Michele Berdugo

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?

Design has always been part of my life as my father was a designer. Becoming a designer is a natural flow in my life.

Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?

I create concepts and designs for corporate events, International fairs, trade shows etc. I also design private events.

What is "design" for you?

Design is my way to create what does not exist! Nothing is impossible as long as you imagine it.

When do you feel the most creative?

As soon as I decide to work on a project...I enter my own world and it happens.

Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?

I like to be original and therefore insist on creating different designs: definitely the originality!

What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?

satisfied yet anxious for it to be appreciated and approved by the client.

From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?

Respecting the environment and society through my Art is mandatory for 2 reasons at least: my values as a human being the exposure of my designs publicly and their message

How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?

It is growing with the different evolving mediums and medias. We must adapt ourself and learn the new codes in order to fit our art .

Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?

I travel quite often, I am interested in all the trends, almost every field: museums and gallery, movie theaters, shops of all sort, people etc. Art books, fashion, interior design, architecture, fabrics, graphics...are a great source of inspiration.

How do you work with companies?

I am a freelancer. I create proposals and presentations so the production company who contacted me can win the project from the client over other companies and let me design it . It may as well happen that I am directly contacted by the client.

What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?

Projects portfolio, creativity, ability to think out of the box, awareness of the business field, ability to manage large scale budgets, team of suppliers...all these are important elements to check when hiring a designer as me!

What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?

my Eames plywood chairs, Noguchi coffee table, industrial metallic drawers board, Moroccan wooden bench, the portrait of an African woman photographed by a friend of mine.

Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?

a pen, a pencil, my computer, mood board app, sketch up, art books, movies .

Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?

I do not!! Being a mother and a spouse, it is problematic... On the other hand, I can be available for a long period, when there are no events planned.

How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?

In my case it is more about a full project: it really depends on the project scale and the limitations (authorization, venue security, budget etc...)

What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?

Where do you get your inspiration from? How did you come up with this idea?

Who are some of your clients?

Event production companies, marketing and communication companies

Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?

The basis comes from me and then I polish my designs with team members.

Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?

two upcoming trade shows in October 2021 SMART MOBILITY SUMMIT MUNIEXPO 2021