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Interview with Jose Roca |
Home > Designer Interviews > Jose Roca |
Editor Frank Scott (FS) from DesignPRWire has interviewed designer Jose Roca (JR) for A’ Design Award and Competition. You can access the full profile of Jose Roca by clicking here.
FS: Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
JR: Since I was a child I used to invent and modify artifacts at home, grew up as a very curious kid and enjoy learning new things every day. The first time I heard the word design was when I had ten years, in a cars magazine where was an article about the British designer Ross Lovegrove, in this article they mentioned all his achievements and products. Since that day I wanted to be like him, and change the world making more useful and attractive products.
FS: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
JR: My company mainly focused on 3D visual representation, we work making renders and animations for the construction industry and some publicity. But in my spare time I design and produce limited editions of ideas that pop up in my head in the middle of the night.
FS: What is "design" for you?
JR: Design for me is something that make part of each individual, is found on each aspect of our day by day. From the moment you wake up and plan your day where you are designing your journey to the moment you get bat to bed.
FS: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
JR: I really enjoy creating furniture and decorative items, because are products that allow me to experiment with different materials and technology to look for a different way to perceive and experience the objects.
FS: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
JR: Is difficult to say because every design i like have a particular and unique aspect that makes me appreciate it and make it impossible to compare one from another.
FS: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
JR: A set of sparkling bottles for an italian Glasss blowing company that wanted to create a new iconic bottle for the italian sparkling wine Prosecco.
FS: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
JR: Recently I started to get involve into handcraft materials. Recalling the traditional methods that goes hand by hand with the "glocal" concept, that promote the idea of consuming products made in your location.
FS: When do you feel the most creative?
JR: When I am doing something else but thinking about work. That is why I have alot of hobbies, is in these moments when my brain start generating random ideas that then are filtered and organized into design opportunities.
FS: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
JR: Next to the spetial attention to details, presenting ideas that brings an unspected solutions and suggests different ways of function is part of the main aspects I focus during designing.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
JR: Most of the time is a feeling of joy for being rethinking the future. Offcourse there can be times of insecurities when the projects doesn't go as smooth as planned, but those are the moments when I focus the most and succeed.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
JR: It is a feeling of five minutes joy and then start thinking how can I make it better.
FS: What makes a design successful?
JR: The one that appeal to the emotions of the user, easy to use, attractive to the view and can be related to something personal.
FS: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
JR: It have to surprise, solve problems in such a smart way that makes me wonder "how I didn't think about that?"
FS: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
JR: Every designer should create objects that makes life for the mankind more comfortable and sustainable. Bring new and smart solution fo todays difficulties with the less impact to the environment.
FS: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
JR: in the future everybody will be more pleased to design their own things with tools as 3d printes and AI. Everybody will create their own objetcs from zero, totally customizable.
FS: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
JR: I have never made an exhibition by myself. I have participated as a designer intern in the design of the Toyota Exhibition "setsuna" for Salone del Mobile in Milan 2016. I am scoring to participate in the Wanted design 2021 to present Tamsa.
FS: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
JR: Inspiration hit me every time I learn something new, I try to see how I can implement this new knowledge in a diffetent way from how it is been used.
FS: How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
JR: I do not consider to have a particular style since many of my projects are driven by emotions, but I can tell I like more sober products, that do not abuse of color and shape but focuse on details. Finishings, tactile and visual are my main purpose.
FS: Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
JR: I live in Medellin, Colombia. I really enjoy living and working here due to the multicultural heritage can be seen here. Also is a a "pushed forward" society that never get stuck with a problem, always find a solution and move on.
FS: How do you work with companies?
JR: Usualy I approach to them with new and refreshed ideas that i look to take forward in the market. Becoming a relationship of co-creation.
FS: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
JR: Be more open mind and trust designers desitions. It is okay to make suggestions but also listen to the designer into why it can or cannot be a good idea the one you suggest. To select a good designer I suggest to go through different portfolios and choose the one you consier goes better with our company philosophy.
FS: Can you talk a little about your design process?
JR: It all star with an extensive form exporation that usually get inspired from abstract volumes and shapes that after several iterations becomes a composition that please the functional and aesthetical needs for the project. Also in my design process, experimentation is essential. Where trying new combinations of materials and processes hep define new perception and not so obvious solutions.
FS: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
JR: I have a bottle of water design by Ross Lovegrove to the company Tynant, One of the Panton chair Scale models from Vitra, The Juicy Salif of Philippe Starck, my Marshall headphones major iii and garbino of Karim Rashid for umbra.
FS: Can you describe a day in your life?
JR: Usualy I wake up around 4 am, do some t25 excercises. After that, take a shower, get dressed and prepare breakfast. From there, my day can vary widely depending on the projects I am coordinating at the university that semester. When I am not dictating class at EAFIT University, I am working with my partners in the projects we have running by the moment. And during the weekends I develope self ideas, go to the workshops around the city to get materials or processes done as needed by the idea I am working on by the moment.
FS: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
JR: Work hard, be curious and never compare yourself to no one.
FS: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
JR: The positive are that you can take your imagination to the next level and aport to the future. A negative aspect would be the difficulties of beginning, learning to charge and make ourself a name in the industry.
FS: What is your "golden rule" in design?
JR: Look for a different way to do it and evoque emotions.
FS: What skills are most important for a designer?
JR: Conceptualizing, being able to create ideas that tells a stor,y not just being able to make any object but to create something that the user can feel a conection with.
FS: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
JR: I look for alot of references on internet, checking magazines and other designs, enjoy going to the bookstore to look for theories of design books and new methods to experiment.
FS: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
JR: wake up early and go to bed late.
FS: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
JR: Depending on the complexity of the project in terms of concept and experimantation, it can take from three to six months of continuous work to develop a complete project.
FS: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
JR: Usually I get asked where do I get my ideas from?
FS: What was your most important job experience?
JR: When I was doing an internship in Milan, I had the oportunity to make part of the creation of the exhibition for Toyota in Salone del Mobile 2016.
FS: Who are some of your clients?
JR: Mainly I design for myself. Creating limited editions of my designs and sold under self promotion.
FS: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
JR: I enjoy designing products that play with perception, provoque conversations and interact with the user and the environment.
FS: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
JR: For me, design is a continuous process that evolve everyday to better. In my future I see myself materializing ideas from my crazy mind and promoting them in a gloca context.
FS: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
JR: Most of my work is developed by myself with help of local workshops from my city.
FS: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
JR: As always I have around two projects in the drawing tabe at the moment. But there cannot be mentioned until a further stage in the process. By the time these are still on an early stage.
FS: How can people contact you?
JR: through my email: joesr.1915@gmail.com or via whatsapp +57 3008322359
FS: Thank you for providing us with this opportunity to interview you.
A’ Design Award and Competitions grants rights to press members and bloggers to use parts of this interview. This interview is provided as it is; DesignPRWire and A' Design Award and Competitions cannot be held responsible for the answers given by participating designers.
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