Everything.

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

CB : The ones I still like, because they still give me satisfaction.

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

CB : I think companies put too much weight on the name of the designer, while there are a lot of amazing unknown designers. The design should be the one to speak, never the designer.

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

CB : I hope somewhere out of where it is now, giving less importance to aesthetics and trends.

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

CB : It depends on the scale and complexity of the object. For me, since I don't design things that surpass my knowledge, I take very little time.

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

CB : Sometimes in the beginning, sometimes in the end, sometimes in the middle.

DL: What is your life motto as a designer?

CB : I am Antipop; I'll run against the grain till the day I drop. I am the Antipop; the man you cannot stop.

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

CB : I don't think those two should exist together. Design by definition should ignore trends.

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

CB : It's a tool. Like any tool, it's there to make things easier, so it's very important.

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

CB : Just the ordinary things.

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

CB : These are elements of design. All elements of design are important.

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

CB : I would like for them to not ask anything. If they understand it completely, then the interaction between design and user has been successful, and this is what defines good design.

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

CB : Ideally I would always design alone. I don't think co-design is the most practical way to approach design. Design is something very personal. And still, every team has a leader. The reason for this is because if not, chaos ensues. Even though chaos is welcome in design, it's abundant. Why look for more with an extra head?

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

CB : No one in particular, but surely everyone in some measure.

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

CB : Same answer as above.

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

CB : I'm still developing skills as a designer, a regular one.

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

CB : I don't know. Anything I could say would sound very pretentious.

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

CB : I'm not famous. And I don't think even the most famous designers will ever reach the level of fame that becomes unbearable.

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

CB : Color: purple and orange...and yellow...Place? Everywhere but my hometown of Monterrey, México...

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

CB : Designing makes my day great.

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

CB : It was obvious I had creativity.

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

CB : I don't think about it that much. I stay saner that way.