We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Liliana Soares ("LS").
Liliana Soares is Professor Coordinator at the Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo (IPVC-Portugal) since 2024. She finished her Pos-Phd in Design at Architecture Faculty of Lisbon (FA.UL, Portugal) in 2022 under the supervision of Rita Almendra and Fernando Moreira da Silva, presented her PhD in Design at University of Aveiro in 2012 supervised by Dante Donegany (NABA Faculty, Italy) and Fátima Pombo (UA), with a scholarship of Foundation for Science and Technology (Portugal) and holds a Master in Management from the Euro-Arab Management School, Granada (Spain) supervised by Celia De Anca (IE University, Spain), with a scholarship of the Euro-Arab Foundation. She is also a Designer from the Architecture Faculty of Lisbon (FA.UL, Portugal) under the supervision of Daciano da Costa. Since 2024, she is the Coordinator of the Research Group DISLab- Laboratório de Design para a Inovação e Sustentabilidade CAIUD.FA + IPVC. She is effective researcher at the CIAUD - Research Centre for Architecture, Urbanism and Design (University of Lisbon) since 2013 and, since 2010 a collaborating researcher at ID+. She is lecture in Environment Design Course (IPVC.PT), Product Design Course (IPVC.PT), Master in Integrated Design (IPVC.PT). She also lectured in teaching missions from Erasmus Programme. She is member of the Pedagogical Council of IPVC (since 2011) and was a member of Technical and Scientific Council of IPVC (2014-2018). She was the Head of Product Design course for 9 years (2013 - 2022). She has lectured extensively on design theory and design thinking at international and national conferences, has participated in design fairs and has published research articles in international academic journals. Liliana Soares has participated in Scientific Review Committee in international events and journals. Liliana has supervised almost 40 Master dissertations and has been a member of Master jury and of PhD Defence Jury. She supervises currently 2 PhD these and several Master Dissertations in Design. She has published academic works as single author or in co-authorship, including books, book chapters, papers in peer reviewed journals and in international peer reviewed conference proceedings. Liliana is Member of the Jury of the PhD Scholarship in Design Architecture and Urbanism granted by FCT and External referee in the periodical Italian research assessment exercise (VQR 2015-2019) of The Italian National Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and Research Institutes (ANVUR). In 2019 she founded Altempo Design Research Group with Ermanno Aparo and 2 alumni and won a Iron A'Design Award (2020) and a Gold Muse Design Award (2023). She was, also, awarded with Certificate of Excellence 2023 with Women Researcher Award for the Contribution and Honourable Achievement in Innovative Research Given under seal of the company ScienceFather (org). Since 2022 she is a Principal Investigator of the MUSAE embryo project (CIAUD), securing FCT funding. She generates methodologically creative process in research, developing sustainable solutions to connect design education, business world and society. Liliana Soares wrote 5 books. . . . Links: https://sciencefather.com/ https://www.designboom.com/design/shatron-sustainable-mute-for-trumpets-recycled-wood-05-12-2020/ https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=q29ALmwf1mA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVokCEiU2yM https://design.museaward.com/
Liliana Soares Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Liliana Soares.
Liliana Soares Design - Shatron Mute for Trumpet
Designer Interview of Liliana Soares:
DI: 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?
LS : Altempo is a team of two teachers and two alumni, creators of new configurations and interpreters of fundamental concepts such as innovation, changing and sustainability. What made Altempo to become a designer is the opportunity to improve people's lives and that is why Altempo have always wanted to be a designer.
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
LS : Altempo is based on the hermeneutic methodology and comes from the Italian expression to introduce a correction or clarify an idea. Altempo Research Design Group makes use of a strategy that requires to constantly diagnose the situations, helping companies to develop singular products and services carriers of meaning, with the spirit of a place, considering time, space, circumstances, and human nature. Altempo is based in the North of Portugal, thinking local and acting global.
DI: What is "design" for you?
LS : Design is about connections between all the elements that participate in the process, having the power to establish singularity products to society.
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
LS : Altempo likes designing all kind of works, having the sphere of the past as a light to design human tomorrow.
DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
LS : Our favorite design is the one that provokes sensations, transmits emotions and calls for reflection, concern and inquiry.
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
LS : As Altempo team this is our first project.
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
LS : Altempo's favorite material, platform or technology is the one that gives more opportunities, depending on the project.
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
LS : We fell the most creative when we join everything (and the opposite of it) that exist, working about something from the beginning to the end.
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
LS : During designing, we focus on satisfying all the starting points of the briefing, transforming constraints that arise during the process in project opportunities.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
LS : When we project we feel all possible emotions and none.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
LS : When our design are realized we feel the power.
DI: What makes a design successful?
LS : The will to power and the public acceptance.
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
LS : We look at the relationship that the product establishes with the environment and the human being.
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
LS : The designer has a responsibility to contribute – with his/her knowledge and methodology - to the transformation of reality, refusing to be a result of that.
DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
LS : The future is design.
DI: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
LS : ADESIGN Award 2019.
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
LS : Our design inspiration come from hard work. We feed our creativity by creating connections with everything (persons, companies, materials, technologies, techniques). We believe design as the competence to incorporate something from outside into something else, as a deterritorialized and reterritorialized process.
DI: 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?
LS : In our approach to design we argue in favor of a complex connection process free from preferential or marginalized elements.
DI: 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?
LS : We live in Europe, in the North of Portugal. The Genius Loci of our country affects everything we produce. It is a place with a strong relationship with tradition and with the productive activities of an artisanal nature. For this reason, the relationship with artisans is very strong. Since the craftsman has the ability to invent technology, the relationship between designers and craftsmen allows for continuous experimentation and verification.
DI: How do you work with companies?
LS : Our work with companies is based in a holist and continuous experimentation and verification of design process.
DI: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
LS : We suggest that companies look for designers who already have a course and qualifications and not those who either have not finished their studies or do not have the experience and, therefore, are abused.
DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?
LS : In our design process we use a methodology founded on meta-design exercise as a tool for experimentation, reflection and dialectic between all elements.
DI: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
LS : Lighting, seats, bathroom and kitchen accessories and picture frames.
DI: Can you describe a day in your life?
LS : It is difficult to answer, because we are a team of 4 people. And then, each day is unique and distinct.
DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
LS : Always read and study. Work with persistence and love. And when you start a project, do it from start to finish.
DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
LS : If you love what you do, there can be no negative points.
DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?
LS : Always think that a project is a never ending story.
DI: What skills are most important for a designer?
LS : Be the first user of the objects you create.
DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
LS : During design we use and connect low technology with high tech. Our sources of inspiration are architecture, craft objects and history.
DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
LS : When you produce what you like, you find time for everything.
DI: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
LS : It depends on the nature, the causalities and the circumstances of each project.
DI: What was your most important job experience?
LS : The most important professional experience of the Altempo group is the Shatron project.
DI: Who are some of your clients?
LS : All companies that decide to innovate, using and believing in research and development projects.
DI: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
LS : The type of design we like the most is one that everyone else finds difficult or impossible.
DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
LS : Continue this project, demonstrating that research in higher education can be useful for companies and people.
DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
LS : Always as a team.
DI: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
LS : Yes, we have. Our new work is focus on the relationship between fields, companies and persons, knowing that culture and memory exist to light our future.
DI: How can people contact you?
LS : Contacting one of the members of the Altempo team, via Instagram: @lilianaaparo, @almada_trumpet, @jorgepassos82, @joaoao.txr.