Lorena Sauras

LEGENDARY INTERVIEW

Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer Lorena Sauras ("LS") 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?

LS : I joined an engineering program in Industrial Design in my hometown where I learnt everything about form and function but I was lacking the emotional and spiritual side that completes our existence, the pure innocence of looking at life through a kid’s eyes. Later in my career I had the opportunity to do a master’s in Switzerland at The École cantonale d'art de Lausanne (ECAL), focused on Art and Design and it was there when I found the connection that I was missing in my practice.

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

LS : My main motivation is to impact people’s lives by providing objects that resonate with their souls. I became a designer because it was a way to transform abstract ideas and feelings into tangibles in a purposeful and meaningful way.

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

LS : Even though I wanted a career in arts I ended up pursuing a career in computer science but I soon realized I wasn’t happy with that so I pivoted to design, my perfect intersection in everything I crave.

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

LS : During the day there are so many design ideas from different categories that cross my mind that get me excited - the challenge is to only pick one. That said, inherently any design across any category that captures the innate connection among the soul, emotion, and physical world is what I wish to design more.

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

LS : Spend the time thinking about who they are as designers and what their place in this world is. Never give up.

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

LS : A great designer touches people’s lives in a meaningful way.

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

LS : A really good design is a design that resonates with people. A good design is like being close to your soulmate, you don’t have to do or say anything to feel calm and in peace, just knowing that is there is enough.

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

LS : Good design impacts your environment in a good way and our mental and physical health are a reflection of our environment, so investing in good design is investing in everybody’s wellbeing.

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

LS : My dream project is the one I am immersed in at any given time. Enjoying everything I do makes me feel alive.

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

LS : To completely fall in love with what I am doing.

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

LS : Never let your mind get old, keep it active, full of energy, dreams and youth. Not only in design but in how you approach your entire life.

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

LS : As a small child I wanted to become an explorer.

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

LS : Design is like a spiritual tool, a deeper language, that allows me to connect my feelings and emotions with tangible life. A way to impact people’s lives by providing objects that resonate with their souls.

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

LS : Being a designer gets personal so the highs and lows of the journey really have an impact in your life and you have to be prepared for both because it can get emotionally draining.

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

LS : Making sure that what we design has a reason to be, it is not one more in a million, and has enough quality to last. We have to create designs that people will fall in love with so they take care of the pieces and keep using them for life, if not for generations. Design is not about quantity, it is about quality.

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

LS : I have been thinking about some small furniture and lighting projects recently, mixing two different techniques I am exploring. Imagining the possibilities it is what excites me the most right now.

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

LS : The last one. When I am involved in a new design the connection that I feel is so strong that it becomes my favorite at that moment in time.

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

LS : I think that more and more people are realizing how good, slow designed pieces can impact their lives and future generations’ lives. People are seeking thoughtful and responsibly made pieces, not mass-produced and carefully choosing what they buy instead of submitting to fleeting trends - or at least that is what I want to think.

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

LS : Designing time varies a lot from project to project. It can be a few hours for a very specific, simple and direct project for a client if I know it isn’t going to have any problems during production, to a months or even years to fully develop an idea, especially if I have to find the right manufacturing and adapt the design to the handcrafted possibilities and process.

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

LS : When I have a new idea I close my eyes, metaphorically, and my mind does all the work. I can actually see the designs in front of me as if I were wearing VR glasses. Sometimes I write my feelings about what I see and it helps me with the design process because it is a way to embody the design and give life to the pieces. Sketching later in the process helps me with refining the details.

DL: What is your life motto as a designer?

LS : The same as in life, enjoy every moment.

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

LS : Once I know what I want to do I am very hands-on literally speaking so I like to use every resource I have around to do some sort of prototypes early on in the process even if it is only about general volumes and sizes. I am now into sketching on my iPad which I never thought I would be into because I was more a pencil sketcher. 3D softwares allow me to communicate or put into production my final vision very efficiently.

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

LS : Fundamental, they help us to feel the energy within the designs

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

LS : A sense of peace and balance.

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

LS : I believe in close relationships and trust and plenty of good communication. We are all part of a design process since we do not design in isolation. Co-design is part of the pillars of design.

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

LS : Black for clothes, earth colors to surround myself with, everyday has a favorite food and I love the never-ending evolution of seasons.

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

LS : Realizing the never-ending possibilities of any project makes my days.

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

LS : When I was a kid, my inner child made me spend hours creating my own toys, toys that I could see in my imagination but couldn’t get in a store. I guess that gives you a clue.

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

LS : Whatever the future brings, one thing I am certain, the energy we all have within us still will be there one way or another.