Market, trend and the target â they are the three mainstays upon which, Pierolloâs design cultivates. By entering into shoes of the customers, he digs out ideas that would best suit his concepts, after all, âoverall design is all about the way of looking at the world around usâ says he. Jump down to read the rest of his story.
1. When and how did your journey into the field of design begin?
Pierollo: Since I was young Iâve always been interesting in drawing comics or in creating objects to improve everyday life. That is the reason why after my A level I choose to begin with design study 6 years ago. I wanted to pursue a career in the field of analysis and creativity.
2. “Design is not only the search of solution, but overall the way to find the good questions”, how?
Pierollo: The better way to find the question and to make a good design, is to make a strong and wide analysis of the market, the trends, and the target. The goal is here to enter the customerâs skin in order to better understand his needs to find concept which will improve his experience. The more concerned feels the designer, the more relevant will be the final product. And finally, as Raymond Loewy said, you must always imagine âthe most advanced yet acceptableâ because sometimes the market doesnât evolve as quickly as designers creativity, so it is really important to be careful about that by creating a product.
3. What is the concept behind the innovative Virtual Park?
Pierollo: By creating the luminescent spray Virtual Park, the goal is to imagine a new way to combine sports and creativity. This concept is directly inspired by the urban culture. By using the spray, the customer can create his own game with his own rules and of course his own playground by using external elements (wall, beanâ¦) and integrate them in the game. By this way you can draw anywhere a 3 dimensional virtual playground which will disappear after 2 hours of game. The concept is made to value the creativity and the imagination of each of us. Hence the user becomes an active player of the experience.
4. On an average, how much time do you spend in formulating your idea into design or concept? And who or what is your source of inspiration?
Pierollo: It is difficult to say how much time I spend in formulating idea into design. It depends on many criteria like the kind of product or the need of the company for which I work. On average, the concept search represent a third of the creation process (which contains analysis, and development).
My main source of inspiration is everyday life. But every day, I make my own trend watch to better feel attitudes, societies and markets guidelines.
5. Pierollo, please expatiate a li’l over the Gemini concept?
Pierollo: Gemini is a concept car for automobile fanatics sharing their life between their passion for cars and their family. That is the reason why the roadster has this double personality and also brings together those two ways of life. Gemini concept can be used equally for everyday life, and for racing on circuits (with those wide protection zones). The car is equipped with webcams in order to share the sensations of the race with your family or friends live on internet.
6. Gadgets gradually are making a way into the everyday life of human affairs, where would the flight go from here, what do you say?
Pierollo: The market is expanding and always offers new products. In the 70âs the goal was to create products corresponding to a mass market. Today the market offers more and more solutions for a same product, so the goal is now to get closer to the individual needs.
7. What is your design approach? Are aesthetics a large part of product design?
Pierollo: My approach of the design is always human centred based on user’s experience to imagine new concepts, and based on emotions to create new aesthetics.
For people aesthetics is the synonymous of design so of course aesthetics is important. It is often the first criteria that induce the choice of a specific product because it is the emotional link between the customer and the product.
8. There’s been a lot of discussion recently about the distinction between art and craft. What category would you say your work falls into? How would you distinguish between art and craft?
Pierollo: The only distinction I find between art and craft is the intention in the purpose of the product. With Craft a product answer a physical need and hence have an utility, whereas with Art a product is the result of the desire of its author, and don’t necessarily have a physical function. I like those both way to work, however the products herewith this interview, are all derived from a methodology like in craft.
9.Designing is all about creativity so we cannot say that the genre follows a particular trend, how far am I correct in holding such an assertion?
Pierollo: Design is all about creativity, but overall design is all about the way of looking at the world around us (society, evolution, needs,…and trends). So in my opinion, trends also influence design, of course.
10. What can we expect to see in future with respect to your concepts?
Pierollo: First, I hope to find one day a manufacturer to produce the Elio Linea watch (more on www.pierollo.com). This watch met and is meeting a real success all over the world and there are many people interested to get it. I think that Linea is an intuitive and international watch an icon of nowadays generation. I really hope it will be produced one day…
As for future, Iâm going on being interested in every kind of creation. To work on new kind of project is always exciting: that is one of the most interesting part of my job.
11. Any idea or message you’d like to leave that every person must remember about this interview?
Pierollo: I hope you enjoyed reading my vision of design. Never forget to put human in the heart of projects. So feel free to contact me for projects, questions, reactions or anything else about design.
12. Finally, we’d like to have your views on our Coolbuzz.org?
Pierollo: Coolbuzz is an interesting webzine which allows a quick trend watch by looking at the news about design, trends ⦠I think it is primordial for a designer to keep in touch with emerging trends to better anticipate what will be tomorrowâs lives.
Quick bits:
1. What is the must-have gizmo in your life that you can’t live without?
Pierollo: My cell phone. I must always have it. It allows me to take picture of aesthetic details, situations, or interesting products to make my own trend watch. It also allows me to take some notes like a memo when I have an idea.
2. If there is one usability tool you could not live without what would it be? Why?
Pierollo: A pen. I always need to start a project by drawing some sketches.
3. Form follows function?
Pierollo: In my opinion, not necessarily. No standards. It is sometimes good to surprise.
4. Whatâs the best thing about your job?
Pierollo: The emulation and discussions to develop a project. Designing needs creativity but also numerous feed backs from people around you. It makes every project an unique human experience, inserting the designer every time in a new team with new partners.
5. If you had to walk in another person’s shoes for a day, it would have to be?
Pierollo: Jesus ! For the concept of his walking on the water shoes! It could be a nice userâs experience isnât it? ;-D
Wow! Thank you Pierollo for sparing out time in doing such a wonderful interview with us, it is greatly appreciated.
Iâd also like to wish you luck for all your future endeavors.