We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Sonia Alins ("SA").
After working, since 1998, from her studio illustrating many children books, educational projects, magazines and projects for some of the most well-known companies in Spain , Sonia Alins has arrived to an artistic maturity with new aesthetic referents. Because of this, she started a new artistic work (often three-dimensional collages) based on a poetic and surreal narrative related with her inner life, womanhood and feminism. Sonia also explores the expressiveness of some abstract elements such as transparency and blur.
Sonia Alins Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Sonia Alins.
Sonia Alins Design - Into the Water Series of artworks
Designer Interview of Sonia Alins:
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?
SA : I've always wanted to be an artist. I know that this might be a very common answer but in my case it is true. Actually, since I was a child I always said to my family that I would become an artist. It has been my greatest passion in my life.
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
SA : I'm developing two careers at the same time: On the one hand, I'm creating personal artistic projects, such as "Into the Water", now awarded in the A’Design Award & Competition category. On the other hand, I'm a freelance illustrator and I produce commercial illustration for some of the most important publishers and companies in my country.
DI: What is "design" for you?
SA : The ability to give a soul to objects.
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
SA : I love creating large-size artworks and wall paintings.
DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
SA : I really love Yves Klein's sponge reliefs. This series is awesome! Apart from this, I also love many of Jaime Hayón’s pieces.
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
SA : My first work was an illustrated article for Elle Spain magazine in 1998.
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
SA : I love working with ink and paper, but I would like to experiment with other materials such as wood, porcelain and crystal.
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
SA : After watching a movie, reading a book or visiting an exhibition, my mind suddenly starts linking different ideas and many times it creates new ones.
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
SA : I’m always searching a powerful narrative (a powerful story behind the work) surrounded by aesthetic beauty and sensitivity.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
SA : The process of creating an artwork usually gives me an intense feeling of happiness.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
SA : When I’m satisfied with the work done, I feel relaxed. if I’m not, I start working hard again to complete a better version.
DI: What makes a design successful?
SA : Originality and beauty. Many times, success comes from an original viewpoint of a very ordinary concept.
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
SA : The same aspects: originality and beauty.
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
SA : I think it is important to investigate new paths to improve the world and I think it’s possible. Creativity is the engine of humanity and our world.
DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
SA : Both design and art are essential for the improvement of society giving culture to the people and providing beautiful and richer environments.
DI: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
SA : Currently, one of my awarded artworks at A’ Design Award and Competition is in the middle of a tour around the U.K. as a highlighted artwork at the World Illustration Awards 2016, a contest for illustrated projects organised by The Association of Illustrators (A.O.I.). Apart from that, I have plans to exhibit my last projects soon.
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
SA : I would define myself as empathic and sensitive. Almost anything (a personal experience, an impression, a landscape) is likely to become inspiration for me. Other inexhaustible sources of inspiration are my family and my dreams. Some days I wake up with a good repertoire of ideas from my dreams. Sometimes I think my mind keeps working even when I'm asleep. There are also artists that repeatedly feed my creativity: Goya, Picasso, El Bosco, Joseph Cornell, Yves Klein and many of the twentieth-century avant-garde artists; illustrators such as Elena Odriozola, Pablo Amargo and Isidro Ferrer; and photographers Barbara Morgan, Francesca Woodman and Chema Madoz. Literature and poetry are also an inexhaustible source of inspiration to me.
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?
SA : I always define my art style as a personal combination of surrealism and visual poetry. My artworks reflect my thoughts, my fears, my feelings and my desires. So, I develop my own conceptual narrative, full of personal details.
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?
SA : I live in Catalonia, in Spain. Of course, I recognise the cultural baggage of my country in my artistic work and I think it’s enriching because this is a perfect basis for new generations in order to create new artistic proposals.
DI: How do you work with companies?
SA : When I work for companies I follow the common rules in these cases. I have a briefing on which I work and I give the client my first sketches. After the client’s approval I focus on establishing the final art.
DI: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
SA : It’s important to choose a designer whose portfolio the company loves, to create a shared harmony and trust between the company and the creative. Giving him/her some freedom in that relationship is also very important.
DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?
SA : The process normally consists of three phases: first of all, there is an extensive search for information; then, I usually draw small sketches in notebooks; and, finally, I develop the final work.
DI: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
SA : 1. Crystal Candy set by Jaime Hayón 2. A book titled Casualidad by Pepe Monteserín and Pablo Amargo 3. A Taschen big size book about Jheronimus Bosch 4. My Wacom Cintiq. It makes my job easier 5. My iPhone 6s. It's my personal assistant.
DI: Can you describe a day in your life?
SA : I usually start my day running or practicing yoga, it gives me a healthy sense of physical and mental vitality. After having breakfast with my husband and my daughters, I spend some time reading the news and some opinion pieces. Most of the rest of my day is for drawing. I share this time with my husband, Juanjo Barco (who is also an illustrator). I like listening to music when I’m working: I hear a lot of classical music, but my tastes are varied (I really love Björk or Estrella Morente). During the work at the studio I am very focused, within my own universe but always receptive to new stimuli. I like to share the end of the day with my family, relax and watch a movie or read a book.
DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
SA : My main suggestion to young people and especially designers or artists is to be truly receptive and have passion to learn from everything that surrounds them, and to do what really excites them.
DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
SA : If you love this job (and this is my case) I think that, in the end, you only remember the positives. The best part of it is that feeling when you feel you have created something new that didn’t exist before: that’s something really satisfying and, in a way, something magical.
DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?
SA : Never stop working. As Pablo Picasso said, “inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.”
DI: What skills are most important for a designer?
SA : Intuition, permeability and a flexible personality.
DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
SA : My favorite tools are a nib pen and my inkwell and a lot of paper to draw on. Also, I’m always surrounded by many artists books and some music at my studio.
DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
SA : I love my job and I spend a lot of time every day working on it: that means hours and hours but I don’t mind because I enjoy every second of it.
DI: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
SA : Actually, it depends on many factors. Each artistic project needs a different timing.
DI: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
SA : People have asked many times: “Where do your ideas come from?”
DI: What was your most important job experience?
SA : Thanks to all that has been happening around my project, “Into the Water” has become my most important professional experience. It gave me a special mention at the 2016 World Illustration Awards and now I have been honored with an A 'Design Award. Im so happy! On the other hand, I have very intense experiences as freelance illustrator. Maybe the most important one has been a project that I made for ArtSpire, an art academy from Shanghai. I went to China for a few weeks to do my job and those days of rewarding hard work became an unforgettable life experience.
DI: Who are some of your clients?
SA : I have worked for a wide variety of clients. Some of them have been: RBA Publishing House, Real Madrid Foundation, Vodafone, Artspire Shanghai, Diset, Santillana or Edelvives.
DI: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
SA : I enjoy creating my personal artworks, because they are full of my thoughts and ideas, they are a little extension of myself. But I also enjoy illustrating children books.
DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
SA : I'm working on new artworks related to “Into the Water”. I think that I need to dive more deeper into this concept. I would like produce artworks in large sizes too.
DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
SA : I love to work with my husband. We have always worked as a team and the level of complicity and understanding is very high.
DI: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
SA : I’m planning to experiment with a new Water Women series and I’m also designing some editorial projects.
DI: How can people contact you?
SA : You can visit my website at www.soniaalins.com. You can also find me on Facebook and Instagram.
DI: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
SA : No, thank you. Actually, I think It has been a very complete interview.