Ariel Palanzone

LEGENDARY INTERVIEW

Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer Ariel Palanzone ("AP") 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?

AP : I graduated as a graphic designer at the University of Buenos Aires in 2013 and since 2009 I have worked as a Graphic and 3D Designer, Motion Graphics Designer and Art Director for animation. As of 2019 I work freelance for many design and animation studios around the world.

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

AP : I am motivated by the idea of creating designs that contribute to improving the society in which we live and also being a designer helps me improve myself as a person.

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

AP : Fortunately, it was by choice.

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

AP : I am a multidisciplinary designer who can create 3d images to visualize products, design objects or furniture or a brand logo.

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

AP : haha! thank you very much for the compliment. I think that the key is perseverance, believing in oneself and trying to improve day by day.

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

AP : wow!! that is difficult to answer. But I think it has to do with that added bonus that those designers have in not seeing design as just a task to solve a specific need of the client, but rather they want that design to be memorable and transcend time.

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

AP : I agree with the principles of Dieter Rams who says that good design is honest, beautiful, useful and innovative. Good design must be consistent in its details, understandable and respect the environment. It is a good design when it is taken to its minimum expression, there is nothing to remove or add.

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

AP : I think that the value is given by the context, the user. Investing in good design is essential to be able to function and evolve as a society, since design is part of our cultural heritage and speaks of the society of which it is a part.

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

AP : I would like to design furniture for big brands in Italy or Germany since they are two schools of design that I respect and admire a lot.

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

AP : I would like to design my own house/studio including furniture and interior decoration.

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

AP : I always try to capture a personal vision of the context that surrounds me.

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

AP : Marcel Lajos Breuer, Vasili Kandinski, Josef Albers, Frank Gehry, Paul Rand, Massimo Vignelli.

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

AP : One of my favorite designers is Milton Glaser, for his innovative and playful way of capturing ideas.

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

AP : My best design is always yet to come.

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

AP : You can always improve. One must stay in the spirit of learning and seek to learn new things all the time.

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

AP : I think I would be a plastic artist or a musician.

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

AP : Design is autobiographical and goes through us all at all times.

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

AP : Above all, my parents have been the great emotional support at times when things don't go the way you want. And fortunately I have had many co-workers who have been generous with me and have helped me grow professionally.

DL: What helped you to become a great designer?

AP : I think that curiosity and the feeling that you can always improve. The concern of not staying in the same place for a long time.

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

AP : There have always been obstacles of all kinds, like some people who don't want you to shine and seek to bring down your ideas, but over time I see that each obstacle is a learning test that makes you stronger.

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

AP : I think they should present them in the most realistic way possible, contextualizing them and explaining them in a didactic way.

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

AP : My next design projects are linked to the design of lamps, rugs and furniture.

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

AP : My ultimate goal is for my work to transcend time and be useful to society.

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

AP : I couldn't tell you what they expect, but I do hope my work inspires them.

DL: How does design help create a better society?

AP : Design helps people in being able to solve specific problems and needs.

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

AP : I am currently excited about the development of a lamp prototype that has been awarded in a design contest in Argentina a few months ago. To carry out that idea I am learning from many areas such as electronics and 3d printing.

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

AP : The design project that has given me the most satisfaction has to do with the development of these lamp prototypes, since they have been widely accepted by many colleagues.

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

AP : I hope that in the coming years the design industry will be more aware of environmental impact and take more account of human factors such as emotional intelligence to create ideas for industrial products.

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

AP : I believe that there is no single course, but I am interested in everything that emphasizes subjectivity and human diversity.

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

AP : That depends a lot on the complexity of the project and the type of client, but I try to make commercial work take no more than one or two months. On the other hand, in personal projects, the deadlines are much longer and many times they are processes that never end completely.

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

AP : I usually start by looking for references and inspirational material, researching and searching for similar brands to do an analysis of the market, I write words as triggers to combine them and generate the concept, then I make some pencil and paper sketches capturing that idea, for more later put it on the computer.

DL: What is your life motto as a designer?

AP : My favorite motto is "less is more".

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

AP : I think that design should endure over time, without being constrained by the trends of the moment.

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

AP : The role of technology is very important, since it is the tool in which I capture my ideas and sketches in the most immediate way. I also use my social networks a lot to promote my work.

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

AP : I mainly use Cinema 4d, Photoshop, Illustrator and After Effects. I basically work with a desktop pc.

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

AP : They are fundamental in my work, since both color and textures and materials transmit certain emotions and sensations in people.

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

AP : I have never considered it, but I prefer that they ask their own questions without conditioning.

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

AP : It generates a great emotion in me and they inspire me to continue creating.

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

AP : I think that my ideal partner has not arrived yet, but I am constantly looking for him. I suppose that it should be someone with whom I complement myself to design together and enhance the work.

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

AP : One of the people who has most influenced my design is the designer Alex Proba, since I have been working with her for many years and I always learn a lot from her vision of design.

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

AP : The ABC's of the Bauhaus by Ellen Lupton

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

AP : Sharing knowledge with my colleagues from university and work in advertising agencies, watching tutorials on my own, practicing a lot and making many mistakes too.

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

AP : Nicholas Tesla.

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

AP : haha! I haven't had much recognition yet but I hope that soon my work will become better known.

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

AP : My favorite color is pink My favorite food is "asado", my favorite place is Italy my favorite season spring, my favorite thing is a book, my brand is MAC.

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

AP : Something fun is being in a shopping center and seeing a design that I have made.

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

AP : What makes a day at work great is when a proposal to do something new and exciting comes along.

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

AP : As a child I was always drawing and creating houses or clothes for my toys, so yes, I have always leaned towards design and art.

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

AP : I'm not very optimistic about it so I prefer not to comment.

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

AP : That I would like to chat with them to exchange ideas.