Interview with Gabriel Antunes Henke Carrano

Gabriel Antunes Henke Carrano ("GAHC") interviewed on Tuesday, 10 May.

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

GAHC : I started as an Architecture student, but during my graduation, I fell in love with furniture design. It was the beginning of my carrier creating furniture five years ago. Since then I have worked with some Brazilians companies such as Proa and Karams. I also developed a respect for the educational field, and I am preparing myself to be a professor soon.

How did you become a designer?

GAHC : Everything happened during my college years and was a sum of factors. First, I was not able to buy furniture for my college dorm, so I built a wardrobe and made it using my moving cardboard boxes! It made me realize the importance of design. Then during classes, I was introduced to amazing works by Eames, Saarinen, and Grey who made me understand that furniture is made so people can enjoy the space. And finally, during an internship in Chicago, I created a piece of furniture for one of the classes and I had zero workshop experience so I did a lot of improvised techniques which made the professor say "you are really good at this". So I believed in him!

What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?

GAHC : My goal is always design a furniture so people can be present on the envirolment. For exemple a nice chair to chat with friends, I really good sideboard to put a stereo and dancing around. The furniture must be part of the user and vice-versa. I got my inspiration on simples shapes, and countinous lines so I guess my design can be part of the industrial style box.

Which emotions do you feel when designing?

GAHC : First exitement, second anxiety! I think being anxious is part of who we are as designers, because we don't want to fail, and sometimes what is good on our mind looks bad in the physical world. And that's ok! That allows us to feel challenged and then to feel tired after all the tryouts but at the end the feeling is happiness for a good job done.

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

GAHC : My professors during architecture college always said that my projects were very formal and not so functional as an architecture project. I think that moved me towards an area where I could be both, but with special attention to formal aspects.

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

GAHC : The next step is looking for partners to design with. I think is amazing when two or more ideas became one good design. One possible path is to create a physical space like an atelier for my designs, but I am not aiming for that at the moment, it sounds pretentious, I want to design and I want to collaborate in designs before that. And thinking more ahead about the future I see myself as a professor of Furniture Design History.

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

GAHC : Always read your contracts. Trust in the process. Record every single idea that you share. Don't be afraid to change your designs during the process. Be loyal to people who helped you, but set boundries.

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

GAHC : I think if I have this power to influence other fellow designers I will use it to say: think in the future, use more green materials, improve your techniques and teach young professionals that ask for help.

What is your day to day look like?

GAHC : I start my day with physical exercises so I can wake up my body, then I light my mind with books and games before I start my workday. Usually, I prefer to draw by hand the initial steps of a new design, so I do that in the morning and for the technical part I usually design during the afternoon ending my day with podcasts and books about design.

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

GAHC : I am signed up with a lot of newsletters and I always talk to my friends about what they are seeing in the market. I think trends are important to give us the north, but they can be taken for granted. You need to trust that what you are designing is got influenced by what you are reading and seeing.

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

GAHC : We always need to know when to stop designing and this point will be decided by different people besides you, your partner, the industry, or the company that you are designing for. That is a well-designed product it is good for you, the partners, and if the user is happy with it, is a good design. If a design can not be improved it is either a good design or an impossible design to exist.

How do you decide if your design is ready?

GAHC : I like to craft a 3d model with all the parts. If I can do it without any difficulties, and the parts work well together as functional and formal matters, it is ready for me.

What is your biggest design work?

GAHC : I have to say Pudu. It is going really well nationally and internationally. It is having great acceptance in contests and got a lot of attention from the public and press.

Who is your favourite designer?

GAHC : I think it changes a lot. At the moment the work of Lina Bo Bardi is exceptional to me. She really got Brazilian society at her time, and create amazing furniture and architectural works over here.

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

GAHC : I have a pretty calm and easy way to live my life. I like to know places to get inspired by them, and at the same time, I like to be surrounded by my family and friends, protected from the world. This duality is nice because I can get in touch with different realities but always return to my own. I think I live every single aspect of my braziliness in the music that I listen to, the food that I eat every day, and the way I try to solve problems. Out Brazilian way is of life is practical, funny, and light.

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

GAHC : I always start my projects alone with a pencil and a piece of paper. Then, when I know what I want I start to get more information about how this can be done. Sometimes the best way is to present your initial drawings to partners and the ideas can be summed to a better design project to be made. Then is time to start the prototype, find errors and flaws to fix them, and create the best possible piece of furniture. In this process is important to be resilient, smart, and open to ideas.

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

GAHC : I recent developt a bech made by recycling plastic that can be used as a shelter for homeless people. It is a project in which people who live in the streets can help collect plastic waste to create the benches that will be used during the day as benches and as shelters at the night.

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

GAHC : A' Design Award made me realize that is important to explain my design choices in a more didactical way. Sometimes when we are creating a design we don't think about our decisions in a way that is automatic to make some of them. With the forms and questions, I could understand my own design process!

Gabriel Antunes Henke Carrano Profile