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Interview with Ruma Design |
Home > Designer Interviews > Ruma Design |
Editor Frank Scott (FS) from DesignPRWire has interviewed designer Ruma Design (RD) for A’ Design Award and Competition. You can access the full profile of Ruma Design 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?
RD: Since I was a kid, I always loved drawing, sketching and cars; and I wanted to do great things. Earlier last year I had the privilege of founding RUMA with a fellow design artist that shares that vision and possesses extraordinary talent. We work with great talents from different disciplines too, so, in a way, that dream has become a reality.
FS: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
RD: RUMA is an international design studio born in early 2019 providing smart solutions and using the highest quality standards from the automotive design industry. Founded by two ex-Ferrari design team members with a wide experience in the advance design field.
FS: What is "design" for you?
RD: Design is about rethinking life, about making things better, smarter and nicer.
FS: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
RD: Hi-tech products; from lifestyle to wellbeing through sustainable mobility solutions
FS: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
RD: I am thinking that maybe in the Alfa Romeo 33 stradale designed by Franco Scaglione, I love its proportions and the fluidity of its shapes, it perfectly projects the sporty essence of the brand.
FS: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
RD: The RUMA team members have a broad experience worldwide but the company itself started its path with the design of a disruptive premium Swiss watch.
FS: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
RD: We are directing our new projects to the area of VR and 3D printing
FS: When do you feel the most creative?
RD: As with artists, and we do believe the best designers are artists at heart, inspiration is a whimsical muse. But when it comes, if you have the privilege, like I do, of being surrounded by a highly competent team that understands your vision, that’s when creativity blossoms for me.
FS: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
RD: To think of a better way in which to implement the features and technology and generate harmony over the whole shape.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
RD: Each project is different, it is like a song or a movie and you immerse yourself in it as if you were living it from the inside, embedding your design with what you want to express.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
RD: I feel great satisfaction from the work done. That is a universal sense, shared amongst all professionals that take pride in their work.
FS: What makes a design successful?
RD: A successful design is when you find a beautiful shape that follows and helps the function; innovating in technology and materials and adding new value to society and the needs of the market.
FS: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
RD: The first thing (but not the most important) is the aesthetics, the shapes, the beauty of the design and then trying to understand that form and how it impacts its functionality.
FS: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
RD: It is important that we design the products which society will use in the short as well as the long term, it is on us to optimize the design of every single object that surrounds us, making them kinder to the users and their environment.
FS: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
RD: It is becoming increasingly essential. It brings together art and science. It is starting to be the main factor to consider for many products.
FS: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
RD: Our last exhibition was this January 2020 at the CES in Las Vegas, Nevada, where we presented a smart motorbike helmet which had a fantastic reception. We would have had one by May, but it was cancelled, unfortunately we must wait until the end of this pandemic crisis before planning any future exhibitions.
FS: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
RD: It all starts with profound research. We like to take references from nature. From organic and bionic shapes to geometrical patterns that can be found in the natural world.
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?
RD: At RUMA we design with volumes rather than lines, with clean, organic and minimalist shapes, accentuating their character with tension lines which results in a hi-end aesthetic value
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?
RD: RUMA has its main base in Madrid, Spain. The character of the people in this country is known by everyone; the Mediterranean way of living, the passion people put in art and design, from Picasso to Dali, From Gaudí to Calatrava, From Buñuel to Almodovar. This country has given so much that is impossible not to be creative in this exciting environment.
FS: How do you work with companies?
RD: One of our best values is the personalised attention and flexibility with which we cater to our clients. The interaction is fully organic in order to create fluid avenues of collaboration to reach the best possible outcome.
FS: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
RD: At times, working within a large team can become tedious, but it is crucial to maintain the morale of your designers as it has a direct relation with their creativity. They may need more space to express themselves and it is important to relax the hierarchical rigidity of yesteryear and understand the new social influxes to confront complex projects in a more malleable way. The way I see it, honesty as well as a deep level of commitment and dedication, combined with talent and creativity, are the key factors when considering a great designer.
FS: Can you talk a little about your design process?
RD: We start with a market analysis and needs research, then we generate strategies, creating 2D development concepts, applying know-how about UX & UI, making high quality 3D modelling, and touching the project up with colour & trim proposals (with a realistic visualization).
FS: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
RD: A Moka coffee maker The Wassily chair A Tizio Lamp A pair of Hi-tech speakers with voice control A one-piece steel knife
FS: Can you describe a day in your life?
RD: I start the day charging up my batteries with a couple of toasts with olive oil, tomato and iberic ham and wash it down with freshly pressed orange juice; then I take my bike and ride down to the studio, where I meet the rest of the team. After a long day of work, I like to hit the gym to unwind. Once I’ve had supper I like to relax with a book before sleep.
FS: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
RD: It may sound cliché, but you must work hard, be constant and train your skills without leaving behind core values such as honesty and adaptability.
FS: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
RD: The most positive side to it is the creative one, which unfolds in unsuspected ways in every aspect of your life. To feel that you are creating something that solves a problem and, particularly, when it is something innovative that improves or enriches other people’s lives. The less positive aspect is the enormous sacrifice of time, in which you feel like you must sometimes neglect or abandon other aspects of your personal life.
FS: What is your "golden rule" in design?
RD: Every design must be smart and add value to the product and the user.
FS: What skills are most important for a designer?
RD: Talent, perseverance, work, honesty, proactivity and initiative
FS: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
RD: We use a variety of software, from sketching, vectoral, Hi-quality 3D modelling and rendering software… we are a multidisciplinary team. We also feed our creativity with trendy design books, magazines and several on-line platforms as well as being attentive and open eyed to the natural world around us. We also feed our creativity with trendy design books, magazines and several on-line platforms as well as being attentive and open eyed to the natural world around us.
FS: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
RD: I try to prioritize things in life, optimizing my time to get more with less.
FS: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
RD: It depends on the size of the project and how many people are involved in the design team. I cannot give you a one-size-fits-all estimate.
FS: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
RD: How did that come into your mind?
FS: What was your most important job experience?
RD: Working at the Ferrari design centre in Maranello, Italy was a crucial experience for which we feel privileged and thankful. But starting our own design studio, and becoming our own bosses may in the long term become the most important step we ever took.
FS: Who are some of your clients?
RD: We have developed projects all over the world in different areas of design for prestigious companies such as mobility safety leaders Livall in Shenzhen, luxury watchmakers Chronoswiss in Switzerland and many brilliant companies such as the EDAG group Barcelona, Quantic Nanotech in Madrid, Accointing and Swissblock in Zug, Switzerland, etc…
FS: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
RD: Our team is a specialist in transportation and mobility design, and yet, since RUMA was born, we have undertaken many projects of other natures such as wellbeing and luxury products and other high-tech solutions. We love these commissions because they provide us with a wider, intersectional vision on what design is.
FS: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
RD: As a co-founder of RUMA, I have for leitmotiv to keep this company growing and undertake increasingly challenging projects. Sky’s the limit!
FS: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
RD: We work as a team, and that’s RUMA’s greatest gift. United talent increases the chance of success exponentially.
FS: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
RD: We have a couple of projects running right now, I can say they are remarkably interesting but that’s all I can reveal from now.
FS: How can people contact you?
RD: You can enter RUMA-design.com to check some of our projects and head to the contact section, or directly writing us to contact@ruma-design.com
FS: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
RD: I would like to conclude this interview sharing a though, in relation to the changes to our lives that have become apparent, through this hard period of quarantine which has led to a lot of introspection. The time we have available is precious and limited, and it is crucial to find a balanced space in which personal and professional life can coexist in order to extract the best of us. Something we suspected, and we have discussed at lengths during this interview, has become crystal-clear to all of us, and hopefully this will lead to improved working environments across all industries, where we take into consideration how our physical and mental wellbeing is, for most people, the key to increased performance and productivity. Hard work is essential, as is discipline, but the rigidity of workplaces and the work-life imbalance is hindering our economies and our societies at dramatic scales.
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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