Interview with Walmir Luz

I love the idea of trying to solve a problem through the creation of something new.

I chose it. It was very clear to me from a very early age that I wanted to do something related to design. Creating new and different things were a huge motivation throughout my whole life.

I started my design career in the architecture field but I have been transitioning to a product and brand designer which better aligns with my future aspirations.

It sounds cliché but you need to do what really motivates you. I can use myself as an example: I started in architecture which I still love but as I developed my design career I discovered that my true motivations came from other areas and since then I have been driving my professional endeavors in those directions and every day I feel more and more accomplished and happy with what my future might hold.

I believe a good designer knows how to solve a need or a problem in an efficient way but a great designer truly embraces the challenge and accomplishes a final solution that goes beyond solving a problem: it creates an experience; it delights, it introduces something unexpected.

A really good design is a story that feels complete and tight on all ends without gaps. It a design that goes beyond solving a problem.

Design in general is something that enhances any project and achieves a final value that goes beyond fitting a function.

Always keep evolving. When you create something, you might have a finish line in mind but even when you reach that point, you should always push a bit further. Just a little step forward already open a world of possibilities and evolves the design to the next level.

Create! Practice makes perfect.

I would like to see design to be more accessible. In today's society, great design is still seen as an elitist thing. Very few companies bring design to the masses. Apple and Dyson, for example, create great design products but they have helped elevate the idea that design costs more.

Someone that thinks differently than me. 2 designers that think alike don't really push the boundaries between one another. It is through divergence that new possibilities are born.

All Mies is a startup based in Los Angeles changing the status quo of the retail industry by creating timepieces with high end design and quality materials without premium price tags.

Design is the ability to enhance an experience throughout a thoughtful and well planned creation.

I have always loved to create minimalist designs, products and architecture.

It is really hard to choose a single design with so many great creations being done every day but I love minimalist, clean and simple concepts. I really like the designs from SANAA, Apple and Dyson.

My first design was a website for a interior design firm.

There is nothing like working with a real model and ‘building’ your creation with your hands.

Right after a trip to a new place. Travels are an important tool to gather new perspectives and inspiration.

The creation of a unique experience that can be used as the driver to the overall design and form.

Joy and excitement! There is nothing like starting something from scratch and seeing it coming to life.

Proud and accomplishment. When a design is finally done, you know it is a good one if you are proud of it!

The perfect combination of design form and experience. Nothing can be either plain beautiful or plain functional, it has to be the merge of both.

Attention to details. It is in tiny little details that we truly know if something was well planned or just rushed.

Designers have the responsibility of being story tellers and creating the path for an experience, thus, shaping our society’s history and well-being.

Design used to be something really exclusive. Only a very selected individuals were able to access truly well designed products and projects. However, our society is becoming more and more design oriented. Design has become accessible to the masses and therefore we need to be critical about it. We have to continue to be great to the masses as we were to few people in the past.

I tend to look for a problem to begin with and then searching for an out of the box solution is what drives my design process. Travelling and keeping me informed about what is happening around the world is a great source for inspirations.

Typically I tend to like minimalist designs which was highly influenced by my 2 years of architecture in Chicago following Miesian principles.

Open-mind, courage and curiosity.

I tend to start any design by simply having some fun with paper and foam boards. I like to start with sketch models before diving into any digital design or more complex technology.

Well, this is a tricky question to be honest because it all depends on deadlines and clients. You need to balance goals and expectations with the deadline given. If there is no constraint of time, the creative process can be extended a little bit more.

I have a balance between individual and team work. Designs created by teams tend to be much more successful and richer in concept since you have many more people thinking in different ways towards a single goal.

Different ways to contact me can be found on my website (walmirluz.com).