Danilo Villanueva & Makina & Co

LEGENDARY INTERVIEW

Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer Danilo Villanueva & Makina & Co ("DV&M&C") 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?

DV&M&C : I graduated with a multimedia design background. Although the advertising industry is not exactly the same as the design industry, I was able to use my design skills through out my entire advertising career. Ever since the birth of my own company, Makina & Co in 2014, I have been very hands on with graphic and product design.

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

DV&M&C : Design is a path I took because it's what I excelled in the most. I excelled in it because I was passionate about it. I realized this at an early age, all the way back in high school and probably earlier.

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

DV&M&C : I chose to become a designer.

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

DV&M&C : Product design. Not long from now, I would like dive into architecture and interior design.

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

DV&M&C : Go to school. 4 years of that helped shape who I am today. Because in those 4 years, designing was all that I was doing non-stop everyday. I can't say the same thing was possible during my early or current design career. It's really the best time to hone in on your primary skill. Once you have that, work on your people skills as early as in your first job.

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

DV&M&C : A good designer answers the brief, makes beautiful things that adapt to users. A great designer goes beyond the brief, makes beautiful things that users adapt to.

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

DV&M&C : Besides determining whether a design aligns with the brief, is aesthetically pleasing and is functional, I rely on first impressions. How a certain piece of design makes me feel at first glance, is important to me. First impressions are usually governed by how new and how bold what it is that I am looking at. It either excites me or it doesn’t. This, from my point of view, is what normally separates great design from good design

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

DV&M&C : My son's future car.

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

DV&M&C : Designing my family's home.

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

DV&M&C : "Perfectly imperfect" is an ingredient I try to inject on all our work. It makes things feel newer and less predictable. Perfect is boring. Perfectly imperfect reflects humanity and daily life.

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

DV&M&C : Antoni Gaudi and Frank Lloyd Wright

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

DV&M&C : Cartier's Santos Dumont timepiece which is the first pilot watch ever created. It was bold when it first came out for more than a century now. And it's timeless icon.

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

DV&M&C : Be more observant. Take inspiration from real experiences and physical objects more. Travel more. Get inspired by things outside the industry you're designing for.

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

DV&M&C : The second thing I was good at was coding. So probably something in Computer Science.

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

DV&M&C : To me, design is when idea, beauty and function come together to evoke an emotional response from its users.

DL: What helped you to become a great designer?

DV&M&C : Practice.

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

DV&M&C : Like a skilled salesman. Don't "Let the work speak for itself". It sounds nice but please don't do it because it's not real. Be a skilled sales person. Know who you're selling to. Know what they want to hear and use it to sell your work.

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

DV&M&C : More watches with different personalities.

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

DV&M&C : We're currently bringing back a new iteration of one of our first designs after 7 years. It's a model people have been asking us about since it being sold out. We're also designing another piece that is more eclectic in terms of design style and rougher in persona but premium at the same time. They both come out this year.

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

DV&M&C : More sustainable ideas. But beyond that, I would like the industry to be able to provide more education as to how designers can inject more sustainable aspects to whatever it is they are designing.

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

DV&M&C : The entire design phase can either take as quick as 1 month to 12 months. The best ones, I find, were done in 1 month.

DL: What is your life motto as a designer?

DV&M&C : Whatever it is you make, make it human.

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

DV&M&C : Unfortunately it is more of the latter. But sometimes you see a product launch with a design that would set trends for many years. Those are the ones worth talking about.

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

DV&M&C : It's just a tool that makes making things go faster. All it does is simply put down on paper what you already have in your brain.

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

DV&M&C : Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom, Fusion 360

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

DV&M&C : How do I come up with something better?

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

DV&M&C : My personal opinion is no. I don't believe in co-design. I'm not looking at design from the point of view of a design firm but more from the point of view of my own brand/company. As much as possible, we look at a design as an art piece and therefore belongs to only one artist.

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

DV&M&C : My brother who is also a designer. My wife who's is not a designer.

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

DV&M&C : It's an advertising book called "Hey Whipple, Squeeze this" by Luke Sullivan.

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

DV&M&C : Practice. And take inspiration away from the industry you are designing for.

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

DV&M&C : I can't decide between Rachmaninoff or Beethoven.

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

DV&M&C : I feel grateful for the awards and recognition. I don't think I am famous. I don't mind being famous of course. But it's not why I do what I do or the reason as to why we get awards.

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

DV&M&C : Black. NYC. Nigiri. Fall. Grand Piano. Jaeger-LeCoultre.

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

DV&M&C : Finally briefing in the production team to start building a prototype. I get motivated by the overwhelming feedback and support from our customers, specifically the ones from my own country.

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

DV&M&C : From the moment, I started designing using legos at 4.