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Interview with Gabriel Antunes Henke Carrano |
Home > Designer Interviews > Gabriel Antunes Henke Carrano |
Editor Frank Scott (FS) from DesignPRWire has interviewed designer Gabriel Antunes Henke Carrano (GAHC) for A’ Design Award and Competition. You can access the full profile of Gabriel Antunes Henke Carrano 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?
GAHC: My first contact with "design" was in 2011. I started at Architecture School and I made my own bedroom furniture from cardboard boxes. At that moment I realized how important functionalism, aesthetics, and structure are for my field of work. Then I continued studying and improving my knowledge of furniture design areas by reading, prototyping, trying, and drawing a lot of things to make my life more enjoyable and easier. So, no, I didn't always want to become a designer, I started to want it when I started to need it to live a better life.
FS: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
GAHC: I am an autonomous designer doing my job from my house/laboratory. Here I can experiment forms, materials e, and sort of different things that can or cannot be transformed into original designs. I call my place HNK, my surname without the E's. Is a nice and small company where I do everything with love and respect for my client's wellbeing
FS: What is "design" for you?
GAHC: Design is the possibility to make people enjoy atmospheres in a more intense perspective, which is the perfect balance between functionalism and beauty. It is art with science, it's a cake recipe with personal touches.
FS: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
GAHC: I design for people's needs. That said, my main area when I do my job is furniture with some innovative perspective (for me of course, I know I'm not creating something never seen before in the entire world) and traditional techniques.
FS: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
GAHC: My design crush is LCW by the Eameses! It's beautiful, funny, well constructed, and based on wood: the most democratic material to designers. The pieces support each other, they are essential to the whole thing! And also is timeless.
FS: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
GAHC: My first piece of design was a Nightstand called Corça. It is made of tubular steel and freijó wood: very light, very Brazilian-like.
FS: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
GAHC: Wood: as I said the most democratic material. You don't need necessarily an electrical machine to work with it, you need a plan, a necessity for something, and the will to make it work.
FS: When do you feel the most creative?
GAHC: When I found something that could be better with adjustments and during the shower, lunch or another time that I have my mind free to think about nothing in specific but that is cliché.
FS: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
GAHC: Is it functional? Is it Unique? Is it possible? Will it be affordable? Is it going to last?
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
GAHC: Love, sometimes frustration when it is not working, happiness right after a discovery, peace when I see it making someone's life better! My relationship with my design process comes from different moods, but also starts with "this would be awesome to have in my home"
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
GAHC: Excitement, euphoria, happiness. All of it together and the sense of good work being done.
FS: What makes a design successful?
GAHC: When it can build a relationship with the users
FS: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
GAHC: Originality, respect for traditions, material usage, and price. It is not a good design if people can't afford it.
FS: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
GAHC: Designers are professionals responsible to translate to space what society needs even when they don't know it yet.
FS: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
GAHC: Design is making a difference when is used to improve relations when it allows a more functional day for people. The future of design is to make the material usage cycle realistic and THE priority for us.
FS: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
GAHC: I think I don't have an answer to that. I didn't have my first exhibition yet and I hope it will be in a place where people need to see what I have to offer. A place where I can inspire others to make a difference where they can see a Latino gay guy can make the design works!
FS: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
GAHC: It comes from nature, the unusual forms of Brazil's landscape, the national materials, and tradition. I try to get all the information that I can daily on newsletter, books, mood boards, metro stations, bus stops, shopping malls, public places... even during church ceremony all can be used for a creative image and to have it you need to practice.
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?
GAHC: I call it Brasilidade: which means I respect my country tradition, materials, and manufacturing process. We need to revive Brazil's love for culture more than ever, so my job right now is to prove its value to more and more Brazilians
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?
GAHC: I live in a small town called São Miguel Arcanjo in São Paulo. Here we have a tradition to use wood on crafts projects and I embraced this on my designs. The Brazilian culture is definitely a pro because is an unlimited font to inspiration the high cost of production is the worst con that we have.
FS: How do you work with companies?
GAHC: Currently, I have a curatorship office doing this bridge between me and the furniture industry. I have to say a big thanks to Estevam Carvalhaes and all people on Tri Design.
FS: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
GAHC: Listen to them. Do not have a defensive posture. Don't think the designer as money spend monsters. Please don't waste water and materials.
FS: Can you talk a little about your design process?
GAHC: I started with simple mood board references, a motive to design it, drawings, simple cardboard models, conceptual arts, different forms and structure options, details, technical drawings. The usual. I am not trying to reinvent any method, I listen to people who are on this job longer than me
FS: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
GAHC: My Armchair where I spend half of my day on it. My Bed (a good night of sleep is always a priority) How my old printer has the right hight to support my fan on my face during summer My office table of course The nightstand that I designed with soft top so I don't hurt myself every morning to turn my alarm off
FS: Can you describe a day in your life?
GAHC: Wake up > Running routine > Design Book > News > Drawing moment > Meetings > New Drawings > Check informations with others professionals involved on the project > Restorations Class > "What I learn to day" Diary
FS: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
GAHC: Read, read and discuss what you read.
FS: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
GAHC: It's nice to have the "power" to create new things, it's amazing the possibility to be in people's houses, I can work listen to music and I can improve people's relations. It's problematic sometimes when the cost is too high to make something really awesome. It's a pain sometimes to detail a very organic piece and deal with other designer's ego.
FS: What is your "golden rule" in design?
GAHC: If it is not useful for one, it is not useful for anybody.
FS: What skills are most important for a designer?
GAHC: Imagination and good communication.
FS: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
GAHC: Paper, pencil, crayons, mouse, 3Ds max, SketchUp, Illustrator, Rhino, cardboard, wire, glue, wood, manual saw, more glue, my glasses, my iPad, my headphones and coffee.
FS: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
GAHC: Planning every single step and every single move using my Google Sheets habilities.
FS: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
GAHC: If it just depends on me, 2 months. If it depends on more machinery work and other people, can be more. I am fresh on the business so I don't have an answer to that, I'm sorry!
FS: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
GAHC: "So, What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer". I am not trying to be funny, but that is the reality, sorry.
FS: What was your most important job experience?
GAHC: During the 2015 summer, I spend 2 months with Gail Borden at the USC architecture office developing projects. I learned so much from it!
FS: Who are some of your clients?
GAHC: I like to think of them as people with really good taste.
FS: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
GAHC: I love to design for a purpose and when I know how the person is going to use my design. I like to know their routines so the de design can be unique.
FS: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
GAHC: I am preparing myself to be a professor. I love to teach and I think it's time to teach design to the next generation. I also want to launch a very crazy and uncommon line of furniture based on Brazilian folklore
FS: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
GAHC: I listen to a lot of very impressive advisors, but my designs start with me, a pencil, and my notebook.
FS: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
GAHC: I have some work in progress but I don't think I can talk much. They are made thinking of organic shapes in a more sophisticated way but always in simple concepts.
FS: How can people contact you?
GAHC: By my Instagram! It's 2020, people! @henke.gabriel By the way
FS: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
GAHC: Democratic design is important, otherwise, we will design for museums in the future.
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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