Interview with Edoardo Colzani

Edoardo Colzani ("EC") interviewed on Wednesday, 12 December.

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?

EC : My design studio started his history 18 years ago with a cosmetics project for a small company, and in the last 10 years it has expanded, touching also different fields such as Graphic design and Art Direction.

How did you become a designer?

EC : I was born in a family based in furniture design in Brianza, the heart of furniture and design art. Despite I didn't studied Industrial Design at the beginning. I have studied law and then i decided to become a designer. I decided to design products and I started opening my study 18 years ago.

What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?

EC : During my thoughts about a new product design, first of all i think about the use of my product, trying to expand it and removing the superfluous, bring my new product to its simple life. When I think to a new project I always try to do a little sample or model of this product, in order to realize it's real benefits.

Which emotions do you feel when designing?

EC : When I design or when I'm thinking to a new project, I really feel like a children, I'm very excited about the result and about the impact on the market, that my new product could have.

What particular aspects of your background shaped you as a designer?

EC : As I told you before, I was born in a furniture family, my dad and my mon in two different important firm in the period in which the furniture design in Italy was very important. That's why, from the beginning, I lived in a closed relationship with this wonderful world.

What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?

EC : As a designer, I started some years ago to design some kid toys. In this moment I don't have time and resources to produce myself this line of toy, but this is my actually dream. Bring this project from my mind to reality and to market.

What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?

EC : I really think that first of all, desingers should based their work on the enthusiasm in their work. If there is no passion, i think that there is no way to success.

You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?

EC : I think that at this moment, I'm really satisfied as a designer specially after the project that allow me to win a Gold A design Award. I really think that, when you work as a designer, product, graphic or something else, it is very important to express, in a very simple way, a concept and a solution of a market request.

What is your day to day look like?

EC : First of all, during my first cup of coffee of the day, i read news about design and architecture. Trying to elaborate on news, tendences and every new design feature in the world.

How do you keep up with latest design trends? To what extent do design trends matter?

EC : I take my inspiration everywhere. It is really important to analize every single aspect in the word or in your lifestyle moment and every single pieces that i project respect a particular mood that I can define as simple but gorgeous. With many details which increase the value of the project.

How do you know if a product or project is well designed? How do you define good design?

EC : When a project or a product, meets not only its first usage, but some others, I think that you can call it a good design. I really think that a good design project, should satisfy many aspect: simplicity, satisfy some needs and it don't stop itself to the first impression.

How do you decide if your design is ready?

EC : When I design for an industry, there are many step of the process that my project should pass by: first of all a model, made in a very comman and simply way. Made with simple materials, just to fisically touch it and to make sure that every single aspect is perfect for the market and the needs for which I have designed it. When everty single aspect of the project is analized, I can decide that my product is ready for the industry and for the market.

What is your biggest design work?

EC : I think that my personal and most successfull design project is my Globe lamp. The project that won a Gold A'Design award. Not only for the prize, but because behind this project, there are two hardly working years of engineering and process. That's why at the end, when you saw the result, you can feel extremely satisfied.

Who is your favourite designer?

EC : There are many designer that I love and I think that every one has got a personal project way that I love. But if I had to identify some of them, I think that the most impressive are: Elena Salmistraro, Nendo and Luca Nichetto.Three different way to work, but in everyone of them, there are aspect of their project that I really love.

Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?

EC : I lived in Brianza, near to Milan, and i think that in the last 5 years, Milan has become a really gorgeous city, Every time I go there for some business meeting, I take my time to visit a new place or a design or architectural installation. Evereything can inspire me in my future project. When I work on a new project I need some time of my tipical working day, to think free and I always listen to my favourite Italian pianist: Ludovico Einaudi. His particular type of music, give me the right concentration to realize my project.Now I'm working to several projects for the future: a creative project based in Nwe Dehli, a furniture collection for Luarameroni Design Collection, a new table lamp for a very important Italian brand that will be presented to the market during the next Euroluce exhibition in Milan in 2019 and many other.

Would you tell us more about your work culture and business philosophy?

EC : it's very easy to work with me. Just have the same enthusiasm that I have got for my job and for my project. I worked alone to some design project and with some of my personal client, but during the last 2 years, I started some new project with an Architect, Luca Novati, which has brought very technical and constructive aspects into our collaboration.

What are your philanthropic contributions to society as a designer, artist and architect?

EC : Every single aspect of my work should be important for a project or a personal succes in this work. I have tried to partecipate to some project pro bono in the last years, thinking that they could really be useful not only for the market but also for the life of my interlocutors.

What positive experiences you had when you attend the A’ Design Award?

EC : I think that it is very important for a designer, to partecipate in this type of cerimony. First of all t because your project gains in visibility not only in your country but all over the world. If you design for an internation industry you can reach many different markets, but if your design project is designed for a little firm, you can not wait for it to be so in sight in the rest of the world.

Edoardo Colzani Profile