We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Yorgo Tloupas ("YT").
Yorgo Tloupas, award-winning designer, started his career with the sale of his final art school diploma in 1996: a logo and a range of snowboards for Rossignol, his sponsor at the time. Since then, he has been working on branding and logo designandinternationally as a renowned art director for a large number of magazines. He teaches at Penninghen in Paris and at ECAL in Lausanneand has given speeches and hosted workshops worldwide. Involved in the launch of Black Crows skis in 2006,he has been driving the brand’s identity since then, whilst being active in the company’s growth as a shareholder. The Black Crows 2017-2018skiline is part of the permanent collection of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.
Yorgo Tloupas Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Yorgo Tloupas.
Designer Interview of Yorgo Tloupas:
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?
YT : Being the son of a sculptor father and an art teacher mom, It's almost like I had no choice..
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
YT : It's a design studio of around 12-15 people, led by me, with the intention of NEVER becoming an ad agency, but of course of doing their job better.
DI: What is "design" for you?
YT : It's the responsibility we have to try and make man-made objects somewhat bearable
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
YT : Objects I can ride: skis, snowboards, bikes, etc...
DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
YT : A well-designed car can be quite a delight, as it combines a huge amount of craftmanship, from the outside shape (sculpture), to the headlights and taillights (lam design), the seats (furniture design), the dashboard (graphic design), the chassis and engine (industrial design), the sound (music), and the smell (fragrance creation). No modern object comes close
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
YT : Snowboard graphics and a brand logo for Rossignol in 1996, my board sponsor at the time, who helped me present my end of studies project at Penninghen in Paris, then bought it all! I was 21.
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
YT : I get a special pleasure from cutting things. But overall I have no favorite medium.
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
YT : Train trips can be quite inspiring. TGV creation is fast as well.
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
YT : Obviously the link between form and function.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
YT : I can get in a logo-design trance sometimes. Need to be 'clicked' out of it by a specific event otherwise I'll stay immersed for hours.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
YT : The best feeling is to see people buying, using, and loving products you've designed. With Black Crows it's one of the most rewarding aspects. People are very faithful to the brand, and quite passionate about its design. Social media helps me track this as well.
DI: What makes a design successful?
YT : Its longevity.
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
YT : For a logo, it needs to follow my 9 rules. I won't tell you what they are unless you commission me to redesign your Worldwide corporation.
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
YT : We won't save the world that's for sure, but if we can help make what man produces not too ugky next to what nature has produced, it's a start.
DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
YT : The mid-90s arrival of the personal computer greatly hurt the profession, allowing anyone to design letters and logos which were once the guarded field of well-trained experts. After a couple of disastrous decades, the average level seems to be raising a bit.
DI: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
YT : As I'm not an artist, I don't consider my applied art to be worthy of exhibitions. Seeing it in use is the best display I cans ask for.
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
YT : I mostly look at art, from the Mesopotamian antique period until today.
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?
YT : I hope I don't have a design style. But I must admit I tend to like optical art and it sometimes shows in my work.
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?
YT : I live in Paris and it's a rather inspiring city, even though it's not really open to the wider world. Of course being half greek I can only be proud of my fatherland's heritage.
DI: How do you work with companies?
YT : I will only work with brands that I feel need help, so I'll position myself and my company as a kind of doctor, here to help, to advise, and if the brands don't want to listen and choose alternative medecines, up to them.
DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?
YT : Write the first words that come to mind, draw, analyse the brand, analyse the market, design, educate.
DI: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
YT : My bikes, my surfboards, my father Philolaos' furniture, the home itself.
DI: Can you describe a day in your life?
YT : It's usually a combination of my 5 jobs, with cycling in between: Art director of Vanity Fair France, head of my design studio Yorgo&CO, teacher at Penningen and IFM, carere of my dad's posthumous career, and owner of na greek coffee, Yorgaki
DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
YT : Work in an industry that passionates you. It was snowboarding at first for me, if you love music go design album covers, if you love food go design food packaging, etc...
DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
YT : Positive: work is your passion. Negative: it's unstable if you're your own boss.
DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?
YT : There are 9 of them.
DI: What skills are most important for a designer?
YT : Rigor, curiosity.
DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
YT : Pen, computer.
DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
YT : There is no limit of time I'll assign to a project, but sport in between helps the balance.
DI: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
YT : From 5 minutes to 5 years in my case.
DI: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
YT : What exactly do you do? People have trouble understanding unless you give them precise applications, such as "magazines", "logos" etc...
DI: What was your most important job experience?
YT : My first one, designing a logo and an snowboard range for rossignol when I was still in school, at 21.
DI: Who are some of your clients?
YT : Absolut Vodka ADM And A Apologie Arjowiggins Armand Van Helden Artcurial Arter Barclay Records Beaux Arts Black Crows Blackblock BMG Café Artcurial Cartier Christian Louboutin Christophe Lemaire Ciel De Paris colette CPGA Crash Daniel Bernard Davidoff Disciplines Emporio Armani Et Vous Eurostar Gaîté Lyrique Galeries Lafayette GQ France Hello H5 Hennessy Honda Hôtel de Crillon IMA Intersection Jean Charles de Castelbajac Jogging Just An Idea Justice Kamel Mennour Kenzo Kitsuné Lacoste Lafayette Anticipation Le Ballon Le Refectoire Legend’chx Libération Loro Piana Louis Vuitton Madame Figaro Magazine MAM Martell Most Records NewYorkIndustrie Noé Duchaufour Lawrance Nutmeg Ofr Omega Orso Pamplemousse Patrick Seguin Printemps de Cahors Psychologies Magazine Ramdane Range Rover Relais & Châteaux Ricard Rossignol Snowboards Shu Uemura Stephane Malca Street Machine The Sound of the Season The Upper Room Uniqlo Utopia Valerie Donzelli Vanités Vanity Fair France W Hotel Wanderungen Nicholas What’s Up Xavier Veilhan Yorgo&Co Yves Saint Laurent
DI: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
YT : Logo design because it is the creation of symbols. Symbols define society.
DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
YT : More logos. More surfing and skiing. Less broken bones please.
DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
YT : Yorgo&Co is a fantastic team of 12 to 15 people, all talented, passionate and dedicated to quality work made with passion. LOVE THEM.
DI: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
YT : I'm writing a book about the history of logos, from Mesopotamia to today, via Antique Egypt, Greece, Medieval monograms, flags, the Bauhaus, the IIIrd Reich, etc...
DI: How can people contact you?
YT : contact@yorgo.co
DI: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
YT : Cats rule.