Interviews with Edu Torres

The project was born from the request of a well-known brand to recreate its symbol in a robot version. It must be recognizable but at the same time function as a completely new and independent image. The camel must have been eye-catching, elegant and aesthetic.

Robots usually have very defined typologies. He wanted it to be perfectly recognizable but at the same time elegant, imposing, and beliveable. To do this I left several parts open so that we can see their inner workings, to add a layer of complexity and visual richness.

Showcasing.

Around a month, from idea and sketching until the final render.

Was commissioned for a brand.

No. This project is exclusively for the brand.

As a 3d designer, I found it interesting to work creating a robot. All of those pieces and parts are fun to model and assemble. Also robots are usually visually attractive in CGI if they are created well, so I saw an opportunity to make a good design.

Of course. I looked for many references from other 3d designers to create my robot, it is surprising how many robots are created in CGI.

The design was created to be displayed in the brand's offices. It is a very exclusive piece of advertising.

I think it reinterprets the brand. It is also very well executed and elegant. Also, animal-shaped robots are not very common.

The name in this case is very simple and descriptive.

Mainly CGI programs like Maxon Cinema4d and Zbrush.

I think the fact that it's a camel makes it less common. It also has open parts where you can see inside what makes it more unique.

No, I did it all by myself.

Everything. Being created in CGI, so the lights, the materials, the textures, everything is rendered with a computer.

I needed a good collection of sci-fi robots and mechanical parts references. I also used images of the camel's anatomy to make the joints, muscles, and parts make some sense.

The cohesion of all the pieces. It needed detail to make it believable, but not too much detail to make it all very noisy and dirty. Finding the perfect balance between detail and general shape was the most difficult part.

I received an email from the competition encouraging me to introduce myself. So feel free to try, and I was successful.

I learned camel anatomy, and that a simple but well-executed idea can be very powerful.

I have many influences from designers who look for iconicity in their designs like Saul Bass. I have also learned a lot from designers whose maximum is functionality with a clean and precise aesthetic, such as Paul Rand, Dieter Rams, Reid Miles, and Massimo Vignelli.

I studied design at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Design in Barcelona, ​​but I learned CGI on my own

I think since childhood I have always had a concern for the arts and drawing. I didn't know until I tried other trades, and I realized that what made me happy and made me feel fulfilled was the design.

I definitely chose it. I tried to be a professional musician but I did not find the necessary motivation and in my spare time I dedicated more time to the arts than to music, a sign that I was taking the wrong path, so I decided to follow what I was feeling at the time and I was right.

I make images and animations for brands, products, and culture. I like complex projects, those that involve R&D time. These are the type of projects that helps you grow as a designer, learn and evolve.

I would tell them to focus on doing something that makes them happy and, above all, takes time to do a lot of personal work. For me personal work is the most important thing for a designer since you can show what you are, it allows you to experiment and get to know yourself better, and you learn to know where your limits are and what you can do to continue learning. Also, focus on improving skills. Many times we want to learn many different things and we get lost along the way, sometimes it is better to focus on one or two things and improve until mastering it.

I believe that a good designer is one who meets what is asked of him, who knows how to create a functional and aesthetic product, one who knows how to meet the demands of his profession. But the great designer is one that others seek to innovate, bring something new, and surprise with something that has not been seen before. The great designers are those who bring new things, those who create trends, those who become references, and those that everyone remembers.

Para mi el buen diseño que se convierte en genital es aquel que sorprende. Es aquel que está aportando algo nuevo, que tiene voz propia.

Good design makes us all live in a better world. If we work on products that are increasingly efficient, more sustainable, and visually more pleasant, we will make everything around us a little better. As designers, we have a duty to try to improve the way we see the world. Investing in design implies directly changing the way we interact with the world, designs change the way of living.

I would love to design some title credits. I like many film directors, I would love to design more for culture, like movies.

I would love to be able to work creating credits for movies or series. Credit titles are really nice pieces to work for people who are passionate about typography, design and cinema, as it mixes and synthesizes many disciplines in just a few minutes.

work and constancy, there's not magic.

Saul Bass, Paul Rand, Kyle Cooper, Reid Miles, Dieter Rams...

I love Saul Bass's work. Apart from being a very versatile designer, he was very concise and precise in his designs, making them iconic and memorable, always with a clear concept behind.

I don't have a favorite. When you design to put part of yourself in everything you do, because of the time you spend and the care you take when executing it, so it is difficult to choose a favorite among all your children, the others get jealous.

With perseverance and work, and focusing on something and improving it obsessively. In my case, I focused on something that I liked and made me happy, I turned my passion into my work. If you turn your passion into your work, it is much easier to evolve and grow, since it will cost you less to be constant.

Musician. I tried, and I'm still doing something, it's my other passion.

For me, the design is to materialize responses to needs in a functional and aesthetic way, and always looks for innovation.

In the beginning, myself, I come from a family that is not at all related to design. They supported me a lot in what I wanted to do, but in the end, I was the one who had to push. Today without a doubt I have the support of my wife, who helps me with a critical gaze in everything I do, she is very helpful.

I think there is something that comes from birth, since I was a little drawing artist. The theoretical classes at the university also helped me a lot. Reflection on the design itself and why you do what you do help me grow as a designer. Also, the concern for visual culture, eating swallowing and digesting many images.

I have to thank that I have hardly encountered any obstacles, thanks God everything has gone quite smoothly.

think everyone should be clear and concise when introducing themselves. Your work represents you, so you have to select very well what is taught and do it clearly to avoid confusion.

I would like to start some credit titles. And I hope that in the future I will still be happy with what I do and continue to be interested in what I do.

Whatever happens you will continue to be whole with myself, that the project remains the most important and the quality. I would also like to become a reference for others.

suppose that people want to continue seeing a quality standard, at least, but I also think that it is important to surprise and be varied.

Design can change the way people think. The way we interact with the world, with the objects, with the images we see, everything is in connection. We can design in such a way that we influence how people interact with the world. It sounds dramatic, but the reality is that every day we use objects, we watch television programs, we consume products in a certain way. If we design thought in a more sustainable way, we can directly affect the world in a positive way.

Unfortunately, I can't talk much about this because of confidentiality contracts, but I love this profession more and more.

Personal projects, because you have total freedom to experiment and do what you want.

Sustainability. We have to think about how we create things so that they are sustainable and have the least possible environmental impact.

I think we are becoming more and more digital. So I think the future will be more and more digital. I also think we are going towards the exclusive and customizable.

It depends on every project, from days to months!

Generally by looking for some references and making some sketches, it helps to quickly visualize what could work.

don't have a golden rule, but I would say that you should always try to stick to what the project needs. Sometimes we try to design forcing to include what we want to add and that does not go at all with the essence of the project, so you have to be smart to know how to make what stands out is the project itself.

What came first the chicken or the egg? I think they both feed back.

In my case almost everything. As a 3D designer, my main tool is the PC, so my whole process is very technological.

A very powerful PC, a Wacom Tablet, and a 3D software, like Cinema 4D, Zbrush, etc..

They are everything. Mostly the light, light is what reveals everything, without light there would be no design. (except sound design)

I'd rather they ask how it was done. If they ask too much about the design itself, or do not understand it, it is that perhaps the design is not well done.

I wish it was mine, haha.

My wife without a doubt. She is related to the world of design, in another field. It helps me to be the first filter and check what is working and what is not. Having an external gaze helps to see everything with the objectivity that you can sometimes lose when you are so immersed in the process. Obviously collaboration always helps to improve a product.

Dvein, their are amazing directors.

In general the mentality of William Morris, and the Die neue Typographie by Jan Tschichold.

Working and working. And reading a lot and feeding a lot of visual culture.

Reid Miles.

I do not consider him famous at all, in fact I am not, but I am very grateful for the award.

I dont have favorite color, all are beautiful.

Love Edimburg and Costa Brava in Catalonia.

Love food, I dont have favourite dish!

Winter

Nespresso

I did all the branding for a top-level sporting event in Spain, the King's Cup in basketball. It was a very gratifying experience since I was working in the same stadium, creating all the necessary visual content, while watching the games at the foot of the track, sharing a hotel with the players, and with freedom to move to any corner of the stadium.

The project im working on!

No, like most children, you want to be a footballer, astronaut or Batman.

I hope that the earth remains habitable.

Let them follow their passion, think about what they liked to do as children, what excited them, perhaps that is their true profession.

I have many influences from designers who look for iconicity in their designs like Saul Bass. I have also learned a lot from designers whose maximum is functionality with a clean and precise aesthetic, such as Paul Rand, Dieter Rams, Reid Miles, and Massimo Vignelli.

I think since childhood I have always had a concern for the arts and drawing. I didn't know until I tried other trades, and I realized that what made me happy and made me feel fulfilled was the design.

I work as a freelance, and I focus on creating digital imagery and visual solutions for brands, products, and culture. The good thing about being freelance is that I only need a PC to work remotely to worldwide clients. So you can be versatile and taking personal control of all you do.

For me, the design is to materialize responses to needs in a functional and aesthetic way, and always looks for innovation.

I like projects where you have the creative freedom to contribute your vision about what is being created. I especially like to design projects with motion, because they are more fun to do.

I don't really have any favorites, and although it sounds cliché, I think the next one I do should be the favorite. Still, I'm satisfied with a small ad I created for the Wacom graphics tablet brand. It is an animation where we see the reverse process of creating works of art, where the elements come together in the pen, where all that creativity came from.

I don't remember very well, but I would say that while I was a student at the Faculty of Design, I created a logo for an electronic money institution. Nowadays I can see many mistakes there, but I was a student, let's be understanding.

I am specialized in creating digital images, so I definitely prefer CGI.

Generally when I am not overworked, or when I have more free time, it is when more ideas come to me. I guess being relaxed helps free your mind so you can think of other things.

I try to ensure that each element is in the place it should be. Finding a visual balance where everything is perfectly integrated, nothing should be leftover or missing. The image must be as clean, clear, and concise as possible for what you want to convey.

It depends deeply on the project. Projects that start out as fun end up turning into a nightmare. There are others in which as the project evolves you will be more captivating and exciting. But the best is undoubtedly being part of the creative direction of a project, it is there where you get more emotionally involved because the project becomes a little more yours. So you can get to feel many different emotions in the design process, and even with the same project.

Satisfaction. It's always fun to tell someone you know or family, hey look, I made this!

A good concept and good execution.

Aesthetics is the first thing you see of design, as it is with the naked eye. Then you can judge if it works or not if the form goes with the function, but the first contact is always visual, so an aesthetic that is not consistent with the product is undoubtedly the first point to value for me in design.

Good design makes us all live in a better world. If we work on products that are increasingly efficient, more sustainable, and visually more pleasant, we will make everything around us a little better. As designers we have a duty to try to improve the way we see the world.

I think we are becoming more and more digital. So I think the future will be more and more digital. I also think we are going towards the exclusive and customizable.

My last exhibition was at a design festival in Barcelona. The next one will be soon, in Berlin, but I cannot give more information for now.

I love surrealism, the way they mix elements. The visual culture of cinema and photography helps me to improve the compositions, the light, and the way you frame an image.

And all the organic textures, shapes, and movements of nature.

I like to experiment with the style and try not to typecast in one in particular. I always work to create iconic, clean and accurate images. They tend to have surreal and abstract inspiration.

I live in Barcelona. I am lucky that there is a good design culture here. Many design studios in the country are concentrated here, so the city regularly has many exhibitions, festivals, and general movement around the world of design. Obviously we are influencing each other within this area, also by proximity. But nowadays thanks to the exhibition on social networks, we can see the work of any designer around the world, and that is very enriching for the entire group.

I have two types of clients in general, the companies themselves and the agencies. Sometimes the brand contacts me directly via email, although the most common is that there is an agency that is developing the campaign and it is the one that finally contacts me to execute the visuals.

I think that the projects improve remarkably when the companies trust the criteria of the designers when making decisions on the project. They know their product very well, and they know their audience and what they want to communicate very well. For the way of doing it, the designer's criteria should be very important. I think that companies can be successful selecting a designer seeing the projects that he has directed or the personal projects that that designer does, there you can see the good taste of each one.

My design process is quite traditional. It starts with the idea, reference searching, some quick sketches, modeling, texturing, lighting, refinement, rendering, and post-production.

My little collection of retro cameras, Reid Miles vinyl covers for Blue Note, turntable, a signature jazz guitar and

a head massager that I love.

I get up, some coffee, I start working, eat, I continue working, a little leisure, and sleep. Turning back.

I would tell them to focus on doing something that makes them happy and, above all, takes time to do a lot of personal work. For me personal work is the most important thing for a designer since you can show what you are, it allows you to experiment and get to know yourself better, and you learn to know where your limits are and what you can do to continue learning.

Positive there are many things. For example, each project is new, and you can be doing new things all your life, avoid boredom. As a "negative" part I would say that it is difficult to disconnect the mind, it is always working trying to find solutions or visualizing how you could do one thing or another. The design is always with you.

I don't have a golden rule, but I would say that you should always try to stick to what the project needs. Sometimes we try to design forcing to include what we want to add and that does not go at all with the essence of the project, so you have to be smart to know how to make what stands out is the project itself.

Wisdom, visual culture, synthesis ability, good taste, and a point of intuition.

To search for references I use the internet a lot, you can find anything quickly and comfortably. Also what you find is found by many more people, so books are generally a very effective source of references and something more exclusive since they are not a click away. As for software, I use many programs, but the core is Cinema 4D, after effects and photoshop.

It's hard. As a freelance, and designer you are always working, literally always. I try to find a balance but I always end up spending a lot of time on projects, it is the fact that your work is also your hobby.

It depends on every project, from days to months!

The "how" you did something. I think that people are interested in knowing the process of the projects, how and what you did to obtain a concrete result.

I did all the branding for a top-level sporting event in Spain, the King's Cup in basketball. It was a very gratifying experience since I was working in the same stadium, creating all the necessary visual content, while watching the games at the foot of the track, sharing a hotel with the players, and with freedom to move to any corner of the stadium.

I worked for a bunch of clients, like Samsung, Google, Rimowa, Wacom, Louis Vuitton, Chaumet, Saks, Moritz, Pepsi, Seat, Munich, Bombay Sapphire, Desigual, Volkswagen, Audi, Stuart Weitzman, CFDA, Tommy Hilfiger, ACB...

I love the motion design. I really enjoy the projects related to creating animated images.

I would love to be able to work creating credits for movies or series. Credit titles are really nice pieces to work for people who are passionate about typography, design and cinema, as it mixes and synthesizes many disciplines in just a few minutes.

I usually work alone, although sometimes I need to ask some colleagues for help and support to help me if the project is too big for just one person.

I currently have some projects underway, but they are all commercial and unfortunately I cannot speak about them because I am subject to confidentiality rules.

Via email at edu@edutorres.es.