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Interview with Luca Prata |
Home > Designer Interviews > Luca Prata |
Editor Frank Scott (FS) from DesignPRWire has interviewed designer Luca Prata (LP) for A’ Design Award and Competition. You can access the full profile of Luca Prata 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?
LP: The main brand I represent is called LANGA Studios and is designed to help companies structure their corporate marketing. LANGA Studios operates through consultancy and the provision of medium-high level services... but it is not the only service. LANGA offers you more than 20 different types of services, for many corporate targets. We don't feel like we've arrived, I think the LANGA group still has several ideas in store that it can offer to anyone who wants to receive digital services belonging to the LANGA Galaxy.
FS: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
LP: The company that I represent is called LANGA and it is a company that operates in the digital sector, more specifically it is able of supporting polite people to perceive various types of digital advantages. LANGA provides different types of services to increase and improve the digital presence.
FS: What is "design" for you?
LP: Design is everything that an entity, company or person can represent. Good design is exhibited through tools. In the case of LANGA with digital tools, such as: web, graphics, videos and the like. I can say that good design can be the maximum expression of how an entity wants to expose itself to the eyes of the world. Good design belongs to ambitious people who want to achieve great goals that necessarily have to be developed well and communicated better.
FS: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
LP: In the LANGA companies we design any type of digital work, from architectural projects to web applications. We start always from minimalistic projects that must reach a specific target without ever leaving people disappointed. Personally, I represent the figure of corporate architect but I have a passion for web development as I think that, nowadays, it can give companies great benefits and scalability in terms of business.
FS: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
LP: I have many designs that represent my ideals but my favorites are certainly those that in the final result can directly communicate the correlation with their past. For example, I find the projects of Renzo Piano (architecture) or Droga5 (web) very fascinating because I always see a lot of study in their projects and not just aesthetic beauty.
FS: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
LP: The first thing I designed in the company was a small website that aimed to represent a filterable product portfolio of antique objects.
FS: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
LP: The web remains my main passion. This is because it has no shape and no space, therefore it can reach anyone, always.
FS: When do you feel the most creative?
LP: I think that on sunny days you can be more creative than normal as it has important benefits on the moods of the teams working on projects (web or architecture) but on rainy days I think you can give your best in terms of web programming and study the details.
FS: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
LP: I often focus on the details of each project. If we speak in terms of web design, I really like to focus on css, scss or javascript in order to give the end user browsing a site or an app the best browsing experience. If we speak instead of architecture, I think I can confirm that my greatest interest shifts to the design of the intelligent subdivision of the rooms. p.s. I don't disavow the design studio on the significant details regarding environmental management, in fact I'm crazy about it.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
LP: To achieve a feeling of total love of the final result I always need to make an intense effort, all in order to always reach a truly intelligent idea that always makes sense. I hate meaningless results or those that come from designs that are difficult to interpret.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
LP: In LANGA we are the ones who design and produce the projects. A project that is presented by one of our design team and approved by our board of directors always gives me a lot of emotions because it's like starting to grow something that doesn't exist and that you don't know where it will take you. I'm always extremely excited, every time.
FS: What makes a design successful?
LP: A successful project depends on many factors and it is difficult to predict or understand if it will be. There is no real formula to create a successful project but I think it depends on a couple of factors: perseverance and skill.
FS: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
LP: I think it is difficult to attribute an evaluation scale to decree whether a project is valid or not. I can say that I have to evaluate many points and different product categories in order to be able to say if the time invested has been well spent.
FS: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
LP: Every designer should chase his own ideas basing them to support today's society to form a better world, a smarter and less vicious world. The reality of the facts is that 90% of designers nowadays work for the money but I can openly declare that this is not the right path to take to achieve success.
FS: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
LP: Nowadays there are many web applications that help people to optimize their time. I don't think these artificial intelligence applications can do any good for our system. Today's minds are increasingly narrow and try to cut time in every way in order to achieve success before others. Real ideas come from the human brain that puts itself in a position to want to improve its status. Anyone who is lazy and thinks they can easily reach the heights of the finest design by means of artificial intelligence or similar "optimization" tools is, in my opinion, totally off the mark.
FS: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
LP: LANGA has participated in numerous design fairs for different product sectors, one of the last was that of "gourmet fairs" in Turin in which we tried to exhibit the latest technological trends in terms of web design and presentation for the food filed.
FS: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
LP: The main design inspiration came from my student past, architecture; where I was able to learn the difference between beautiful and healthy. The main inspiration comes from everything that can surround me in the moment of designing. Trends are certainly important, but the style that I instill in every LANGA project is always based on the design and usability standards of the final object.
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?
LP: I could describe my unique way of designing, able to relate the objectives to the real requests. Minimalistic and attentive to detail, ready to satisfy as much as possible every type of target that has been set or at least as many types of people as possible.
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?
LP: I live in Italy and I am grateful to be able to live in this fantastic and diverse territory. Even if Italy has many disadvantages and problems in terms of project approval, I think it is a place that can help people develop projects that are attentive and related not only to beauty or trends but above all to the history of those who request it. Italy is a place linked to its origins which has helped us "children" to grow up with the constant awareness of the past, so much so that when we are faced with a communication project developed by an Italian, very often the project itself bluntly comes to life…digging and delving into early origins and proving itself as compelling and passionate.
FS: How do you work with companies?
LP: I want to point out right away that we don't think about the quantity of projects in LANGA as much as about the quality of the same. So, in no uncertain terms, all of our teams and I work with client companies as if they were part of us. "Work on the client's project as if it were your own, this will make them invest in you again". This I think is the only correct way to think about companies looking for a healthy business.
FS: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
LP: I think that today there are many companies that have a fundamental problem: the search for money. This problem derives from various factors, such as: tax burden, incompetent employees who cost too much and/or venal collaborators. My suggestion is to change the way you see things, putting the main goal not money but the ambition to improve their project. Indirectly, in this way, they will be able to make more money than they ever imagined. p.s. another little advice is to never be imposing or not polite in the requests
FS: Can you talk a little about your design process?
LP: Each design path is different and depends on many factors. In the case of a web project it may depend on the amount of requests, the type of technology, the type of success sought and, last but not least, the emotions of the team to which it refers. Our projects are unique and do not belong to any type of standard process but to a harmonious method developed by our own company.
FS: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
LP: I think the most common objects that have transformed the house into a meeting place are the ones I prefer: tables, chairs, mise en place, chandeliers and vintage appliances.
FS: Can you describe a day in your life?
LP: A common day in my life is to get up early, go to work and then get to work on customer or LANGA projects.
FS: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
LP: I think that believing in your values is fundamental to designing anything. One's own values must be built and can only be collected over time, working hard and step by step. Even if the pay isn't high it doesn't matter, if you are young the most important thing is to learn something new and interesting. I can suggest to young people to find their way, leaving behind the simple ways that seem to lead to success. "Don't care about the hourly wage or how long you work on a project, just persevere more and more and you will be successful when you are mature." From my side I'm on my way to 40 and very often I still work on projects that should cost much more but I don't care because maybe I want to put myself in a certain sector in which I don't have a presence yet.
FS: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
LP: Being a designer has only good points if you see it as an attractive job for your soul. Being a designer means being able to think of interesting projects that can be implemented in the future. One downside is that if you don't believe it enough you will never earn enough. If you think you have to earn money right away, I can suggest to these people that they try to find another job.
FS: What is your "golden rule" in design?
LP: If I told you I would tell you my secret; ) Those who have perseverance in their projects are on the right track.
FS: What skills are most important for a designer?
LP: Being open to any kind of project is a very strong mindset that can help designers enjoy great designers. For example, as far as I'm concerned, I'm an architect but I've never backed down from projects with different addresses, and here I am.
FS: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
LP: In my toolbox there are many tools that I have collected in my past and that I still gradually refine today. Certainly the books have given me a hand in understanding certain things that I would not have learned in the world of work and vice versa at work I have learned many other particular concepts.
FS: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
LP: I try to manage my time partly as a project manager of the most important LANGA projects and partly directly as a designer. I am fortunate to collaborate with many capable people who I have selected over time and who allow me to trust project development.
FS: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
LP: It depends on the type of project. In LANGA we design many objects that require years of investment and sometimes we decide to take on projects that consume less energy. Indicatively, our web or architecture projects can "steal" us from 6 months up to even 3/5 years.
FS: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
LP: There are various questions that I am asked, as over time I have come into contact with various companies that have trusted my knowledge and that not only ask more questions whether or not I am capable of making a certain tool (website, ecommerce, graphics , advertising, social or video management). Very often companies ask me for advice on how to manage their business and not just in terms of marketing. The question that surely has the greatest success is certainly: how long did it take you to make LANGA business? I always answer with the same answer: Do I also have to consider nights and Sundays?
FS: What was your most important job experience?
LP: One of my most important experiences was definitely a collaboration with an Iranian company that worked for a huge international hospital. In this case, a web researcher was required with a 3D GPS tool that could allow all patients to be able to navigate in the hospital without getting lost, map the position of the doctors and set the limits for different types of users.
FS: Who are some of your clients?
LP: LANGA customers are very often represented by ambitious companies and entities. In the case of one of our most prestigious brands, namely LANGA Studios, we work with companies that want to have something more than their competitors. For example, in the case of eFruit (Food Marketplace) or loweb (searcher for hotels, restaurants or travel guides) we serve customers to best reach what they are looking for on the web.
FS: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
LP: Others say he has the great quality of being able to manage complex projects. Thanks to everyone who thinks so. For the moment, I'm limiting myself to seeking the success of the challenges I've accepted, whatever type of processing it involves and whatever sector it belongs to.
FS: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
LP: Unfortunately I don't know how to answer this question yet but I can clearly say that there will be no after for me. I like designing and I will never stop doing it.
FS: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
LP: I like to develop some parts of the project directly but without a group of valid collaborators I would certainly not be able to develop them in the way they are conceived.
FS: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
LP: I have many projects in progress but for superstition I prefer to talk about them in due course and now focus on them at best.
FS: How can people contact you?
LP: Companies wishing to become customers or find out more can contact me by making an appointment via the langastudios.com website where I represent a team leader of the group, on the langa.tv website in the leadership section or directly via my representative website www.lucaprata. com
FS: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
LP: Absolutely yes, there would be a lot of things to talk about or to go further into but unfortunately for me and for all of us time is running out and so I think I've already said enough for this interview. Thanks for your collaboration.
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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