la la ra ra plans to take
over the world
professional practice report points of interest/Based Upon 1- Personalization/being exclusive for a client. Based Upon was an interesting studio. They do not aim to design for many; instead, their design is meaningful to a specific client. This shows an ongoing tendency nowadays: personalization. In the Industrial Revolution, the goal was producing many copies of the same product, because it was faster and cheaper to mass-produce. Moreover, the world became more connected and industries started expanding their markets and selling the same products all across the globe, bringing uniformity to the population. In contrast, a recent tendency is personalization, which brings us back to ‘Based Upon’. The company works on demand, made-to commission projects that intend to be personalized and unique. Instead of mass-producing, they sell exclusivity as a key factor. Gradually, uniformity is not the general aim anymore. People want to feel unique, which means that having many consuming the same products was getting boring. However, paying for unique objects is not easy and only people with high incomes can afford this. As it appears on ‘Based Upon’ website, ‘What do you give the millionaire who has everything?’ Something that would have a personal story and no one else would have.
2- Doing ‘meaningful’ design/paradox of design purpose and its value. The studio’s talk brought an interesting reflexion: is design meant to help and aid many people, including ones lacking in resources or is it meant to be purely conceptual, aesthetical and related with consumption and exclusivity? ‘Based Upon’ works to develop personalized artwork and create ‘meaningful’ objects. Is this a vain type of design? After all, they are sculptural art pieces, but they are not actively improving people’s lives. But neither were they designed for that. Should design even have this task? So, even though they have a ‘meaning on demand’, is it meaningless design, because it does not focus on the vast majority that cannot afford such exclusivity? What ‘Based Upon’ does has undefined boundaries between art and design and produces exclusive and expensive work, but beautifully executed. In addition, they present a complex knowledge of various materials, especially metal, making and exploring new materials and possibilities. Accordingly so, they do not have a social change focus, but instead provide a specific service, more aesthetical. It is just a different design process.
3- Changing from creative function to management in design industry. One recurrent subject on most talks was the change of roles in design industry once you start to work on a company. What I perceived is decrease of creative function in opposite to management. Most professionals that talked started on a company and then, after some time, engaged in more administrative jobs. I thought this was an interesting transition, because creative people end up doing ‘paper work’, a function that is usually considered boring. Especially when people want to open their own business, they tend to move to more administrative jobs even earlier. This shows the importance of management and how working with design is not only about creativity, but tackling different aspects, like managing and optimizing your company and ‘designing’ its own way of function.
top 5 potential placement hosts IDEO A company that uses design as a tool for innovation in organizations. They use the ‘human-centered approach’, focusing on people’s needs and behaviours. They work with design thinking and have various fields of work. Why am I interested: The beliefs of IDEO have many points in common with mine. They have many social design initiatives and design is seen as a tool for change. They work with real people, engaging with systems, thinking design in a broader way. They translate their beliefs in many different platforms, designing products, services, spaces and interactive experiences. Moreover, they developed many ways of analysing the ‘human-centered’ design, showing a complex and well thought approach to design. Alongside with my multidisciplinary interests, working there would really broaden my horizons and give me new perspective on translating people’s needs through design. https://www.ideo.com
Studio Banana A collaborative and multidisciplinary studio that works with graphic thinking, product design, audio-visual communication, environment and experience design and innovation. Why am I interested: The studio has different fields of action and focus on developing new methods of generating innovative solutions. They have an interesting problem solving approach called ‘diagonal thinking’, which involves working alongside with clients and helping them change and move forward. I would like to work in a collaborative environment, because that is where best ideas are generated. I think my multitasking skill and various interests would match their approach. In addition, it would be interesting to work in a studio where they develop new methods of engaging with clients and focus on increasing creativity. http://www.studiobanana.com/
Objectif A collaborative design practice that works at the conjunction of editorial design and its transposition into the architectural realm, specialising in the fields of exhibition design, visitor experience and narrative environments. Why am I interested: I am really fascinated by the practice of the studio, the whole creation of narratives and experiences. Besides, I am passionate about literature and beautifully designed books really amaze me. I would be connecting a hobby with my work and learn more about editorial design, a segment that I can see myself working on. Moreover, I would learn a bit more about layout and different kinds of printing. Besides, I have always been interested in exhibitions, interactive experiences and creation of narratives, and this would be a way to get in touch with that. http://objectif.co.uk/
Creatuals Works with the emotions of people to bring creative rituals for in the home or at work. They focus on creating original concepts and rituals to mark special moments, such as openings, anniversaries, weddings, etc. Why am I interested: They design experiences, valuing the power of moments and evoking people’s emotions. They transform a special occasion into a memorable and meaningful experience and enable to record that moment in a work of art, a process or an installation, always created collectively. They work directly with people, taking inspiration in their experiences, memories and passions in order to inspire them back and create new memorable experiences. It is not only about creating things, but also about creating systems that will immerse the user. http://www.creatuals.com/
Innovation Unit An innovation partner for public service. Their work involve ‘service design’ in the areas of health and social care, local government and education, tackling complex challenges to generate more effective solutions, working with different scales, such as charities, local authorities, national and international government. Why am I interested: They do not approach design as something related to luxury consumption or exclusivity. It is tool for innovation and for transforming people’s life chances and, whilst doing that, reducing costs, not the other way around. I would love to have a positive impact on others, especially concerning public services, because usually there is a lack of quality. They use skills such as visual communication, user research, and so on in order to generate innovative ideas for systems to work better for its users. I believe that I would develop many skills, a more ethical way of thinking design and get in touch with service design, one of my interests. http://innovationunit.org/
manifesto I believe in working with simple inputs in order to
change systems around us.
I consider multitasking, multidisciplinary,
research and experimentation key factors in
the creative process and it is where my practice lies.
I inhabit the territories of product, graphic and
‘meaningful’ design, which means designing to improve people’s lives, especially where help is
most needed.
To me, design is less about aesthetics, but more about thinking critically and systematically in order to provide experiences and interact with people.
I think.research.create.idealize.make to be present in the world and somehow change it.
epresenting myself My approach would be presenting myself very simply and clearly, focusing on the content of the message and on the work, following the whole principle of engaging with simple inputs to modify systems around us. I treated my cv as a simple input that contains a lot of information and can probably alter the work environment of the company. I would send it to the companies through mail or in person, printed in a nice oset paper and also the printed version of my portfolio, at the link below. https://issuu.com/laramachado4/docs/portfolioďŹ nal
curriculum vitae Lara Machado
B6B Loring Hall, St James Street, New Cross, London, SE14 6AH Mobile: 07401803752 Email: lara_hp@hotmail.com Portfolio: - https://www.behance.net/laramach - https://issuu.com/laramachado4/docs/portfoliofinal
EDUCATION
DESIGN EXPERIENCE
OTHER EXPERIENCES /SKILLS
2015 – 2016 BA Design, Goldsmiths, University of London - Part of a Study Abroad Programme 2013 – 2018 Design undergratuate course Federal University of Ceará. 1997 – 2012 7 de Setembro School 2015 - 2016 Received a year study scholarship in the UK by CNPQ. - In which, currently, improved language and social skills, enriched cultural references and became more independent and responsible. 2015 Attended the 25º National Meeting of Design Students of Brazil. 2014 Paper presented at SIGraDi 2014, the XVIII Conference of the Iberoamerican Society of Digital Graphics in Uruguay. 2014 – 2015 Work placement at Eita, a design consultancy from Brazil. 2014 Attended the 24º National Meeting of Design Students of Brazil. 2013 – 2015 Member of the group that created the visual identity for the sixtieth anniversary of the Federal University of Ceará. - In which designed corporate visual identity and gained work experience. 2013 – 2014 Received the “Young Talents of Science”, a national research scholarship by CNPQ. - Researched about social design. Became aware of the role of a designer and that could make other people’s lives better and improve their chances. - As a result, established a Social Design Initiatives Laboratory at the Federal University of Ceara and started working with different communities in their own realities.
DESIGN PROCESS
LANGUAGES
Portuguese
English
Experimentation
Has read almost 300 books
Spanish Research
SOFTWARES
Making
Has been to over 15 countries
Illustrator
InDesign
Product
Photoshop
DESIGN TERRITORIES
Speculative
Rhinoceros (+ Grasshopper)
Sketch Up
Premiere
Has a passion for strawberries
Graphic