Designer Interview

---

Interview with Stefania Vola at Sunday 3rd of March 2013

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?
SV: Since I remember I’ve been fond of art above all and then, studying architecture, I’ve discovered and loved the design universe. After my classical studies I had spent a wonderful summer in Florence, attending an art school, with courses in painting and also restoration, but I finally decided that my preparation would be more complete by architecture, offering me a larger perspective in relation to our society. Entering the job world I first privileged my profession of architect, concentrating on restructuring of buildings and interior design. Then I specialized in multimedial projects for museums and exhibitions, working for public institution in various Italian regions. In this period in particular, between 2006 and 2010, my work became very often similar to scenography and I realized I could not silent more my creative and artistic side… I had to express it! It happened often to me to see many new objects and forms just closing my eyes and my drawers were plenty of sketches of these ideas… I had a terrible urgency to see these ideas become reality! As my sensibility was artistic and my formation technical I decided that my main field had to be the art design and to begin I first operated a selection of the projects I had in my drawers, choosing those which I felt more vibrant, artistic, talking to the soul. This is the way the collection ‘interioritratti’ was born.

FS: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
SV: I work as ‘Stefania Vola’ since 2004, ranging from architectural designs, exhibit designs and cultural projects (www.stefaniavola.com). In 2009 I started to work as designer for some little companies of furniture, than at the end of 2011 I created my own collection, named ‘interioritratti’ (www.interioritratti.com). IT_interioritratti is a collection of few objects of art design, outstanding and artistically inspired objects that introduce a caesura into veryday habits, calling forth a poetic dimension.
The first step has been to develop the projects I’ve selected and then to realize the prototypes. All the objects I presented to the A Design Awards comes from this collection, and I’m still working on some prototypes. My dream is to renew Interioritratti collection as long as possible.
Some of these objects (the more artistic ones) will be produced in limited edition by Interioritratti, or in partnership, some others (those more pertinent to the design field) will be assigned to specific companies, leaving to Interioritratti to manage personalized limited editions.


FS: What is "design" for you?
SV: To me design is an harmonious synthesis of functional and formal and, at higher levels, follows the evolution of conceptual universes or the incomparable examples of Nature.

FS: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
SV: I love in general the project, in all its levels and in different forms, whether it be a tray, a chair or a lamp: every time for me the main challenge is given by finding a material sign capable of defining identity, playing with shapes and materials or evoking a thought and an emotion. I like to try to overturn the laws of appearance. In addition to this, surely I have a weakness for lighting objects, because the light in itself is exciting, poetic, magical...

FS: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
SV: I get emotional every time I see the Chaise in fibreglass designed by Charles and Ray Eames: I find it an unsurpassed model and of the same series I love the rocking chair...

FS: What makes a design successful?
SV: ... there are many ingredients and recipes to cook a successful design ... I would bet on the personality, but interpreted with languages familiar to the unconscious, on the synthesis and ... on an excellent marketing!

FS: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
SV: I think that a good designer with his work should bring the design close to the human nature and the human nature close to nature and to environment.

FS: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
SV: The design is thankfully returning to identity values, re-discovering shapes and materials craftsmanship, respecting the environment and wise traditions. This process, combined with the most sophisticated technologies, could be a bright future for design.

FS: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
SV: We are surrounded by outstanding natural beauty ... every little aspect of the universe offer some incredible ideas. In the minds the ideas and the sensorial memories sometimes combine in unexpected synthesis... the contrasts in particular are to me an exceptional source of creativity, because they produce sparks and new formulations... I try to look little at the design magazines, except for documentation, and much around and within me...

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?
SV: My style comes from an interpretation as possible felt of the object: I prefer the way of synthesis and and above all else I seek harmony, but could prevails a more essential sign or a softer one ... it depends on the objects personality! I love talking through form and matter with the unconscious imagination, so my items might seem perhaps be in a dreamlike dimension, suspended between dream and reality.

FS: Can you talk a little about your design process?
SV: I'm worried first of all to grasp the essence of things. When I 'feel' it then I try to vibrate in harmony and to design the most appropriate and congenial form, if I can say… its own form... I believe in a certain sense the form 'sleeps' in the essence as the informations of a body are already in its DNA. The biggest thrill is to see come to life the 'body' of an idea, to discover its character and relevant expressions... in this process sometimes emerge notes of irony and sometimes of strength or of lightness and poetry...

FS: What is your "golden rule" in design?
SV: Once the equation of form and function is well resolved, then I think it would be nice if the design could also stimulate the mind and nourish the emotions, the imagination...

FS: What was your most important job experience?
SV: Since 2006 I had been involved with cultural projects for public institutions in various Italian regions [Piedmont, Liguria, Sardinia, Sicily], as well as the staging of exhibitions. Most projects pivoted around museum installations, often with multi-media, immersive, and interactive formats. In particular I designed the multimedia ‘Museo del Clown’ at Villa Grock, in Imperia, dedicated to the extraordinary clown known as Grock and to the fabulous world of clownwerie. The museum has been tested in January, we are waiting for its opening...

FS: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
SV: In the last year and a half I made a fairly radical choice, turning my work mainly in design, even without specific clients, developing projects and prototypes in the collection named 'interioritratti' (www.interioritratti.com). This collection expresses my philosophy and my approach to design. Some of these objects, the most artistic - such as sculptures of the series Luminaria - I will be producing in limited edition working with art galleries, others will be produced by companies that appreciate their design. From here on I would like to continue on both fronts, the art design in a limited edition and that of cooperation with companies wishing to make use of my design.

FS: How can people contact you?
SV: Writing to my personal email address contact.vola@gmail.com or info@interioritratti.com

FS: Thank you for providing us with this opportunity to interview you.

A' Design Award & Competition 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 & Competition cannot be held responsible for the answers given by participating designers.