We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Cesare Zuccaro ("CZ").
Gravithin is a modern watch brand founded in 2017 and based in Italy. The word “Gravithin” blends the concepts of gravity (which keep people rooted) and thin together, to highlight the products lightness and resistance. The brand conceives its designs keeping its feet on the ground, while reaching for the stars. All Gravithin’s collections pays a tribute to exploration and adventure, combining both minimal traits and unconventional features for a versatile and modern timepiece. Gravithin believes in customization, originality, fine workmanship, high-quality materials, and always has an eye for modern trends.
Cesare Zuccaro Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Cesare Zuccaro.
Cesare Zuccaro Design - Argo Timepiece
Designer Interview of Cesare Zuccaro:
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?
CZ : I started my journey by designing covers for my band, then over time I went from making the artwork to the complete presentation of the related merchandise product. Thus was born my passion in making products.
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
CZ : Gravithin was born in 2017 with the intent to create something new that reflects the contemporary tastes of the market, after about 2 years, I decided to change direction and create something that instead was seen as unique in its genre, so the Argo collection was born.
DI: What is "design" for you?
CZ : Design for me is the maximum expression of an idea in the form of matter.
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
CZ : I prefer to design products.
DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
CZ : 5. My favorite is my latest work, the Argo watch which takes inspiration from the ancient sextants.
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
CZ : A catalog.
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
CZ : I really like using Adobe Illustrator software, I am a lover of vector drawing.
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
CZ : In the morning.
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
CZ : The product perspective and the details.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
CZ : I feel complete and I know I am doing what I love.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
CZ : I am never completely satisfied with the final product, but I still feel a sense of well-being.
DI: What makes a design successful?
CZ : The right balance between shapes and colors.
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
CZ : For me, a design is perfect when I can perceive the harmony of the whole.
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
CZ : Try to create something that respects intellectual property.
DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
CZ : The future of design is increasingly aimed at the digital world, I believe that over time new tools will be created to simplify the design process, so as to leave more space for ideas.
DI: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
CZ : I have never done exhibitions until now.
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
CZ : Usually my inspirations are accompanied by the music I listen to and by what I read.
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?
CZ : I would describe it as unconventional, after my last work, I decided that the right path to take is that which gives those who observe my works the possibility of perceiving uniqueness.
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?
CZ : I live in Italy which is the number 1 country of world art & design.
DI: How do you work with companies?
CZ : I work for my company.
DI: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
CZ : I suggest looking for a designer with a good dose of creativity and with a desire to experiment.
DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?
CZ : It all started from an idea, and then moved on to a sketch on my tacquino, after which I moved on to the realization of the actual drawing. If instead it is a product, I use illustrator to create it in vector.
DI: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
CZ : Pencil, ruler, protractor, compass, square.
DI: Can you describe a day in your life?
CZ : I wake up in the morning around 7, breakfast, exercise and work.
DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
CZ : Experiment as much as possible and do not be ashamed to show it to the world, even if you receive criticism.
DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
CZ : On the positive side, being a designer is a stimulating job that leads you to get to know new styles and techniques. On the negative side, I see nothing new except the typical difficulties that any type of work could give.
DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?
CZ : Always question what you have created.
DI: What skills are most important for a designer?
CZ : Patience, especially for those who start.
DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
CZ : My sketchbook first. After that I moved on Illustrator.
DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
CZ : When I realize that the work will take a long time, the next day I wake up earlier to recover.
DI: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
CZ : It depends on the object. In my case, it took me 3 months to finalize the new collection.
DI: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
CZ : What is your next project?
DI: What was your most important job experience?
CZ : Create my company and make it known to the world.
DI: Who are some of your clients?
CZ : I have clients from all over the world.
DI: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
CZ : Designing products, because then I like to see them made and touch them by hand.
DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
CZ : In the near future I plan to design the automatic version of the current watch model.
DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
CZ : I develop the projects myself.
DI: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
CZ : I am currently developing the new version of the current model, but I have to put the ideas in order because I have created too many varieties.
DI: How can people contact you?
CZ : By following the email address partner@gravithin.com
DI: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
CZ : That's all.