Designer Interview

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Interview with TANA-Gaetano Avitabile at Monday 14th of April 2014

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?
TA: I'm an architect fascinated by the architecture that took expression in our past and I am very interested by the contemporary
that would not exist without the former.
I've always been intrigued and fascinated by the world of design and graphics, live hungry and thirst to know new ideas, new experiences and feed my world with them.
After graduating in architecture I built a training program whose
ultimate goal was to understand the true meaning of "project", as an
idea comes to life.
This initiative was very significant for me because it made me
understand how complex was the implementation to realize the ideaMy humanist design approach is formed by the fundamental desire of pure, beautiful forms derived from the constraints of function, technology and context.


FS: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
TA: After several years working in interantional renowned architectural and design agencies ( Jacques Ripault, David Chipperfields Architect for Salerno, Christophe Pillet), I decided to continue my own path, creating Tana.
With Tana, I created an imaginary laboratory from which there is space and time to express the idea of pure design and architecture.



FS: What is "design" for you?
TA: Design is simplicity. To have an idea and leave it naked, striping away the more from it, making its design easy to all, this corresponds to my idea of design

FS: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
TA: Chairs and lights

FS: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
TA: The lamp “Parentesi” designed by Achille Castiglioni and also Rewrite by Gamfratesi. To me, both are good examples of what I mean with “simplify and make it real”.

FS: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
TA: None

FS: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
TA: None

FS: When do you feel the most creative?
TA: I feel creative when I’m daydreaming. This mostly happen when I’m walking, listening music and before sleeping.

FS: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
TA: I mainly focus on the realization issues

FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
TA: Joy

FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
TA: Joy

FS: What makes a design successful?
TA: Its charm

FS: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
TA: Its shape

FS: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
TA: To improve the way of life. Life is better when we are surrounded by simply and charming objects.

FS: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
TA: Design is becoming a constant presence in the everyday life, mainly when it meets technology.
However, I think that the future of design should not be linked to the words “speeds” and “quantity”, but to the term “reflexion” referring to man and his existence.


FS: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
TA: None

FS: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
TA: All around me is a potential source of inspiration for my design. Everything can be transformed into another thing

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?
TA: I do not know! I do not identify neither recognize my design into a defined style. I just know that sometimes looking at something like a person, an object, a fragrance, or just a sensation, a new idea borns in my mind and my feeling is to try to capture this idea.

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?
TA: I live in the southern Italy. Of course my country is reach of cultural heritage, however I do not feel that this really affects my design, or at least I do not feel this as a main factor at a conscious level.

FS: How do you work with companies?
TA: None

FS: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
TA: No limits to immagination

FS: Can you talk a little about your design process?
TA: None

FS: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
TA: None

FS: Can you describe a day in your life?
TA: None

FS: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
TA: Follow your dreams

FS: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
TA: To me, the positive of being a designer is the joy to grow up and always look at the reality through the eyes of a child; the negative is to be blinded by my passion for design.

FS: What is your "golden rule" in design?
TA: None

FS: What skills are most important for a designer?
TA: Just imagination and creativity

FS: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
TA: A pencil, a rubber, a notebook and my PC

FS: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
TA: None

FS: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
TA: It is not always the same.

FS: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
TA: None

FS: What was your most important job experience?
TA: To work abroad in an International environment had been very important to me. Another important factor is my miscellaneous experience moving from big architectural projects till to very little objects.

FS: Who are some of your clients?
TA: None

FS: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
TA: None

FS: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
TA: Promote myself and my work

FS: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
TA: Usually I work alone but in my creative process it is very important to share my ideas with the others, from my friends to my family.

FS: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
TA: I’m thinking to a mirror, an object that always fascinated me!

FS: How can people contact you?
TA: info@tanadesign.eu www.tanadesign.eu www.behance.net/tana_ Linkedin

FS: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
TA: None

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.

Designer of the Day Interview

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Interview with TANA-Gaetano Avitabile at Saturday 17th of March 2018

FS: Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?
TA: After several years working in interantional renowned architectural and design agencies ( Jacques Ripault, David Chipperfields Architect for Salerno, Christophe Pillet), I decided to continue my own path, creating Tana.
With Tana, I created an imaginary laboratory from which there is space and time to express the idea of pure design and architecture.


FS: How did you become a designer?
TA: Design is simplicity. To have an idea and leave it naked, striping away the more from it, making its design easy to all, this corresponds to my idea of design. This passion for the simplicity came to me when I looked at designer projects like Achille Castiglioni or Ettore Sottsass

FS: What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?
TA: I am fascinated by the way children, with their intuitive ability, transform conventional objects and their use from one game to another. I would like to improve our environment, make life easier and balanced with the way children and their ability. I project as if it were a game and with technology I transform the game into reality.

FS: Which emotions do you feel when designing?
TA: See my idea come true i from the initial design to the finished product makes me happy and alive

FS: What particular aspects of your background shaped you as a designer?
TA: intuition and perception of reality

FS: What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?
TA: My core is Function and my attitude is Emotion, you can not do a project without thinking about who will use it. I like to think of a future where my projects can help people live better

FS: What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?
TA: do not be afraid to believe in your ideas, however strange and weird they are. time and experience will help those ideas to become big projects.

FS: Who is your favourite designer?
TA: Bourellec, Gamfratesi, Formafantasma, notedesignstudio

FS: What positive experiences you had when you attend the A’ Design Award?
TA: the experience of a design award gave me a push to continue in the right direction and to work on my projects with more enthusiasm.

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.