Hernani Ruhland Tralli

LEGENDARY INTERVIEW

Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer Hernani Ruhland Tralli ("HRT") 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?

HRT : I've been drawing since I was a kid, so I think it became a routine over time. I got to take a comics course for 3 years, then a technical course in advertising, a faculty of Industrial Design and a Photoshop course to improve myself.

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

HRT : I always liked to draw, Art & Design has always been present in my life. I think my creativity motivates me to always develop something, be it an illustration or a project.

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

HRT : I think my artistic path led me to design. I always wanted to have contact with it.

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

HRT : I draw a little bit of everything, so I don't have any idea priorities. I like to design utensils like wristwatches for example.

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

HRT : His knowledge in art and dedication to his projects. I am impressed with the artistic level of many Designers.

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

HRT : I usually evaluate the techniques artists use, their visual quality and the complexity of their projects. The more complex and more details it has, the more it catches my attention.

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

HRT : If a client wants exemplary work, then I think it's worth investing heavily in good designers. About value, hard to say, depends on your technique, creativity, everything counts.

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

HRT : I love space exploration, so for sure Nasa, Space-X or ESA - European Space Agency.

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

HRT : It would be a dream to develop some project ideas for NASA, Space-X or ESA - European Space Agency.

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

HRT : Well, I don't consider myself an example of success, the Design path is very difficult. I can only say that the ideal is to continue dedicating yourself.

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

HRT : I usually see a lot of good Anonymous Designers, many of whom I follow on social media. I also really like concept arts used in pre-productions of Films. Lots of great Artists and Designers, HR. Giger (already deceased), Adi Granov (Iron Man Movie concept)... Hard to choose.

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

HRT : As I said, I love space exploration, I'm not a designer of this segment but I love space vehicles, Rover, Starship, space uniforms, planetary exploration instruments and everything related to this.

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

HRT : My best design so far is exactly this project that I submitted to the A'Design Award competition. I put a lot of effort into this wooden wristwatch concept.

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

HRT : In my case, whenever possible I develop some illustration or project, even if it is a small project, it helps in development and creativity. Studying other techniques by watching other artists, taking courses, there are many ways to develop.

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

HRT : I can't say, I find it difficult and sad to have to work on something we don't like. I can't see any other way for myself away from art and design.

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

HRT : Art & Design for me is a way of life, it's part of me, that's what I breathe today.

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

HRT : Certainly my father and mother have always encouraged me with my creativity.

DL: What helped you to become a great designer?

HRT : Não me considero um grande designer, apenas estou caminhando ainda.

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

HRT : I don't consider myself a master designer either, but there really have always been obstacles and there always will be. It is a difficult and very disputed path. My biggest obstacle without a doubt was moving to another country.

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

HRT : With as much dedication and creativity as possible.

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

HRT : Hard question. I start a project, finish it and start another one. In the future, hard to say.

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

HRT : I don't have an end goal. I just go one step at a time focusing on my projects.

DL: How does design help create a better society?

HRT : I think that through self-sustaining projects aimed at Art & Design, it is already a great social and environmental help.

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

HRT : I think this watch project I submitted for the competition. I really enjoyed seeing the result at the end and being able to send it to the A'Design Award and have a good score on it.

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

HRT : Projects increasingly self-sustaining, this helps a lot in society and the environment.

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

HRT : Depending on the project it can take a few days or about a month, as was the case with the Holzwolf wristwatch concept I developed.

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

HRT : I start by doing research with what already exists in the market and having ideas of what a differentiated design would look like.

DL: What is your life motto as a designer?

HRT : Work with what you love to do the most.

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

HRT : I think Design changes the trend as a whole. Car designs have always been ahead of their time, often futuristic. I believe this makes us always imagine what the future will be like and we automatically evolve so that it becomes real.

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

HRT : Technology is fundamental for the development of Design projects. For me software like Photoshop and Illustrator are fundamental.

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

HRT : For my iMac I use Photoshop and Illustrator and a Graphic Tablet Wacom to draw.

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

HRT : Fundamental, depending on the theme, the product, the trend. Everything must be analyzed and taken into account.

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

HRT : Depending on the project, I analyze the design, how it was done and its development process.

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

HRT : I've been very creative since I was a child, I think this helped me a lot in my direction towards art, painting and drawing. I took courses in advertising, design, technical course and University of Industrial Design.

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

HRT : Maybe Albert Einstein, Nikola Tesla. Or someone from the future to help us with some clean energy solutions.

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

HRT : This is my first Design Award. A'Design Award is a big organization, I'm still absorbing all of this and I don't know what impact it will have on my career yet. I've already participated in a previous competition for ESA - European Space Agency, I think it's really cool to participate and promote my work. But winning this award made me very happy and excited.

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

HRT : I love yellow (a yellow sports car is my dream). Place: Brazil and its beaches. Food: usually natural and occasionally pizza and grill. Season: definitely summer, Sun & Beach. Material things usually utilitarian essential for everyday life, nothing that is just for status. I confess that I'm not very connected to brands, I'm more interested in the functionality of things and, of course, in Design.

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

HRT : When I am designing and at the end I manage to complete such a project. That's gratifying.

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

HRT : In no way, I just liked to play and create, I built paper toys with cutouts and collages, I was already very creative. As a child, I couldn't say what I wanted. That came over time.

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

HRT : First we need to focus on solving problems such as clean energy, excess consumerism, excess garbage and taking care of the environment and the planet, because we don't even know if we will have the next hundred (100) years. Imagine a thousand years. It's up to each of us to think as a collective and try to solve the planet's problems so that there are future generations.

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

HRT : Well, I like to think outside the box, so I'm always open to new possibilities and ideas. I like to think of the collective and the planet as a single body where we can all co-create and benefit. And of course, using Art & Design as a way of life and not just for financial gain.