Interview with Ruma Design
Ruma Design is an international industrial design studio providing smart solutions from the high quality standards of the automotive design industry.
Designer of the Day Interview
4 May 2020
My experience as a designer, like the rest of the team at RUMA, has been very varied,
but mostly focused on car design. We have worked in large companies such as Seat,
Volkswagen Konzern or Ferrari; In countries like Sweden, Spain, Italy or even China.
but mostly focused on car design. We have worked in large companies such as Seat,
Volkswagen Konzern or Ferrari; In countries like Sweden, Spain, Italy or even China.
I always dreamt about creating something different, to imagine new shapes and
volumes from the architecture to fine arts and applying all that to technology and cars
design.
volumes from the architecture to fine arts and applying all that to technology and cars
design.
Our style is clean, we try to shape the volumes with purity, seeking harmony, where
function is the most important. Being a designer is a multidisciplinary facet that mixes
art and science, aesthetics and technology, and in this sense our premise is that form
follows function.
function is the most important. Being a designer is a multidisciplinary facet that mixes
art and science, aesthetics and technology, and in this sense our premise is that form
follows function.
Each project is different, it is like a song or a movie and you immerse yourself in it as if
you were living it from the inside, giving your design the expression you want to
transmit. Emotions can be very abstract, sometimes there is a conflict between
opposite feelings creating an internal war that is resolved through my creations.
you were living it from the inside, giving your design the expression you want to
transmit. Emotions can be very abstract, sometimes there is a conflict between
opposite feelings creating an internal war that is resolved through my creations.
A lot of people has influenced me along my professional career. It is important to
appreciate the good work of a chief designer or a colleague but it is also important to
learn from other people’s mistakes
Working at the Ferrari design centre in Maranello, Italy, was a crucial experience that
shaped me as a designer. But starting our own design studio, and becoming our own
bosses may in the long term become the most important step we ever took.
appreciate the good work of a chief designer or a colleague but it is also important to
learn from other people’s mistakes
Working at the Ferrari design centre in Maranello, Italy, was a crucial experience that
shaped me as a designer. But starting our own design studio, and becoming our own
bosses may in the long term become the most important step we ever took.
Starting our own design studio, and becoming our own bosses may in the long term
become the most important step we ever took. Our plan is to grow our team and be
pioneers in the hi-tech industry
become the most important step we ever took. Our plan is to grow our team and be
pioneers in the hi-tech industry
You must remain constant, always try your best, be motivated and train your talent. It
may sound cliché but there are no shortcuts.
may sound cliché but there are no shortcuts.
We are an up and coming company with incredible talent and experience and our hard
work is paying off in different ways. In RUMA we say, don’t fall in love with your
designs, there is always a way to improve it.
work is paying off in different ways. In RUMA we say, don’t fall in love with your
designs, there is always a way to improve it.
I start the day charging up my batteries with a couple of toasts with olive oil, tomato
and iberic ham and wash it down with freshly pressed orange juice; then I take my bike
and ride down to the studio, where I meet the rest of the team. After a long day of work,
I like to hit the gym to unwind. Once I’ve had supper I like to relax with a book before
sleep.
and iberic ham and wash it down with freshly pressed orange juice; then I take my bike
and ride down to the studio, where I meet the rest of the team. After a long day of work,
I like to hit the gym to unwind. Once I’ve had supper I like to relax with a book before
sleep.
We feed our creativity with trendy design books, magazines, several on-line platforms
and design communities. The best designers create design trends, the rest of the world
follow those trends.
and design communities. The best designers create design trends, the rest of the world
follow those trends.
A good design is when you find a beautiful shape that follows and helps the function;
innovating in technology and materials, optimizing its complexity and adding new
values to the current market.
innovating in technology and materials, optimizing its complexity and adding new
values to the current market.
When all the technical aspects are objectively completed and our artistic criteria are
subjectively satisfied.
subjectively satisfied.
A luxury premium Swiss watch that will be launched among this 2020 where we mix a
beautiful balance between materials, technology and Swiss precision, with added
values like the accurate and innovative treatment of the surfaces never seen before.
beautiful balance between materials, technology and Swiss precision, with added
values like the accurate and innovative treatment of the surfaces never seen before.
There are some ‘genius’ like Daniel Simon, Luigi Colani, Sergio Pininfarina, M.C.
Escher, Zaha hadid and some others that inspired us for years
Escher, Zaha hadid and some others that inspired us for years
RUMA is a Spanish firm based in Madrid. The character of the people in this country is
known by everyone; the Mediterranean way of living, the passion people put in art and
design, from Picasso to Dali, From Gaudí to Calatrava, From Buñuel to Almodovar.
This country has given so much that is impossible not to be creative in this exciting
environment.
known by everyone; the Mediterranean way of living, the passion people put in art and
design, from Picasso to Dali, From Gaudí to Calatrava, From Buñuel to Almodovar.
This country has given so much that is impossible not to be creative in this exciting
environment.
One of our best values is the flexibility with which we attend our customers. The
interaction is fully organic in order to create strong links of collaboration with clients and
partners seeking to get the best of the project.
interaction is fully organic in order to create strong links of collaboration with clients and
partners seeking to get the best of the project.
Design is about rethinking life, about making things better, smarter and nicer. It is on us
to optimize the design of every single object that surrounds us, making them kinder and
more sustainable and helping people improve their lives. The RUMA team has hosted
open-door conferences as well as free events with students of several Universities,
meetings, interviews, etc. to help expand the philosophy of design and the importance
of sustainability
to optimize the design of every single object that surrounds us, making them kinder and
more sustainable and helping people improve their lives. The RUMA team has hosted
open-door conferences as well as free events with students of several Universities,
meetings, interviews, etc. to help expand the philosophy of design and the importance
of sustainability
Winning A’ Design Award was a welcome new experience since it values us as a
studio and recognizes the quality of the project. We are proud of winning this
Award.
studio and recognizes the quality of the project. We are proud of winning this
Award.
Interview about Migma Hydrogen Powered Catamaran Design Interview
Design Legend Interview
4 May 2020
RUMA is a new and fresh design team founded by two industrial designers with wide experience in the industry, chiefly in the automotive field.
I always dreamed about creating something different, to come up with new shapes and volumes, from architecture to fine arts, and applying those ideas to technology and transportation design.
It was totally my decision
RUMA specialises in transportation and mobility design, with focus on high-tech and upscale products as well as a growing interest in the sustainability and wellbeing industries, which we are passionate about.
We are an up and coming company with incredible talent and experience and our hard work is paying off in different ways. But to become a legend, which is something we aspire to, you must remain constant, always try your best, be motivated and train your talent. It may sound cliché but there are no shortcuts.
A great designer thinks big and always goes beyond.
A great design is when you find a beautiful shape that follows and helps the function; innovating in the technology and materials and adding new values to the current market.
Just by having a look at the consequences of a bad design.
In RUMA we aim high. We want to be at the forefront of technology and lead the most ambitious projects that we come across. Things like Hyperloop or even spacecrafts are what really makes us tickle.
We have kept so busy this first two years we have not even had time to ask ourselves that.
Despite the risk of sounding cliché again, our secret is to always thing outside the box.
There are some ‘geniuses’ like Daniel Simon, Luigi Colani, Sergio Pininfarina, M.C. Escher, Zaha hadid and some others that have inspired us over the years.
It comes to my mind the Alfa Romeo 33 stradale designed by Franco Scaglione or the Lancia Stratos Zero by Marcello Gandini.
A luxury premium Swiss watch that will be launched ,if the little bug allows it, this 2020, where we create a beautiful merger of materials, technology and swiss precision, with added value such as a never-seen-before accuracy and innovative treatment of surfaces.
As I said before, you must be constant, do your best, be motivated and train your talent.
Oh! very disparate yet somewhat interconnected things, from psychology to architecture.
Making things better, smarter and nicer.
My parents have been my greatest allies, for which I feel thankful and privileged.
Greatness is a pursuit. Effort and motivation have helped us to get where we are, but greatness must always remain an aspiration.
Not having a clear path or enough information to get to my targets
With eagerness and self-awareness. Learning to land punches and overcoming obstacles, and looking at your accomplishments with prudent humility.
A smart healthcare product for clinical treatment.
Our ultimate goal is to help humanity advance and reach new horizons from the humility of our desks, knowing good design can push technology to the stars, quite literally. We would of course love it if our brand would get to be remembered in the future, for an iconic design that became ingrained in popular culture like those designs that we grew up loving.
People expect us to look at things differently and provide them with an ingenious solution.
Giving new solutions to emerging needs; helping people and making the world easier and nicer to live in.
Bringing together the newest technology and applying it to one of our exciting new projects.
A smart motorbike helmet concept showcased at the CES Las Vegas 2020 which we designed for a leading company.
I would like design in general to be more valued by sectors outside its own. To many people, good design remains an invisible aspect of why a good product is good. When in fact, oftentimes good design is the difference between a product that makes it, and one that fails.
Virtual Reality, 3D printing and user experiences.
It depends on the size of the project, and how many people are involved in the design team.
Sharing a coffee with the rest of the team at the office’s lounge and doing a brainstorming.
There is always a way to improve it.
The best designers create trends, the rest follow those trends.
It is crucial for our designs. The marriage of technology and design is responsible for the giant leaps our society has experienced over the last two decades.
As a multidisciplinary team, we use many kind of softwares, since hand sketches, to vectorial sotfware and high end quality 3D surface modeling
As crucial as the rest of the features. Particularly materials, which can be the most important part of a product.
We are passionate about our designs and can talk at length about any aspect. A good design, however, should be self-explanatory; what we call User Experience and User Interface. If feedback is not positive in every single aspect of the design, we would have to go back to the sketch board.
The first thing that comes to mind is something akin to; Wow! What a fantastic solution, how could I not think of that? We are happy to see great design becoming apparent in many industries and it inspires us to continue coming up with new ideas.
Working as a team is essential to make a good product, it is something we learned after working in the automotive industry for many years. A big project is an organic interaction between you, your partners and third parties. Co-design is our default as a team of two, and right now we are each other’s ideal design partners.
A lot of people have influenced me along my professional career. It is important to appreciate the good work of a chief designer or a colleague, but it is also important to learn from other people’s mistakes.
I couldn’t say which book had the deepest effect on my designs, but I read some good books related to design, and psychology of design which may have influenced me indeed, such The Shape of Design by Frank Chimero, Cosmic motors by Daniel Simon or Principles of Three-Dimensional Design by Lucius Wong.
Technical skills are of the most important things to grow day by day, and doing it so within some of the best design teams in the world has certainly helped a lot.
Luigi Colani would be remarkably interesting to meet
I would not say I am famous at all, but having received several awards is very motivational, and gives us even more strength to carry on working.
Red; Bolonia beach In Cadiz, Spain; Spring; cars, Bang & Olufsen
Once, on a crowdy day earlier this year, while attending the CES Exhibition in Las Vegas, I was dying for a coffee; but the queue of the cafeteria was such that I started a conversation with the man in front of me. After exchanging a few words, that man turned out to be the CEO of a big company who proposed my team to design their new star product.
Motivation is important, especially in our great team, but personally it helps me a lot to exercise every day; it clears my mind and keeps me focused on my goals.
Since I was a kid I always loved sketching and cars; and I wanted to do great things.
It is hard to say but we if we have not disappeared as a species yet, we will likely have become a post-scarcity civilisation by harnessing the power of our home star. What a vision! Dyson swarms, space lifts, interplanetary vessels… they will need designers, that is for sure!
In most cases, a good project is not the work of a single person or the lone child of a supernatural genius, but the result of a great multidisciplinary team working together eagerly for the same purpose.
Designer Interview
4 May 2020
Since I was a kid, I always loved drawing, sketching and cars; and I wanted to do
great things. Earlier last year I had the privilege of founding RUMA with a fellow
design artist that shares that vision and possesses extraordinary talent. We work with
great talents from different disciplines too, so, in a way, that dream has become a
reality.
great things. Earlier last year I had the privilege of founding RUMA with a fellow
design artist that shares that vision and possesses extraordinary talent. We work with
great talents from different disciplines too, so, in a way, that dream has become a
reality.
RUMA is an international design studio born in early 2019 providing smart solutions
and using the highest quality standards from the automotive design industry. Founded
by two ex-Ferrari design team members with a wide experience in the advance design
field.
and using the highest quality standards from the automotive design industry. Founded
by two ex-Ferrari design team members with a wide experience in the advance design
field.
Design is about rethinking life, about making things better, smarter and nicer.
Hi-tech products; from lifestyle to wellbeing through sustainable mobility solutions
I am thinking that maybe in the Alfa Romeo 33 stradale designed by Franco
Scaglione, I love its proportions and the fluidity of its shapes, it perfectly projects the
sporty essence of the brand.
Scaglione, I love its proportions and the fluidity of its shapes, it perfectly projects the
sporty essence of the brand.
The RUMA team members have a broad experience worldwide but the company itself
started its path with the design of a disruptive premium Swiss watch.
started its path with the design of a disruptive premium Swiss watch.
We are directing our new projects to the area of VR and 3D printing
As with artists, and we do believe the best designers are artists at heart, inspiration is
a whimsical muse. But when it comes, if you have the privilege, like I do, of being
surrounded by a highly competent team that understands your vision, that’s when
creativity blossoms for me.
a whimsical muse. But when it comes, if you have the privilege, like I do, of being
surrounded by a highly competent team that understands your vision, that’s when
creativity blossoms for me.
To think of a better way in which to implement the features and technology and
generate harmony over the whole shape.
generate harmony over the whole shape.
Each project is different, it is like a song or a movie and you immerse yourself in it as if
you were living it from the inside, embedding your design with what you want to
express.
you were living it from the inside, embedding your design with what you want to
express.
I feel great satisfaction from the work done. That is a universal sense, shared amongst
all professionals that take pride in their work.
all professionals that take pride in their work.
A successful design is when you find a beautiful shape that follows and helps the
function; innovating in technology and materials and adding new value to society and
the needs of the market.
function; innovating in technology and materials and adding new value to society and
the needs of the market.
The first thing (but not the most important) is the aesthetics, the shapes, the beauty of
the design and then trying to understand that form and how it impacts its functionality.
the design and then trying to understand that form and how it impacts its functionality.
It is important that we design the products which society will use in the short as well as
the long term, it is on us to optimize the design of every single object that surrounds
us, making them kinder to the users and their environment.
the long term, it is on us to optimize the design of every single object that surrounds
us, making them kinder to the users and their environment.
It is becoming increasingly essential. It brings together art and science. It is starting to
be the main factor to consider for many products.
be the main factor to consider for many products.
Our last exhibition was this January 2020 at the CES in Las Vegas, Nevada, where we
presented a smart motorbike helmet which had a fantastic reception. We would have
had one by May, but it was cancelled, unfortunately we must wait until the end of this
pandemic crisis before planning any future exhibitions.
presented a smart motorbike helmet which had a fantastic reception. We would have
had one by May, but it was cancelled, unfortunately we must wait until the end of this
pandemic crisis before planning any future exhibitions.
It all starts with profound research. We like to take references from nature. From
organic and bionic shapes to geometrical patterns that can be found in the natural
world.
organic and bionic shapes to geometrical patterns that can be found in the natural
world.
At RUMA we design with volumes rather than lines, with clean, organic and minimalist
shapes, accentuating their character with tension lines which results in a hi-end
aesthetic value
shapes, accentuating their character with tension lines which results in a hi-end
aesthetic value
RUMA has its main base in Madrid, Spain. The character of the people in this country
is known by everyone; the Mediterranean way of living, the passion people put in art
and design, from Picasso to Dali, From Gaudí to Calatrava, From Buñuel to
Almodovar. This country has given so much that is impossible not to be creative in this
exciting environment.
is known by everyone; the Mediterranean way of living, the passion people put in art
and design, from Picasso to Dali, From Gaudí to Calatrava, From Buñuel to
Almodovar. This country has given so much that is impossible not to be creative in this
exciting environment.
One of our best values is the personalised attention and flexibility with which we cater
to our clients. The interaction is fully organic in order to create fluid avenues of
collaboration to reach the best possible outcome.
to our clients. The interaction is fully organic in order to create fluid avenues of
collaboration to reach the best possible outcome.
At times, working within a large team can become tedious, but it is crucial to maintain
the morale of your designers as it has a direct relation with their creativity. They may
need more space to express themselves and it is important to relax the hierarchical
rigidity of yesteryear and understand the new social influxes to confront complex
projects in a more malleable way.
The way I see it, honesty as well as a deep level of commitment and dedication,
combined with talent and creativity, are the key factors when considering a great
designer.
the morale of your designers as it has a direct relation with their creativity. They may
need more space to express themselves and it is important to relax the hierarchical
rigidity of yesteryear and understand the new social influxes to confront complex
projects in a more malleable way.
The way I see it, honesty as well as a deep level of commitment and dedication,
combined with talent and creativity, are the key factors when considering a great
designer.
We start with a market analysis and needs research, then we generate strategies,
creating 2D development concepts, applying know-how about UX & UI, making high
quality 3D modelling, and touching the project up with colour & trim proposals (with a
realistic visualization).
creating 2D development concepts, applying know-how about UX & UI, making high
quality 3D modelling, and touching the project up with colour & trim proposals (with a
realistic visualization).
A Moka coffee maker
The Wassily chair
A Tizio Lamp
A pair of Hi-tech speakers with voice control
A one-piece steel knife
The Wassily chair
A Tizio Lamp
A pair of Hi-tech speakers with voice control
A one-piece steel knife
I start the day charging up my batteries with a couple of toasts with olive oil, tomato
and iberic ham and wash it down with freshly pressed orange juice; then I take my
bike and ride down to the studio, where I meet the rest of the team. After a long day of
work, I like to hit the gym to unwind. Once I’ve had supper I like to relax with a book
before sleep.
and iberic ham and wash it down with freshly pressed orange juice; then I take my
bike and ride down to the studio, where I meet the rest of the team. After a long day of
work, I like to hit the gym to unwind. Once I’ve had supper I like to relax with a book
before sleep.
It may sound cliché, but you must work hard, be constant and train your skills without
leaving behind core values such as honesty and adaptability.
leaving behind core values such as honesty and adaptability.
The most positive side to it is the creative one, which unfolds in unsuspected ways in
every aspect of your life. To feel that you are creating something that solves a problem
and, particularly, when it is something innovative that improves or enriches other
people’s lives.
The less positive aspect is the enormous sacrifice of time, in which you feel like you
must sometimes neglect or abandon other aspects of your personal life.
every aspect of your life. To feel that you are creating something that solves a problem
and, particularly, when it is something innovative that improves or enriches other
people’s lives.
The less positive aspect is the enormous sacrifice of time, in which you feel like you
must sometimes neglect or abandon other aspects of your personal life.
Every design must be smart and add value to the product and the user.
Talent, perseverance, work, honesty, proactivity and initiative
We use a variety of software, from sketching, vectoral, Hi-quality 3D modelling and
rendering software… we are a multidisciplinary team.
We also feed our creativity with trendy design books, magazines and several on-line
platforms as well as being attentive and open eyed to the natural world around us.
We also feed our creativity with trendy design books, magazines and several on-line platforms as well as being attentive and open eyed to the natural world around us.
rendering software… we are a multidisciplinary team.
We also feed our creativity with trendy design books, magazines and several on-line
platforms as well as being attentive and open eyed to the natural world around us.
We also feed our creativity with trendy design books, magazines and several on-line platforms as well as being attentive and open eyed to the natural world around us.
I try to prioritize things in life, optimizing my time to get more with less.
It depends on the size of the project and how many people are involved in the design
team. I cannot give you a one-size-fits-all estimate.
team. I cannot give you a one-size-fits-all estimate.
How did that come into your mind?
Working at the Ferrari design centre in Maranello, Italy was a crucial experience for
which we feel privileged and thankful. But starting our own design studio, and
becoming our own bosses may in the long term become the most important step we
ever took.
which we feel privileged and thankful. But starting our own design studio, and
becoming our own bosses may in the long term become the most important step we
ever took.
We have developed projects all over the world in different areas of design for
prestigious companies such as mobility safety leaders Livall in Shenzhen, luxury
watchmakers Chronoswiss in Switzerland and many brilliant companies such as the
EDAG group Barcelona, Quantic Nanotech in Madrid, Accointing and Swissblock in
Zug, Switzerland, etc…
prestigious companies such as mobility safety leaders Livall in Shenzhen, luxury
watchmakers Chronoswiss in Switzerland and many brilliant companies such as the
EDAG group Barcelona, Quantic Nanotech in Madrid, Accointing and Swissblock in
Zug, Switzerland, etc…
Our team is a specialist in transportation and mobility design, and yet, since RUMA
was born, we have undertaken many projects of other natures such as wellbeing and
luxury products and other high-tech solutions. We love these commissions because
they provide us with a wider, intersectional vision on what design is.
was born, we have undertaken many projects of other natures such as wellbeing and
luxury products and other high-tech solutions. We love these commissions because
they provide us with a wider, intersectional vision on what design is.
As a co-founder of RUMA, I have for leitmotiv to keep this company growing and
undertake increasingly challenging projects. Sky’s the limit!
undertake increasingly challenging projects. Sky’s the limit!
We work as a team, and that’s RUMA’s greatest gift. United talent increases the
chance of success exponentially.
chance of success exponentially.
We have a couple of projects running right now, I can say they are remarkably
interesting but that’s all I can reveal from now.
interesting but that’s all I can reveal from now.
You can enter RUMA-design.com to check some of our projects and head to the
contact section, or directly writing us to contact@ruma-design.com
contact section, or directly writing us to contact@ruma-design.com
I would like to conclude this interview sharing a though, in relation to the changes to
our lives that have become apparent, through this hard period of quarantine which has
led to a lot of introspection. The time we have available is precious and limited, and it is
crucial to find a balanced space in which personal and professional life can coexist in
order to extract the best of us. Something we suspected, and we have discussed at
lengths during this interview, has become crystal-clear to all of us, and hopefully this
will lead to improved working environments across all industries, where we take into
consideration how our physical and mental wellbeing is, for most people, the key to
increased performance and productivity. Hard work is essential, as is discipline, but the
rigidity of workplaces and the work-life imbalance is hindering our economies and our
societies at dramatic scales.
our lives that have become apparent, through this hard period of quarantine which has
led to a lot of introspection. The time we have available is precious and limited, and it is
crucial to find a balanced space in which personal and professional life can coexist in
order to extract the best of us. Something we suspected, and we have discussed at
lengths during this interview, has become crystal-clear to all of us, and hopefully this
will lead to improved working environments across all industries, where we take into
consideration how our physical and mental wellbeing is, for most people, the key to
increased performance and productivity. Hard work is essential, as is discipline, but the
rigidity of workplaces and the work-life imbalance is hindering our economies and our
societies at dramatic scales.