Cristian Carrara

LEGENDARY INTERVIEW

Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer Cristian Carrara ("CC") 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?

CC : I studied graphic design in high school but my dream was to become an architect, for this reason, after graduating, I enrolled at the Faculty of Architecture of the Polytechnic of Milan but after a few years of study and work at architectural studios without graduating, returning to being a Graphic Designer following my most artistic vein.

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

CC : My propensity in Communication Design has led me to abandon my career as an architect, focusing on graphics and communication, always finding good feedback with clients who have always given me motivation to continue this path with the utmost commitment, always trying to improve my skills In this compound. To this day I do not consider this as a job but a beautiful game. Playing with graphics and communication gives me a lot of satisfaction.

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

CC : My biggest dream was to be an architect, but in my journey the Graphics has always thrilled me more and more, becoming my job so i choose to become a Graphic Designer.

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

CC : Essentially everything related to Communication Graphics but I love to design logos and websites.

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

CC : I do not yet consider myself a design legend, there is still much and more to learn. The only advice I can give is to always engage in thinking that one's work must be done for people and not for themselves.

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

CC : Good design satisfies the creator, great design satisfies the world.

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

CC : A simple but full of meaning, not redundant, useful and able to excite is a really good design.

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

CC : The value of a good design for me must be its usability unit to a harmonic form that can also give an emotion. Investing in good design means investing in a more beautiful future in which to live surrounded by beautiful things and give creatives the chance to express themselves and make their ideas tangible

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

CC : I would very much like to invest my time creating graphics for communications but also websites and logos capable of interacting and expressing a message to the world.

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

CC : A network of graphics that can work remotely but in synergy for the creation of graphics and communication, one day I hope to be able to create one

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

CC : The enthusiasm also for small things without discerning between more or less important projects, all the projects are important and must be done at best.

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

CC : I'm not one who takes individual designers as an example, I get inspired by everything, even not concerning design.

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

CC : I love the Juicy Salif by Philip Starck. I like it for its simplicity in its form while remaining very usable with a touch of irony.

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

CC : For the moment I believe the Long Live Brunello Corporate Identity logo for its simplicity of form that still manages to convey its function, its message.

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

CC : Believing in their abilities, always, without being discouraged and always striving to achieve the best result by thinking first of all of the people who will see / use that object before they themselves.

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

CC : I would have liked to become an architect or be a theater actor, I tried both ways in my life path.

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

CC : For me design is an art form created by people for people. A way to make everything better around us.

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

CC : My friends and my colleagues.

DL: What helped you to become a great designer?

CC : The desire to always do better always thinking that every project, even the smallest, had its own dignity.

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

CC : The difficulty of making others understand that mine was a serious job anyway, that there was always reasoning, research, method and time behind.

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

CC : Make the world understand the work behind the final product.

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

CC : Some are currently creating a new website that will be published shortly. Stay tuned!

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

CC : The Long Live Brunello logo.

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

CC : I believe a product of high creative and intellectual level, I hope to be able to live up to my expectations, I will do my best!

DL: How does design help create a better society?

CC : Design is a great responsibility towards society and the environment. Today we are used to thinking about the environment and to people. If we take into consideration the design of the past, these things were not taken into consideration, this thought did not exist, but today we know that everything that human beings create affects our lives and the environment. Design must set an example for everyone.

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

CC : A new website. I love design websites because they are digital architectures with rooms, corridors and doors ... immaterial places designed for people.

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

CC : The Long Live Brunello logo it was an excellent proof of my ability well rewarded by customer satisfaction and for having received the prize Golden A' Design Award 2019, a great impulse to continue to do better and on this path

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

CC : Much more attention to the environment with the use of recyclable materials coming from renewable sources.

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

CC : I hope in the direction of sustainability.

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

CC : It depends a lot on the period, sometimes a few hours, others take days and days to arrive at a solution.

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

CC : I always start by taking inspiration from other works by other Graphic Designers, a bit to not copy and a little to see the trend of the moment and see what others are doing, then I start to set my idea, I create drafts, I delete, I start again from scratch over and over again, I do some "exercise for example" as I call them with people who are close to me to see if they are on the right path, if the message arrives and if basically they like my idea, then I create the final project, I look at it, I don't like it, I'm not convinced, but the time has now expired and I have to deliver the work. Result, millions of drafts, one final job.

DL: What is your life motto as a designer?

CC : Do something useful first and then make it beautiful. This is the golden rule transmitted to me by my mentor to whom I always try to refer.

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

CC : Good question. Both in my opinion. There are designs that set the trend and others that follow it and neither option is considered less important than the other.

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

CC : As a Graphic Designer, the technology in my work plays a fundamental role, now without a computer, laptop, smartphone or other I could not do the job I do

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

CC : I use a Mac with several graphic softwares to do my work.

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

CC : Color, materials and environments make each design unique and the choice of each of them permanently affects the perception of what is being created.

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

CC : First of all I hope that nobody ever asks me anything about the meaning of my design or it would mean that I was not good at my job as a communicator. however, it would be interesting to receive questions about the method, how I got there and how I developed the idea.

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

CC : I am happy that someone has imagined, thought and created something beautiful for the world in which I live and feel hope for the human race and its good creative potential as opposed to the destructive ones.

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

CC : I believe in co-design, unfortunately I haven't yet found a soul mate, professionally speaking.

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

CC : My greatest mentors were two people to whom I will always be grateful, my boss and the art director of the magazine I work for, they were very patient with me and they raised me professionally.

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

CC : Il falò delle novità.

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

CC : Working, working and working trying to always do everything in the best and most professional way possible, especially alongside experts who have had the passion to teach me many things

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

CC : I have not yet decided with whom, there are really too many with whom I would like to exchange a few words irrelative of time and space.

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

CC : For now I have received only one prize, I hope so much not the only one. If you start from the first moment to do everything for the best, step by step, it's less difficult than it may seem.

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

CC : I love yellow, I like my badroom/office (wherever it is in the world in the future), I like so much Lasagne in winter times. I really don't have a favourite thing or brand.

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

CC : A classic: a thousand drafts, small hours to work and then ... the customer chooses the first draft, the one you didn't like even as much as it was sketched.

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

CC : Greetings to my dog before leaving home, a look at that old billboard on the road and a piece of chocolate in his pocket.

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

CC : I liked to draw a lot, I was the only one who designed the chimneys straight on the roofs of the houses, but since I only drew those, everyone told me that I should be an architect. However, I am very happy to do a job in which I can express my abilities.

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

CC : I am optimistic, I believe that humanity will go on in the best way, perhaps falling again, again and again but I can see a beautiful future and for more people than it is for a few today.