Roberto and Fabiana

Specialized in Design.

Roberto and Fabiana

About Roberto and Fabiana

Lighting designs from Seedling Kenya are the materialization of the company philosophy that envisions humans and nature living alongside in a technological world. With their background in architecture and a professional career which brought them all over the world from their native Argentina and Italy, Fabiana and Roberto landed in Kenya with the strong belief that nature is offering us everything we need to live. Their designs are likely the first ever to use Baobab pods, indigenous trees bark, palm leaves, shredded plantation timber and other unusual local natural materials in clean and elegant products where raw natural resources and innovative design join together. “Light is the vital force that brings human-made structures to life, the slight imperfections inherent in any material harvested from nature just empower and transform it in a unique way. “ Everything in nature is a result of millions of years of evolution which shaped its forms in a perfect balance of functional and aesthetic values. Designers should look at nature not only for inspiration but also as a source of prime materials to be upcycled, this way only we can create designs that are sustainable in both technique and the message they convey.

  • Winner of the A' Design Award.
  • Specialized in Design.
  • Original Design.
  • Creative, Diligent and Innovative.
  • All Designs

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Interview with Roberto and Fabiana

Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
Fabiana and I are graduated in architecture with Master degrees from the University of Italy and Argentina. We decided to became designers for the love of curiosity and to explore the limits of our ideas in the practical and tangible scale of the object design industry.
Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
Our architecture and design company is based in Mombasa where we landed 5 years ago after about 10 years of professional experience around the world, mainly in Italy, Argentina, UK and USA. We both share the strong belief that nature is offering us everything we need to live a comfortable life therefore we should re-discover any humble and simple natural material and use it directly harvested from the nature as a solution for the impact that the design industry has on the environment.
What is "design" for you?
To design is to answer to a necessity with a functional and aesthetically elegant solution
What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
Our favorite designs are always characterized by simplicity and subtle elegance
What was the first thing you designed for a company?
Our first works were focused mainly on corporate identity and graphic design
What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
We share a deep love for natural materials, especially when harvested directly from nature and used with minimal modifications.
When do you feel the most creative?
We both love to travel and our most creative moments happen probably during a visit to different countries and cultures.
Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
As Architect we're both interested in the aesthetic quality of any object and at the same time I (Roberto) am more interested in technical details while Fabiana is the one with the practical sense and practical approach to production. We always said we improve each other designs.
What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
Happiness, euphoria, stress, apathy all in a continuous cycle. for me (Fabiana) whenever I have an idea, I feel the urgency of stopping whatever I'm doing to start drawing in the air with my finger.
What makes a design successful?
Define the term "successful".... In an ideal world the "successful" formula is based on a mix of aesthetic, practical, cultural, social and economical factors. In the real world when a product is successful in terms of sales percentages, it doesn't necessarily mean that it's the best (if at all) design from an aesthetic and technical point of view, it doesn't even mean that it brought a positive social and cultural improvement to the community.
When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
We all live in a narcissist society so the first aspect we all analyse is the aesthetic quality of an object. The shape of a product can attract you in many different way, from pleasure to disgust or curiosity and it immediately establish with the consumer an emotional link. The analysis on the functionality of the product come immediately after or even before according to Fabiana, as we believe that even the nicest object without even the simplest functionality is utterly useless. Otherwise, after our experience as volunteers for some community projects in Kenya we also recognize the importance of the positive impact that a product can have in every community.
From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
Our responsibilities are enormous, as the creators of products used by the masses we have the chance to show how to live a comfortable and pleasant life using object that have a minimal impact on the environment in a cradle to cradle production setup.
How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
The design industry has been deeply marked by the spread of academic education. Today we see thousand and thousand of designers around the world and in some way we lost that magical appeal that an object of design could have had for example in the sixties. On the other hand we are facing a major environmental and economical crisis and part of the problem is to be found in the mechanisms of mass production, if we want to increase our chances to survive we have to re-think our approach to industrial manufacturing, for example by using materials directly harvested from nature and by following a "producing on demand" philosophy
When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
Our last exhibition was at the Aliance Francaise in Nairobi whit our Baobab Tree installation holding more than 30 pendant lights and the equivalent amount of Baobab decors.
Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
We take our inspiration from multiple disciplines: literature, art, cinema, biology, technology, fashion, through books, movies, magazines, internet and travels. Recently though has been the process of observing the nature and its biological patterns which mostly influenced our design.
How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
DIY style ah ah...no, seriously, we both come from an architectural professional background and we never studied product design so we never think in term of style. Our style is the result of the materialization of our concepts through the less complex production process we can use.
Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
We currently live in Kenya but we both come from Latin countries (Italy and Argentina) and of course we have been deeply affected by our cultures, full of historical and artistic marvels. In particular the Italian design culture had a profound impact in the design industry in the last century and it's sometime difficult to overcome the burden of such a prestigious heritage. At the moment though the hardest part of our job is related to the lack of "modern" design culture in Kenya and consequently the lack of workmanship and hi-end production facilities.
How do you work with companies?
We haven't yet work with other companies , but we are open minded and we believe that the future is in the collaboration of many disciplines and expertise.
Can you talk a little about your design process?
Our design process usually start with a conversation during a meal, with one of us rushing to look for a piece of paper and a pen, then follow a drawing, after that a small scale model to understand feasibility and then boom... the sky is the limit!
What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
the giraffe chair we built for our son, the table we designed with as stump cut from a tree which fell down in one of the first compounds we lived in here in Kenya, the hedgehog pencil holder made from a Baobab tree pod, a lamp made with just one hanging coconut palm leaf, and our plywood minimalist sofa set.
Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
Just do it, again and again until you find yourself in your design
Who are some of your clients?
Most of our clients are private individual or entertainment and food businesses
What are your future plans? What is next for you?
We are expanding our production line to maximize our sales with the aim of increasing the strength of our company
Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
Most of the time the initial concept comes from our individual creative effort, the concept is then refined though a collaborative process.
How can people contact you?
You can contact us directly by phone at +254704055762 though we prefer to be contacted by email at our company address seedlingkenya@gmail.com

Extended Interview with Roberto and Fabiana

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?
Fabiana and I are both graduated in architecture and Urbanism with Master degrees from the University of Italy and Argentina.
How did you become a designer?
We decided to become designers for the love of curiosity and to explore the limits of our ideas in the practical and tangible scale of the object design industry.
What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?
It was always a personal choice, maybe supported by our frustration when we looked around for modern good quality products for our architectural projects here in Kenya and we couldn’t find anything at a reasonable price.
What particular aspects of your background shaped you as a designer?
Just do it, again and again until you find yourself in your design
What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?
A great designer tends to break any established boundary by pushing the limits of production techniques and technology.
What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?
We all live in a narcissist society so the first aspect we all analyses is the aesthetic quality of an object. The shape of a product can attract you in many different ways, from pleasure to disgust or curiosity and it immediately establish with the consumer an emotional link. The analysis on the functionality of the product come immediately after or even before according to Fabiana, as we believe that even the nicest object without even the simplest functionality is utterly useless. Otherwise, after our experience as volunteers for some community projects in Kenya we also recognize the importance of the positive impact that a product can have in every community.
You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?
Good design is timeless, therefore it always retain a value, either emotional or economical.
What is your day to day look like?
We always dream to design for brands like Artemide or Flos or to some extent Ikea
How do you keep up with latest design trends? To what extent do design trends matter?
A big light installation for a contemporary space made of natural materials coupled with advanced lighting technologies.
What is your biggest design work?
Icons like Parentesi or Arco the lamps designed by Achille Castiglioni or Eclisse by Vico Magistretti among many other.
Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?
Keep researching, travel a lot and build your network with other professionals from different disciplines.
Would you tell us more about your work culture and business philosophy?
We started as Architects so if it wouldn’t have been for our curiosity which supported our attempt to be designers, we clearly would have kept working in the architectural field. Otherwise I (Roberto) would have pursued my dream to be a famous musician.
What are your philanthropic contributions to society as a designer, artist and architect?
To design is to answer to a necessity with a functional and aesthetically elegant solution
What positive experiences you had when you attend the A’ Design Award?
The organizers at Afrika Handmade Gallery gave us a huge boost of confidence and our friends and relatives always supported us

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