We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Anibal Marin ("AM").
The award-winning designer, product developer, and CEO Anibal Marin is revolutionizing the button industry with his innovation-focused accessories company Auxiliare International with offices located in the heart of New York City. Auxiliare International is the first company in the world to create an integrated button system that combines no-sewing capabilities with button interchangeability. The innovative design company has materialized from a pure adoration of luxuriant details that regenerates true individuals clothes leaving a lasting impression while solving common button problems. Auxiliare International LLC creates high-quality products that are timeless by staying true to the free-thinking world of design and lifestyle.
Anibal Marin Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Anibal Marin.
Designer Interview of Anibal Marin:
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?
AM : I have quite a diverse background in art and design. My background spans from publishing, advertising to finally fashion. In my childhood, I grew up in a rough urban area of the South Bronx New York, in were at an early age, I recognized the mindset around me as status quo. I made the decision then, to immerse myself in the design and creative works of others. This fueled my imagination to not only become a designer and entrepreneur, but it also led me to the ultimate design of all - my way of life and all if it's design components. This is how my life has fundamentally been rooted since the early beginnings of design schools all the way into my early years in publishing, advertising, and fashion.
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
AM : I started Auxiliare International around my innovative fashion accessories brand Auxilry. At Auxilry we don't merely create accessories, we create something much more powerful than that! We create confidence, status, problem-solving solutions, and a tribe of leaders that think different and dare to stand out.
DI: What is "design" for you?
AM : The immediate superficial thought that comes to mind when thinking about design and its process is form and function. But design goes so much deeper than that. At the very end of the spectrum, to me, design is all about emotion. It's about how the intended user will benefit from the design emotionally. Whether it's a problem-solving solution, a product, art, music, or even propaganda, design creates experiences that fit into the user's life story.
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
AM : For me, the works that satisfy, change the lives and help the end user the most are what I like to design the most. New blue ocean markets are particularly exciting, where I create new user experiences and work hard to think out of the box to create, test, and validate a new concept. Products that tell a story, build a tribe and create a lifestyle that are mainly of interest to me.
DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
AM : I would say that my most favorite design at the time would be the current project I have developed, the Auxilry no-sew interchangeable button system. Not only from a design, patenting, and development standpoint but also the process of bringing my very own concept to market.
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
AM : My first design was vertically working at a small advertising agency shooting, directing, and digitally executing ads for fashion brands.
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
AM : I generally prefer working on tangible consumer type items. Working with the maker process of CNC machines, 3-D Printers, and other means to arrive at the prototype process.
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
AM : I do profoundly believe the best moments in where I feel most creative is in where I can relax and disconnect myself from my conscious ego. Such as a meditative state or being distracted in a euphoric state viewing someones else work.
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
AM : I try to focus on different ways the design could be better along with the best product experience/emotional value for the end user. Then I work backward on hashing out the engineering, production, and design aesthetics.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
AM : Excitement, curiosity and wonderment of seeing the mental concept, and anxiety of getting to the final product.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
AM : Self-validation, fulfillment on leaving my mark, and bringing creation into the world for a better place.
DI: What makes a design successful?
AM : A fulfilling end-user experience that they can incorporate bettering their lives.
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
AM : First and foremost, I analyze who it's for. Then I put my personal biases aside and begin to think like the intended target market. Then and only then can I base my judgment on whether the design makes a significant amount of emotional betterment in peoples lives through proper form and function.
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
AM : Anything that connects, enhances, and adds to someone's life makes the world a better place. No matter how big or how small. It is the responsibility for the designer to focus on positive design and sustainability for the future generations as well as the future of design.
DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
AM : This information era is fantastic. We have the capabilities of doing so much more, and we are only talking about the last 20 years. As artificial intelligence and automation advance, physical labor and computing will be handed over to machines, I feel design will focus more on creating deep human emotion and immersive experiences. Designers will dive deeper into creating fuller experiences for their projects.
DI: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
AM : My recent exhibition was at the 12th Annual International Design Award ceremony in Los Angeles, California.
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
AM : I think as most designers, it really comes from everywhere in life. When it comes to aesthetics, I like at art from all walks of life. When it comes to engineering in particular, I like to look at works from all types of industries and cross them over for new concepts.
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?
AM : I tend to gravitate toward modern design. Clean lines and high tech materials. I like to switch from sophisticated tonal colors to bold electric pops for other projects and focus on future design.
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?
AM : Living in New York City has influenced me significantly not only on my design but on the way I think. The diversity in this city is like no other, which has opened my mind to every possible type of person, cultures, art, and music. I feel as a designer, it is essential to travel and to experience different cultures. I myself think I need to travel more, as in everywhere we go we take something or some influence with us.
DI: How do you work with companies?
AM : I have worked as a consultant for many years and now work for myself with Auxilry and Auxiliare International.
DI: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
AM : Over the years that I consulted, I feel the best way both can benefit is to work in stages. Beginning with the conceptual stage, making sure the company and the individual are a great fit.
DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?
AM : Generally, I get a mental burst of a concept based on a problem of some sort I or someone else is experiencing. I usually let the problem simmer in my mind for a while, and if it keeps coming up, I begin thinking of an initial concept, prototype, and ultimately production.
DI: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
AM : Immediately I would say my computers which I use the most, my cameras, office chair, my AI hubs such as Amazon Alexa, Google Home, as well as some of my fashion garments.
DI: Can you describe a day in your life?
AM : My day begins with stretch and meditation, followed by a slow morning of drinking tea. After that, I get to work on my computer, running down my to-do-list. Most of my day is filled with sales or designing sales materials. I juggle every aspect of entrepreneurship and consider the entire way of life like design. After a long day, I spend time with my wife and kids as a highlight of my day.
DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
AM : I feel designers of the future will need to be multi-faceted. Because of technology advances so fast, specializing in one thing only will be risky. Designers will need to be flexible not only in design but also on how to market themselves as well.
DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
AM : The positive would be the ability to see things differently. To have that mindset that sees beyond the status quo and knows that you have the power to bring creation into this world. I feel that the negative is that you can get jaded by the design industry itself, especially designing for others. This is why I think it is vital for a designer to always work on projects that are for themselves on their own terms.
DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?
AM : Focus on the effects it will have in the world. If you want to make it a highly successful design, focus on how it will affect peoples lives and if it will create a tribe of fans.
DI: What skills are most important for a designer?
AM : The ability to think out-of-the-box. See things in a different light and work backward.
DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
AM : In today's age, the most important tool is education. I turn to Udemy, Audible, and Youtube to educate myself on the topic at hand. I have read so many businesses, marketing, and innovation books that have changed my perspective of everything. The tools that I have utilized the most are the standard programs such as Photoshop, Fusion 3-d, Illustrator, Premiere, and many more.
DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
AM : I try to break my day and my process down by the 80/20 principle. Meaning I try to focus on the most essential items that generate results. 80% of results come from 20% of our actions. I try to pinpoint those actions.
DI: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
AM : This depends significantly on the product, target market research, patenting, etc. However these days it is much faster to develop, prototype and go into production.
DI: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
AM : How did you come up with this?
DI: What was your most important job experience?
AM : When I started my own clothing line. I learned everything first hand about, design, production, sales, and finance.
DI: Who are some of your clients?
AM : Calvin Klien, Ellie Tahari, DKNY, Random House, Christian Audigier, The Jackson Five, Pac Sun, and more.
DI: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
AM : I by far enjoy projects that are my own creations the most.
DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
AM : My future plans are to build my innovative accessories company into a timeless brand with a wonderful community.
DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
AM : Currently, I design everything myself and will add a team shortly.
DI: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
AM : There are variations of the current Auxilry brand that are in the works that I will release in the coming months. As my customer base grows, I will continue to add more styles and new innovative designs.
DI: How can people contact you?
AM : People can reach me on my Auxilry website www.auxilry.com or all the other leading social media sites such as Linkedin, Facebook, Instagram or my Youtube channel https://youtu.be/ezYiyEOph3E
DI: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
AM : Being a designer and having a designer mindset is beautiful, but even more powerful when you begin to apply your designer mindset not only to design itself but to life as a whole in everything that you do, as well as what you can give to others.