Interview with Joana Santos Barbosa

Joana Santos Barbosa ("JSB") interviewed on Wednesday, 9 November.

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

JSB : I consider myself a mix of the three, since my career has been flowing through those three disciplines. I’m an architect and began my career by exclusively collaborating with Architecture studios. However, the passion for furniture design was always in my heart, which led me to create my own brand of author design. I launched InsidherLand ten years ago and, since then, I’ve been creating pieces of art with functionality and selling them throughout the World.

How did you become a designer?

JSB : As mentioned, in the first years of my career were exclusively in Architecture, developing both urban, residential and commercial projects. At the time, I also received some special commissions of bespoke furniture and, in fact, I always loved drawing furniture long before I went to the Faculty of Architecture. During this period, I had the desire to transform some personal ideas into design pieces but had to time available nor team to actually produce them. One day I realized, I had designed so many creations and the idea of not being able to produce them simply became unbearable to me. When I decided to create a personal brand, I needed to get into design, find the right partners and study manufacturing processes in order to reunite a team. This process took me almost three years and in 2012 I launched InsidherLand, my own brand of author design in which I design all of the creations in the collections.

What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?

JSB : My creative process is intuitive as I develop my own DNA in the collections rather designing pieces that follow a certain style. Overall, I look at the creative process in design with the same four pillars that I use in architecture, in the sense that there is the form, the function (the program in Architecture), the concept (the basic idea that I intend to convey with materials) and the emotion (the feeling that I intend to awaken in the viewer). The development of prototipes and construction process occurs between the studio and the factories. It’s a team work that involves sketches, technical drawings and both mock-ups as well as real scale models to achieve the final result.

Which emotions do you feel when designing?

JSB : The birth of an idea is always felt with enthusiasm and I absolutely love that first glimpse. This usually happens when I'm on vacation, enjoying my free time and out of my daily routine which makes it so pleasant. Turning a new idea into reality can be exhausting but is also a fun process. When I’m creating, I’m fully committed but I usually get quicky dethatch as soon as I release a new design. I believe this is due to the fact that this new design has been in my mind for so long that, when it is finally released to the public, I somehow feel it’s not completely mine anymore. It’s quite a strange process that, until today, I couldn’t figure it all out so I just accept it the way it happens.

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

JSB : From a very early age, I’ve been surrounded by art, music and dance as I’ve been both a pianist and a dancer for many years. Later on, I graduated in Architecture and although the past thirteen years of my life have been around design, I feel that I’m a designer by heart; not by choice. There’s no doubt that my background shaped me into the creator I am, and this is reflected in all of my designs that come from conceptual approaches based on narrative and symbolism.

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

JSB : I started from scratch and I’m a quiet person when it comes to reveal my future plans. I have so many beautiful things still yet to release and so many goals to accomplish but prefer to carry on smoothly and reveal them when it’s the right time.

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

JSB : No matter what, each individual is unique and should firstly look inside to find their own creativity and strategy, rather than falling into comparison or follow the easy path of what’s trendy at the moment.

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

JSB : Design for others but with your own heart.

What is your day to day look like?

JSB : When I’m at work, my daily routine is very diverse as I have my team at the studio to manage, contact with clients and being involved in so many aspects of the business. In the middle of this, I also have my “design moments” to create new ideas and frequently I go to the factories and workshops to develop new prototypes and see the current productions. I frequently use my lunch time to connect with other people and catch up on the news. When out of work, I often spend the late afternoons at the beach, with my family or close friends. I never go to bed without thanking for the best moments of my day and planning the most important goals for the next day.

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

JSB : I don't look specifically to design trends but I'm aware of what's going on in the markets by the contact I have with the work of our clients and some interesting articles I like to read, for instance, in the Introspective, the 1stDibs magazine.

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

JSB : A good design obviously responds to form and function. However, a great design is like a great music that effortlessly remains in our thoughts. So, a great designer is someone that has created really great “songs” throughout time. Easy to remember because is unforgettable.

How do you decide if your design is ready?

JSB : There isn’t a complete logic explanation. It’s a feeling. There’s always a moment when I feel the balance in the creation and that's when I stop.

What is your biggest design work?

JSB : Up to know, I’ve created more than 100 designs, each one involving a specific process. Some are very simple to design. In fact, there are creations that were completely defined in the first sketch, while others, took me months or even years to finish as I couldn’t find the balance in them. Adding to this, the creative/production process usually doesn’t match the simplicity of the design. For instance, my Arizona mirror was perfectly defined in the first sketch I made and took me probably less than one hour to have it designed in the computer. However, there was a complexity attached to the production of this apparently simple design that required many days and a teamwork in order to find a simple solution also for the production. Having this in mind, I’m not able to choose one biggest design as all of them have a special meaning and a particular story behind their birth.

Who is your favourite designer?

JSB : I’ve been following the work of incredible talented people in design, architecture but also fashion. To name a few, Ralph Lauren, Marcel Wanders and Nini Andrade Silva inspire me for their individual approach to the art they produce.

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

JSB : My personal lifestyle is intimately connected to the work I present to the public. Having creations inspired in nature is a direct result of a childhood connected to the land and this is something that has been present throughout my entire life. I spend many hours hiking and being in the presence of nature, which significantly translates into my designs. On the other hand, my professional path in Architecture as well as, having been both a dancer and a pianist directly influenced the way I see and create design. There are no boundaries between my work and myself.

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

JSB : InsidherLand is a brand that presents the public with exclusive author design and our vision is to awaken the desire for pieces of art with function. As the founder and creative mind of the brand, my entire team, both in the studio and in the factories where we produce the pieces, is aligned with this business philosophy. We are a team that works with seriousness and honesty to deliver exclusive design with high quality to our customers. We directly support local and traditional production, focusing on sustainability in production resources such as the use of natural and local materials. We are proud to have a premium customer support service and to create bonds of trust and help between employees as well as business partners.

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

JSB : Winning a Gold A’ Design Award has been a great personal achievement and also felt by my team involved in the production of the Niemeyer II armchair. I truly admire the global impact of this award and believe that it is very relevant also for customers that follow my work. I’m so thankful for this recognition Gold A’ Design Award!

Joana Santos Barbosa Profile