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Interview with Fernando Echeverria |
Home > Designer Interviews > Fernando Echeverria |
Editor Frank Scott (FS) from DesignPRWire has interviewed designer Fernando Echeverria (FE) for A’ Design Award and Competition. You can access the full profile of Fernando Echeverria 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?
FE: My meeting with design started when by chance I joined some drawing lessons, actually I was studying accounting but since the day I put a pencil in my hands and discovered my creativity I couldn't stop until now.
FS: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
FE: Im part of a comunity of czech designers in the center of Prague called Botega SmetanaQ. My particular studio its a place where the exploration and experimentation is mixed with the traditional arts of the shoemaking, I consider myself not only a footwear designer but as well a contemporary shoemaker.
FS: What is "design" for you?
FE: As its name says design, its the field of assigning shapes, colors, sensations, but as well assigning life to new creatures that will become a product and will contribute to make our lives better.
FS: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
FE: Although I am a professional products designer I have special connection with the leather crafts and shoes, maybe because Its a family tradition that I want to keep and preserve.
FS: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
FE: I do not have a specific favorite design as the world is working thanks of the design, I admire airplanes so how not admire the mythic Concorde, and in small or individual scale I can not avoid loving pieces of the Czech cubism likes the vases from Pavel Janák.
FS: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
FE: A calendar for the Ecuadorian National Airlines ( TAME).
FS: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
FE: I might seen like an old fashion or revel but there is not better machine, technology than the human hands sculpting, working with ceramics or shoes.
FS: When do you feel the most creative?
FE: In the afternoon after my coffee with the view of Vltava River in Prague.
FS: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
FE: For me a product in my case shoes should be wearable, beautiful and very important with the quality to last.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
FE: I see the design as a product of the emotions not opposite, but of course design is great meditation and why not therapy for me.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
FE: Depends on the result but as I said before designs are a mirror of the designer emotions, and if they are good I consider them my child and sometimes its even difficult when somebody buy it.
FS: What makes a design successful?
FE: Unfortunately I have the feeling that most of successful designs nowadays are salable because they follow the trends and marketing. In the romantic way a good design should transcend fashion or trends by its innovation and utility.
FS: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
FE: Each time I see a new design I imagine if it will finish in the garbage or a museum and then the answer is easy.
FS: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
FE: We are in a big part very responsible of the huge pollution and wasting problems we have. We misuse and abuse of the synthetic materials, making everything nice but disposable. Now we should come back to natural materials and create products that will last more, can be repaired and very important can be made locally and by human hands.
FS: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
FE: I'm not very optimistic, in one way we can see a new wave of local designers and small manufactures, but in the other way with the appearance of new technology like the 3D printing, design will be made at home but in the negative part we will use more and more plastic.
FS: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
FE: My last exhibition was in the Czech Design week and soon I will be Part of the Designblok 2018 in Prague.
FS: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
FE: My inspiration its easy to find its only question of have open eyes, is everywhere even in a small detail of a window at home, but of course the mother of inspiration is and will be the nature.
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?
FE: I do not like trends, so I consider my design as a mixture of my latinAmerican roots and visual memories with my life in Europe, I can say im eclectic.
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?
FE: I am Ecuadorian and 24 years of my 33 I had the good luck of living in a real visual paradise, with a extreme nature and a reality seen only in fantasy books. In the other hand I studied and I am creating from one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, Prague, and in a country very rich in culture, so I think the results are unique and wonderful.
FS: How do you work with companies?
FE: I am my own company, so companies provides me with materials mainly and I am open to cooperation.
FS: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
FE: I would say, risk and give more chances to new people.
FS: Can you talk a little about your design process?
FE: My process starts making and objective and then trying to find the best solution for what I require, usually it comes by itself and If not I research for some similar solution in the nature.
FS: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
FE: Pressure cooker, bed, washing machine, oven, sofa
FS: Can you describe a day in your life?
FE: Waking up at 8, 30 min meditation, make some time for me and plan whats the day plan, make arrive to my atelier at 10, make my first coffee, work a bit, lunch at 14 and then second coffee, working until 7 or 8 pm, come back walking through the river home, make some RTX, relax and going to sleep.
FS: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
FE: Believe in your own and unique style, watch less magazines for inspiration but read more, and the most important take critics from honest people who wants you to improve, from others just let it go.
FS: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
FE: As a self employed the positive thing is the freedom of design and the negative is the constant insecurity of not always having enough clients.
FS: What is your "golden rule" in design?
FE: The word to your customers is the most important.
FS: What skills are most important for a designer?
FE: patience, courage, do not be afraid to make a fool of yourself
FS: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
FE: Hammer, glue, cutter, ruler, tape, needles, thread, a camera.
FS: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
FE: If a person thinks that designing is a time consuming should find a different profession.
FS: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
FE: Each product is different in complexity , sometimes a design problem is solved in one second, or sometimes the solution takes a lot of time.
FS: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
FE: Can you make enough money to live?
FS: What was your most important job experience?
FE: Comeback to my country and work with local producers in the mountains.
FS: Who are some of your clients?
FE: Normal people who wants something special at least once in life.
FS: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
FE: i love the prototyping step.
FS: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
FE: Open my own shop and atelier in some European capital.
FS: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
FE: I must say In the design part i am the ruler.
FS: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
FE: Im very excited to be part of the most important design event in the Czech Republic and Central Europe. Designblok for this, I am developing a complete new collection.
FS: How can people contact you?
FE: You can contact me visiting my atalier in Prague, or via www.ferech.comInstagram: pragueinshoesFb: @ferboty
FS: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
FE: All is covered, thank you very much
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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