Interview with Merla Laguna + ioolot.com
Designer Interview
21 April 2014
My formation as a designer began with my family; my relatives are designers, architects, doctors, lawyers, engineers and entrepreneurs. In this environment I developed an special sensibility to aesthetics, to hard work and to understand the natural engineering of how products are developed, how they should work and how to set up what it’s needed to make it reality.
I wanted to become a professional where I could combine my sides of formation: the "engineer" side, the "creative" side and the "entrepreneurial" side, I found in the Industrial Design this conjunction, where I formed myself nationally and internationally with extensive education and professional experience.
I have always loved to self-thought my self, spending everything in books and visits to any type of museum wherever I was traveling, this curiosity and amusement from objects, houses, projects, technology, design, fashion, medicine, ecology, business and personal relationships let me work every project I have made with enthusiasm, enjoyment and love.
Work has been always part of my nature, added to long hours of development, I have been able the see the "full picture" to grow projects in different areas of expertise with innovation.
I wanted to become a professional where I could combine my sides of formation: the "engineer" side, the "creative" side and the "entrepreneurial" side, I found in the Industrial Design this conjunction, where I formed myself nationally and internationally with extensive education and professional experience.
I have always loved to self-thought my self, spending everything in books and visits to any type of museum wherever I was traveling, this curiosity and amusement from objects, houses, projects, technology, design, fashion, medicine, ecology, business and personal relationships let me work every project I have made with enthusiasm, enjoyment and love.
Work has been always part of my nature, added to long hours of development, I have been able the see the "full picture" to grow projects in different areas of expertise with innovation.
My professional experience began as an external consultant, and grew up into a design studio. Nowadays my Design Strategy it's a piece of the mechanism for a company to succeed and we participate with a partnership in new projects to develop them from and within the factory.
It's a language where the society and industrial realities communicate and express their own culture and emotions. Design can be used as a tool for achievement.
Where technology represents the soul of the new system.
I love design as a system solving, not just isolated but integrated into a methodology, where through it you solve social problems. I consider IKEA not just a smart business but a whole world of communication where they managed to create solutions to a wider range of the society. Good design can’t be isolated nowadays to a single product; it belongs to a communication strategy, a financial strategy and many factors that make business and companies vulnerable if they don't think through design.
If I think in a product itself, I would definitely admire Sotssas design, timeless, clean and contemporary.
If I think in a product itself, I would definitely admire Sotssas design, timeless, clean and contemporary.
Objects made out of glass
Steel, Glass, numeric controlled process.
During the night when I sleep, I workout my designs
Usability, reality of the product with an specific niche of market.
Satisfaction, mind sharp feel.
Satisfaction and fire when you see that everything can be improved.
The correct integration into society
1- To whom its designed for + aesthetics.
2- Cost of production, reality of industrialization.
3- Market reality.
2- Cost of production, reality of industrialization.
3- Market reality.
Bad products are remembered forever. (economic, social and nature impact)
Design must be a certificate products must have, but design must evolve into the integration of different fields as; communication, ecology, society, arts, etc...
More than exhibitions are presentations. Milan will be always Milan but we need to look for New horizons - Japan / New York / Shanghai
Inspiration come from the connection of different realities. Ideas come from the connection of neurons , the more you see, feel and learn more possibility to connect dots / neurons you have....
I try to make my designs timeless and less risk investment, Industrial design its an expensive investment, where products are in the market for more than 5 years, My designs intend to be contemporary thought time and more serious and a formal contribution with society. My designs come from the bones of the object, the technology of the products that I design show off the aesthetics of it.
Nowadays I am based in Mexico City although I still go back and forth to Italy to keep on with the projects. I would like to have an stronger language of my country but in the contemporary globalized world Industrialized products sometimes cant have such an strong accent.
I am planning to develop a line of products where this will be the main factor of difference.
I am planning to develop a line of products where this will be the main factor of difference.
As a consultant and with a project together.
Designers are like doctors, you wont choose the cheapest and not experienced doctor to take care about your tumor isn't it?. Design its a project worked out within the company, designers are not magicians and implementation comes from the work of both sides.
My design process care the cycle of the product, is not an isolated product which will make the difference for the company, the company has to make changes in the way communicates whit its clientele, product design its just a part of the cycle where I work with the brand, product, packaging and communication.
My 18th century chandelier, the hifi speakers I have designed, my plants (plenty of them), the alessi / rossi expresso maker, the sotssas / alessi sugar container, the limoge / white classic ceramic.
Monday where all the week appointments are made.
Early in the morning to do exercise
Morning for concentration and studio working
Evening to visit clients or providers.
Night to write down the accomplishments of the day.
Early in the morning to do exercise
Morning for concentration and studio working
Evening to visit clients or providers.
Night to write down the accomplishments of the day.
Time is Your Only Limited Resource
Positive: imagination its your frontier
Negative: discipline its your frontier
Negative: discipline its your frontier
Be realistic, demand the impossible
Curiosity, self-though, problem solver.
Adobe - Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign; Corel Draw, Rhino, Fryrender
Before I used to know more than 20 programs, nowadays I don't have time to loose time.
Before I used to know more than 20 programs, nowadays I don't have time to loose time.
Organization, segmentation, don't fall in love with time consuming programs.
Depends of the object, some projects I have taken 2 years some 1 month...
How to get more clients
With tutondo in Italy and with Studio Corradini in Cina, nowadays in Mexico with ioolot.
my cv its my clientele.
Working with technology, tangible.
Implementing a group of start-up design based companies.
Both ways but mainly by myself.
I have 3 start-up companies but its secret for now
by my email mail@merlalaguna.com