Marcia Budet

I graduated from my Masters in Architecture and a Certificate in Urban Design from the University of Pennsylvania, but tasked myself to learn about many fields of design during my academic training. Some of the fields I explored include industrial, furniture, graphic, and jewelry design. I've felt passionate about art/design since I was a child and my interest just kept growing. I don't think I ever had that moment of saying "I want to be a designer" because I felt I already was.

We are an international award winning design studio that offers creative, non-traditional design proposals in fine jewelry. Our main interests include exploring asymmetrical elements, movement and how simple + complex elements create sophisticated boldness. We are a family run business and develop our own collections, do custom work and are open to collaborate with other design houses. We feel privileged to be able to do what we love.

Design is a very personal way to communicate through a different medium other than written or verbal language. When I design, I want to tell a story. It's not only a very intimate way for people to get to know me, but a constant learning process as I reinvent myself through my work.

Anything and everything that has to do with retail, brand culture and mass production. It could be designing spaces like boutiques, restaurants, and hotels that create a very signature experience or creatively directing a product line that demands a cohesive aesthetic language to define the brand. Anything that creates an impact and makes a statement.

Having studied Urban Design in addition to Architecture, I love cities and open spaces where people come together. This is why I would have to say the Highline Park in NYC, designed by University of Pennsylvania's Landscape Architecture Department Chair James Corner and his firm: Field Operations. I love how it brings the industrial spirit back to the metropolis, transforming an infrastructure project and reinterpreting it in a very edgy way.

The first thing I designed for my company was Asymmetrics + Diamonds. In fact, this Golden Award winning entry to the A' Design Award & Competition was what created the company itself. It's very special that it's being awarded with such an important recognition.

I appreciate the versatile nature of metals. They can be used in everything from the infrastructure of a city, structural elements of a building, beautiful interior design finishes or even as a spectacular piece of jewelry.

For me, being insanely busy and working on different types of projects at the same time triggers a productivity cycle. One project feeds itself from the other - the more I do, the more creative I get.

Happiness and fulfillment - reassuring that all the hard work has paid off. Whether it's a graduation gift from a mother to her daughter, a 25th year anniversary gift from a husband to his wife, a special custom design piece to wear the day of your wedding - I feel like my work allows me to have those connections. I'm part of that moment and share those experiences with my clients.

Judging a design can be challenging because one tends to have a gut reaction towards it as soon as one sees it - which can be misunderstood with what one might like or dislike, not to be confused with good or bad design. For the judging to be objective, I believe it's important to start evaluating how well does the design meets it's purpose.

Designers, by nature, are problem solvers. We become leaders by identifying a need - personal or in society - and using our creativity to fulfill it. It could be everything from designing an environmentally friendly production system while maximizing the product's performance to inserting a public park in a city's grid. By achieving this, we also become educators - communicating our vision through our work.

I believe the future of design is in material research and redesign. More and more design companies are investing time, money and staff in creating departments dedicated to the research of innovative components to make existing materials better and create new ones that follow sustainability principles. I also believe the future of design is in user experience and social engineering, which determines how people interact with designer brands - it's not only having a great product and/or service, but carefully designing how you want people to learn about it and perceive you.

My sources of inspiration change constantly. I want pieces to communicate different messages, therefore the creative concepts change as well. It all depends on what I want the pieces to say. I find inspiration in everything from the people I meet, cities I visit, colors in nature landscapes to concerts and theater shows I attend.

My approach to design is bold, yet sophisticated. I enjoy making conversation pieces for women that want to be effortlessly elegant, but love fashion and aren't afraid to have a little fun with it. I think my design style as of today is greatly influenced by my architectural background.

I was born and currently live in Puerto Rico - a U.S. tropical island in the Caribbean - and I also have French and Spanish roots. The combination of that strong mix of Latin and European cultural heritage has definitely influenced my design style in many ways. I embrace those influences as very unique additions to my aesthetic and am excited to see how it evolves.

Personally, I perform the best when clients allow me to have full creative liberty - which, all goes back to trust. I would suggest hiring someone who you trust completely and not only allow them to take risks, but take risks with them.

My design process changes constantly, mainly depending on the demands of each project, collection or custom piece for a client. I don't have a particular formula that works every time I start a new design - especially because I work in different mediums and scales, but I do tend to work and resolve designs through physical models.

Being a young, up and coming designer myself, I understand the challenges it entails. I would say that organization, persistence and hard work definitely pay off. Never stop taking risks and pushing yourself outside your comfort zone because you might be pleasantly surprised. Take yourself seriously enough to be responsible, but make sure to feed your creativity with some fun. Love what you do, otherwise... what's the point?!

Design is a very rewarding profession. There are no established rules, no two projects are ever the same and you're constantly learning about different topics of interest. Designers have the ability to physically create something beautiful that didn't exist before, what can be more special than that? If I could change something about my profession, it would probably be to be able to stop my mind from being in design mode all the time. It's a twenty-four seven job.

Challenge yourself through every project and learn to trust your creative instinct. Show design intelligence and sensibility through your work.

I believe an innovative design vision is just as important as having the ability to cleverly communicate it.

There are several tools that are constant in my creative process. I'm obsessed with photography - I document everything, this is why it's almost imperative to have a camera on me when I design. I enjoy hand sketching and constantly work on it since it our main communication tool, but I almost always solve my designs with physical models.

Organization is key - deadlines have to be met and time is a luxury that must be invested wisely, especially if you're running your own design operation. You are and create your own structure. This is why I constantly try to maintain a balance between my designer and businessperson roles.

It depends on the complexity and scale of the object, I don't believe there is a standard time formula in design.

People seem to always be interested in learning the story and inspiration behind the creative process of my designs.

My current job: developing and managing a brand I have created from scratch.

Fine Jewelry Designer Boutiques, Museums and I also do direct retail sales with clients.

Creative and Design Direction - I believe it to be the ideal combination between design and business for me. I find it very challenging - which I enjoy - as it makes sense of a brand + it's product design as a whole as well as the message it wants to communicate.

I want to keep developing my brand in fine jewelry and expand into other products eventually, but I would also love to collaborate with already established design companies and fashion houses in art/design/creative direction roles. I would like to expand my collaboration in writing and editing for design + fashion magazines and contribute as a design professor at some point of my career.

I work with a team in the production stage, but develop the designs myself.

Our new collection is currently in the manufacturing process and will be out later this year. It's a reinterpretation of my architectural style and language. It will have a great balance between metal and bright colored gemstones with our signature touch of diamonds. Always bold, always sophisticated.

People can contact me through my website: www.marciabudet.com, Email: marcia@marciabudet.com, Facebook: www.facebook.com/designermarciabudet and Twitter: @MarciaBudet