Interview with Parisa Rafipour

Designers have an important role to play in the society. They can make an impact on human behavior and change people's lives for the better or for the worst. Design for me is a means of creating an impact and dealing with diverse issues that matter. It is the voice of a message that needs to be heard.

For me, the journey was a roller coaster ride. I started it as an architect and it was what I loved to do then but little by little, I could see myself in a different role. I always knew that I love doing creative works but I was looking for ways that I can create meaning and impact. Through this journey, I had to dig deep and find what it is that matters to me the most and I can say that I felt lost for some time on this path. But, that happens in life for everyone and you can only find your way when you are lost.Now, I am happy on this journey and feels the most authentic way to create my impact.

The kind of designs that makes people think and influences them in a positive way especially inspiring positive behavior and habits.

The impact they are able to have and how their design makes a difference is what separates the great from the good.

Designs that are meaningful and serve a higher purpose. I believe with all the technological improvements, functionality and aesthetic features are no longer sufficient to evaluate a design. There needs to be something more.

The purpose of design is to make the world a better place and address different issues in our societies. That is also the nature of the human being. To improve and grow both mentally and physically.

I believe purpose with the right, positive mindset and a lot of hard work is the key to success.

I have always admired Antoni Gaudí. He has a philosophy that he follows and his works are inspired by nature. His masterpieces are an inspiration and full of life lessons for everyone to learn and enjoy.

I believe it is important to be exposed to as many diverse fields as possible. I believe creativity is connecting two unrelated fields together. It is the connections that make better designers.

I would have become a teacher and that is something that I get a lot of joy out of. So I would have taught design or something related to psychology.

My biggest supporters are my family and friends that are around me. Without their support, it would have been very difficult to start this path.

My future projects are about being able to create more impact, especially with knowing more about human behavior, environmental psychology, and social issues that matter the most.

The nature of design is to provide solutions and make our world a better place. I believe, today more than ever, we need to focus on the mental well-being and mental fitness. Because that is what makes us who we are and can help us become the best version of ourselves. If all people reach our full potential, they can make an impact on their field of expertise and we can improve in every aspect of our society.

I would like to see more people involved in addressing bigger social issues to solve them together with deep analysis of our social dynamics.

Everything happens for a reason. Trusting your life's journey and having faith is what I believe this motto is representing. It is all about perspective and how we interpret what happens to us.

I read a lot of different books on the human mind and behavior for being able to use it personally in my life and being able to understand people in general. These books have the most effect on the designs I create because they are all the messages behind what I do.

"bmpDeco" is where design meets the human mind. It inspires people in three ways by "Being More Purposeful, Being More Positive and Being More Proactive." It was born with the idea that every journey starts from within and in our mind. And if we change something in our mind, it will have a direct impact on our lives, for better or for worse. So it is important to design our environments in a way that empowers us and is intentional.

Design is the process of solving a problem. Different elements put together to be able to address an issue. Either solve it for good or improve the current circumstances.

I am interested in human behavior and the thought process of influential people to address social issues. I have been reading and learning about it since I can remember. This is what has led me to combine two of my passions and address current social issues through my designs to be able to make an impact and raise awareness.

For me, the depth and the thought behind each design are what separates a good design from others. The 'why' behind the design is the most important factor to take into consideration. What is the purpose of this creation and how important and relevant that cause is? What kind of issue is the designer trying to solve? And what is the impact if that problem does no longer exist or at least has been improved.

Designers have a huge responsibility because, with their creations, they can make an impact on our society and environment. And this does not necessarily mean for the positive but also for the negative. That is why they should be extra cautious and aware of their "why". In this way, they are able to help our society to excel rather than having it deteriorated.

With the technological improvement and the saturation of the market with many different designs, the intrinsic value will be what separates designs. It is going to be more than just being aesthetically pleasing and functional. Instead, how much and what kind of impact it creates, will make the distinction.

My last exhibition was during Milan Design Week 2019 in Isola District and other exhibitions are hopefully in progress.

I believe the human mind is very powerful. The most influential and successful people are the ones that know how to work well with their mind. My inspiration comes from our thinking process and its dynamics. Our mind plays a lot of tricks on us to keep us safe and make us act accordingly to survive. But all these cognitive errors create bias and cause us to sacrifice expressing our true "self". Successful people take care of their mind the same way that they take care of their physical body. They are aware of the fact that their life is a direct reflection of their thoughts and that is why they care about their mental fitness and well being. Our thoughts create our feelings and our feelings determine the quality of our lives. So I love to explore different feelings and be able to shed a different light on them and to express them through design. This helps people to see things in a way that is empowering rather than limiting. And being able to empower people starting with their mind is what gives me the most satisfaction.

I was born and raised in Iran most of my life. Currently, I am living in Milan, Italy since I came here about 6 years ago to study at the Polytechnic University of Milan. Of course, I believe that my designs have been affected by different cultures. For sure, my hometown has helped me to have more empathy and compassion and how to express these two. Italy has helped me with its rich background in design and also I believe there is a bit of influence from the united states with its positive and rich culture of Personal Development.

My suggestion is to try to figure out who you are first and then choose a cause that matters the most to you. In this way, your authenticity and your feelings are the forces that can carry you a long way on this journey. I would remind them that the role of a designer is to solve problems and encourage them to solve a problem in this world.

I am planning to explore more the realm of the human mind and human behavior to be able to create designs that are more relevant and more influential. For me, the design is a vehicle to be able to communicate an empowering message.