We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Mariel Nina Lazo ("MNL").
Mariel Nina Z. Lazo is a furniture designer based in Manila, Philippines. Growing up in a family of doctors, she knew she was different because she wanted to be a carpenter - a dream she told her friends during her teen years. In 2008, she pursued her dream and studied industrial design at the Academy of Art University, San Francisco, California, USA. She uses paper and cutter as her main design tools making it easier for her to come up with ideas and be able to create a variety of form and function.
Mariel Nina Lazo Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Mariel Nina Lazo.
Designer Interview of Mariel Nina Lazo:
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?
MNL : It was in 2007 when I realized that I wanted to become an industrial designer. My friend, who was then an industrial design student (and I was a computer applications student) at a Philippine based school, asked me to sit in her prototype presentation finals class. I was in awe at how my friend and her classmates were able to make mock-ups on their own from scratch. So after my first college graduation, I decided to study industrial design at the Academy of Art University, San Francisco, USA. I graduated in 2010 and decided to go back to Manila, Philippines. My path to furniture design started when I joined Red Box, a design development program for young designers initiated by Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM). Julia chair was showcased in October 2015 at Manila Fame, an international furniture show based in the Philippines.
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
MNL : I am a project based furniture designer. My goal is to be able to promote Filipino handcrafted pieces through my design and ideas.
DI: What is "design" for you?
MNL : Design for me is a continuing process of creating something new from an existing object. It can also be a combination of two or more existing objects, creating a new form and/or function. In the end, design should not only be an idea or a plan, but it should be executed and expressed. For the design to be a success, I think your audience should be able to have his/her own interpretation, making it their own.
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
MNL : I like designing furniture pieces.
DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
MNL : My most favorite design is the Julia Chair. It started when I was playing with two rubber armlets trying to make forms. As for the material, the first thing that came into my mind is wood slats and I thought it would work well not only as a wall accent but also as a chair.
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
MNL : My first client was Triboa Bay Living as I designed the Julia chair. I also designed a nesting table to pair it with the chair.
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
MNL : Wood is a common material for a furniture. But to me it is the most challenging material application because even if it is common, you have to make new styles, techniques and patterns for you, as a designer, to be unique and interesting.
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
MNL : I feel most creative when I look at basic things. It makes me want to add something to it, creating a new purpose.
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
MNL : During designing, I try to focus more on making it simple but unique as possible. I believe in the saying less is more.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
MNL : As much as possible, I want to use all of my emotions and senses when I design. Even when you are sad, you try to get ideas from the reason you feel that way and make it into something tangible and useful.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
MNL : When my designs are being appreciated, there is a sense of satisfaction but only for a short period of time because design to me is a continuing process and I should keep moving from one project to another. I sometimes get my drive to keep going from people who has seen my design and they give their suggestion for more ideas.
DI: What makes a design successful?
MNL : I believe a design is successful when you are able to make the other person or your audience have their own interpretation of your design. When I designed Julia chair, my interpretation of it is the element of continuity. And then during Julia chair's first exhibit, people shared their different interpretations - some say it looks like a fan, some say it looks like a twisted bracelet. And I think that's what makes a design successful.
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
MNL : In a furniture designed piece, the first thing to consider is the comfort and function of it. No matter how beautiful the furniture is, if it doesn't feel right, it doesn't serve its purpose and it doesn't make it a design at all.
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
MNL : I think the participation of a designer to the society and the environment is making things around us more interesting and useful and from there we are able to rediscover not only what the society and environment need but also ourselves.
DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
MNL : I see more clearly now the union between design and art. I think this is where industrial design comes in - when you put an aesthetic feel to an object. Like when buildings used to be just a rectangular shaped structure to serve its purpose of providing an office space and now buildings are curvy and slanted, when a spoon are usually plain and has one function, now can be a fork or even a chopstick, which has multifunctional!
DI: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
MNL : My last exhibit was in October 2016 at the Manila Fame Furniture Show in Manila, Philippines. I want my next exhibition to be in San Francisco California or anywhere in the United States - where it all began as an industrial designer.
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
MNL : My design inspiration works usually come from home. I start by holding on and staring at an object. Then I use papers and cutter to create different interpretations from the object.
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?
MNL : I use basic elements and play around with them until something entirely new comes out of this reinvention of the old.
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?
MNL : I live in Manila, Philippines wherein furniture manufacturing is an important and big industry in our country. What I like about our furniture industry is the variety of materials such as wood, metal, stone, bamboo, leather and mixed media collections, and that most of these materials are crafted.
DI: How do you work with companies?
MNL : Compromise and constant communication with companies to have a good execution of their ideas and my design.
DI: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
MNL : Companies should learn how to compromise with and trust their designers. Designers will be able to execute their work well if the company will let the designer do their own strategy, after you have explained to them your thoughts.
DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?
MNL : My design process usually starts by holding on and staring at an object. Then I use papers and cutter to create different interpretations from the object. After creating more than one interpretation, I select one or two that suits best for what I want. The rest of the inspiration, I try to find another purpose to it.
DI: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
MNL : Headboard Bed Toothbrush holder Nesting Table Lolita Night lamp
DI: Can you describe a day in your life?
MNL : As a designer, I would focus on a basic shape or common object and try to see different view/s on it.
DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
MNL : My suggestion to young designers is to keep thinking of ideas and put everything in writing or draw your ideas. If you find an idea bad or not useful, don't throw it away;keep it and maybe in a few years you'll go over it and find a new purpose to it. Always remember to keep all ideas simple but new.
DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
MNL : A positive thing about being a designer is being creative and imaginative in anything. What's negative about being a designer is sometimes they don't accept criticism.
DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?
MNL : Less is more.
DI: What skills are most important for a designer?
MNL : It is important for a designer to have his/her own identity in terms of uniqueness and creativity. If the designer is not certain on his/her design style, it will confuse his/her target audience and eventually his/her own.
DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
MNL : Since I make small scale mock ups using paper, my main tool would be cutter.
DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
MNL : Designing is hard when you try to manage your time or set a time period to it. It is because it loses my focus to it and I don't want to force myself in doing something that might ruin its beauty or purpose. But what I do, especially when there is a deadline to meet, is to ask help from other people for ideas or comments to my design so as to make it easier to finalize the design.
DI: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
MNL : It can take up for days since designing deals with research and development, and a variety of forms and inspirations.
DI: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
MNL : What is the story behind the name of your design?
DI: What was your most important job experience?
MNL : My most important job experience was when I designed furniture pieces for Triboa Bay Living.
DI: Who are some of your clients?
MNL : As of now, my first and latest client is Triboa Bay Living.
DI: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
MNL : I enjoy tinkering and cutting papers when designing. It makes me create new forms and be able to be in harmony with outside factors such as light, shadow, even the blow of the wind.
DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
MNL : The latest I did for Triboa and for Julia chair is pair it with a nesting table. I would want to make more pieces to partner it with Julia/to be able to make a collection. In addition, I still would want to focus on using wood as a material for my design pieces.
DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
MNL : So far, all of my designs are developed by myself. I am not sure how well I will be working with a team but I think I'll be more productive in my own terms.
DI: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
MNL : I would like my last year's design to develop it by creating a collection in order to create a story.
DI: How can people contact you?
MNL : You may reach me through the following: +63917 508 5296 mnzlazo@yahoo.com