Interview with Miguel Espejo

Miguel Espejo ("ME") interviewed on Sunday, 1 June.

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

ME : I am a multidisciplinary designer with more than a decade of experience. I studied at La Universidad Los Libertadores (Colombia) and graduated as a Graphic Designer with an honors thesis on visual identity design. During my studies I won the PAD Academic Design Award from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (Colombia) with an industrial design project called D2. I worked as a freelance designer for floriculture companies such as Sagaro Flowers, always with a highly personalized and professional approach. I have also developed projects in corporate identity, editorial design, product photography, packaging design, web development, and print production. This diversity has let me explore multiple visual languages and functional approaches. In recent years I entered a stage of reinvention. I opened a private tattoo studio called inktegral, where design, drawing, and photography took on a new dimension on skin and emotion, marking a deeply human and transformative period in my career. At the same time I quietly developed the sculptural furniture project Fractal 9, which was recognized with the A’ Design Award 2025. The concept behind this project also sparked my interest in writing and designing a first digital book titled The Number of God?, where I begin to present the mathematical pattern that sustains it and its link to natural order. Today I can say my path as a designer has been defined by experimentation and transformation, allowing me to learn, discover, and continually open myself to new possibilities.

How did you become a designer?

ME : It all began in 1992, when I was eleven. My older brother was studying graphic design at a time when there were no computers and everything was done by hand. Watching him develop ideas affected me deeply. I started to sit beside him, and while he worked, I made my own drawings. Without knowing it, that experience marked the start of a vocation that would transform me forever. My first encounter with design structure came at school through technical drawing. I loved understanding solids, breaking down their forms, and using set squares, a compass, and pencils with precision. Each sheet was a demanding exercise where order, cleanliness, and rigor were essential. Later I studied Graphic Design at university, where I had the chance to learn artistic drawing, materials, descriptive geometry, perspective, semiology, photography, typography, animation, programming, web development, and editorial design, among other subjects. It was a truly expansive period that gave me technical tools but also showed me that design was more than a profession: it was a language of expression. Freelance work let me take part in a wide range of projects that strengthened different skills and shaped my multidisciplinary profile. I believe creativity is encoded in humanity’s DNA, because we too are the result of the creative design of a greater order.

What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?

ME : When I design, my priorities are threefold: understand the concept in depth, structure the project clearly, and achieve an execution that reflects beauty and coherence. I always aim for the idea to be beautifully mirrored, not merely understood. My process begins with an inward phase: I need to grasp what is to be achieved, understand the context, and clarify the intent. From there, I gather visual and conceptual references related to the subject. This immersion fuels the emergence of ideas. Depending on the project, I create drafts or schemes, physical models, or digital visualizations that let me build a base for decision-making. I care deeply about the balance between structure and symbolism; I want form to respond to concept.

Which emotions do you feel when designing?

ME : Designing is a complete emotional experience. At first, the challenge ahead excites me. There is a mix of enthusiasm and anxiety while ideas settle and take shape. It can be frustrating when the result has not yet reached what I imagine, yet that same challenge pushes me forward. When the design reveals itself and manages to express what I sought, I feel genuine joy that comes not only from the outcome but from a process that keeps me present, focused, and connected with myself. It is a sense of fulfillment that reminds me why I do what I do and why it is worth giving myself entirely to each idea.

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

ME : Beyond technical knowledge, several abilities have been essential on my path as a designer: curiosity, the capacity to listen attentively, to observe deeply, and to understand the background of each project. My taste for order, logic, and analysis has also been crucial. These skills let me structure ideas and make clear decisions that lead to designs both aesthetic and meaningful. Moreover, experiences such as tattooing taught me to connect with people, while working with flowers, portraits, and numbers has enriched my sensitivity and vision as a designer.

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

ME : I have grown by following intuition and letting each stage transform me. My next step is to take Fractal 9 into its industrial phase. It was recognized with the A’ Design Award while still a conceptual design, and now it must move to its next natural stage to inhabit real spaces, carry its message, and be shared with people. I also plan to write and design a second digital book titled 9... The Forbidden Fruit, as a continuation of the already published The Number of God? In this new installment I will delve deeper into the findings of my exploration of the digital root formula, the pattern of the number 9, and its connection to the structure of natural order. My dream is to create an immersive installation around the concept of Fractal 9, where design, mathematics, art, and consciousness converge. An experience in which every visitor can feel, discover, and remember the fractal order of life not as theory but as lived reality. My purpose is clear: to keep creating from intuition, to design with awareness, and to translate the invisible so it can be felt, understood, and shared.

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

ME : Learning to think long term is essential, because good design requires time and maturity. Fall in love with the idea so you will not abandon it when doubts and setbacks appear. Remember that the stones on the path are the path itself. Cultivate intuition, confidence, and discipline, because the design process is also a chance for personal growth. One of the best tips I ever received was, “It is better to take an imperfect step than none at all.” That helped me stop waiting for ideal conditions and trust the process more. So move forward, and do the best you can with what you have today.

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

ME : I believe success in design is not only about talent, but about the ability to stand by an idea and develop it with time. That’s why I suggest staying away from the pressure of quick recognition. The goal is not to be faster, but to go deeper. Remain curious. Explore other disciplines, question what seems obvious, and listen closely to your intuition. It tends to point the way.

What is your day to day look like?

ME : I admit it is not ideal, because there is no real balance among rest, personal life, and work. For the last year and a half, I have been fully focused on advancing this new professional stage. My day starts between six and seven in the morning with a walk or workout in the park. It is a vital moment to breathe, clear my mind, connect with my body, and prepare for what lies ahead. I then handle some basic household tasks and settle in to work for the rest of the day. There are no major distractions or luxuries of time. My routine is not perfect, but it is fertile. Each day is a commitment to build something that transcends the immediate.

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

ME : I do not usually follow trends directly, yet I recognize they can reflect valuable social concerns. Sometimes they enrich design, especially when they arise from real needs such as sustainability or collective well-being. I believe in design with soul, able to converse with its time yet not depend on it.

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

ME : I cannot escape aesthetics. The first thing I assess is how it looks, because form is the first impression. I then observe whether the form responds to the concept, to verify the logic behind its choices. Finally, I ask what its purpose was and whether it is fulfilling it. For me, good design is born from a solid concept: it feels coherent, clear, and present. When you see a well-designed project, something inside recognizes it effortlessly. The most common mistake is designing only to please, without depth. A good design should not only look good; it must have soul.

How do you decide if your design is ready?

ME : It is a feeling, a sense that everything is in balance. When that happens, I usually share the result with a few people whose judgment I trust; their opinions help confirm or question my initial perception. Often an outside view lets me notice details I had overlooked, and that improves the final outcome. I then step back for a while, so I can return later with fresh eyes to confirm or adjust key decisions. This dynamic helps ideas evolve and reach their best version. Although there are moments of balance that allow me to consider a design finished, I believe there is always room to keep improving.

What is your biggest design work?

ME : Without a doubt, my most important design work is Fractal 9. It began as a response to a personal need to use a space in the living room of the apartment where I lived, and today it is internationally recognized thanks to the prestigious A' Design Award. Inspired by the simplicity and complexity of nature’s fractal structures, the piece establishes a dialogue between the geometric and the organic, the rational and the spontaneous. Its sculptural presence sparks the imagination and encourages a more conscious, creative, and emotional connection with the surroundings. It features a modular assembly system that lets it function as an Integral Unit or split into two Essential Units to organize books, display objects, or serve as a versatile surface adaptable to various settings. Beyond form and function, this work is a vehicle of artistic and symbolic expression that conveys a message of order, balance, and unity. It reminds us that we are part of a fractal nature in which every element has a purpose within a larger system. It is an invitation to look within and ask yourself, What is your purpose? For this reason, I believe the greatest aspect of the project is its concept and its ability to raise our awareness of natural order. Fractal 9 changed my life, taught me that designing is also discovering, and opened the door to a new understanding of what has always been there.

Who is your favourite designer?

ME : My favorite designer is called nature, which I recognize as the great master of design. There is no greater expression of creativity than the forms, materials, textures, colors, patterns, and structures she presents with absolute efficiency and beauty. Airplanes were inspired by birds, radar by bats, propellers by maple seeds, and solar panels by leaves. Nature not only solves problems with elegance; it holds within it the principles of life itself. “If mathematics is the language of nature, the answer is there.”

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

ME : Right now my lifestyle is called working all day, so my routine revolves around thinking, designing, writing, and building a message I believe is important to share. Beyond the profession, I love the beach, connecting with the sea and surfing, not only for the experience of riding waves but because being there makes me feel part of something larger. I am from Colombia, the country of beauty. My culture is rich in colors, contrasts, and complexities, a beautiful and fertile land where life is expressed with passion and diversity. We are known worldwide for being friendly, joyful, and hardworking. We have also faced very difficult times that have made us a strong and resilient people who refuse to fall. I carry my country in the way I look at the world, even when I seek something that transcends it.

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

ME : My work culture is grounded in honesty, commitment, and a genuine drive for excellence. I approach each project with care, convinced that every idea deserves to be understood and carried out properly. In terms of business, I favor flexible models that allow for clear goals and creative freedom. I'm drawn to projects with purpose, depth, and the potential to make an impact. I value working relationships built on trust, mutual respect, and a shared commitment to quality.

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

ME : Following the trail of the mathematical pattern that inspired the conceptual principles of Fractal 9 also marked the start of a deep exploration that revealed its presence in natural order, influencing processes such as the cell duplication that shapes animals and plants. This awakened in me the need to start writing so I could share what I was finding, because I see in this knowledge the potential to expand our consciousness and inspire new ways of seeing and inhabiting the world.

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

ME : I am preparing to live the experience with full presence and gratitude on July 17. Even so, I can already say that this recognition has been the most positive event of my professional life, because it confirmed that intuition, perseverance, and coherence have value. Beyond the result, taking part in the A’ Design Award was important as an opportunity to structure the idea, deepen its message, and translate it into a solid proposal that elevated the project’s level.

Miguel Espejo Profile