5 minutes with… Maria Bruno Néo, Design Director of Ginger & Jagger

Name: Maria Bruno Néo
Company: Ginger & Jagger
Position within company: Design Director
Website: www.gingerandjagger.com

What direction do you feel design is moving towards in general terms?
The trend thinking in many areas now, is looking for the origins, so the design is searching and using nature as inspiration as well as the materials and their purity.

What are the key influencing elements at present?
I brief the designers from Ginger & Jagger to think about our key thoughts : nature, colors and shapes, asymmetry, fluidity, organic, geometric, animal and vegetal inspirations.
For this project in particular that is the Earth To Earth collection for the brand Ginger & Jagger, the inspiration came from nature, which is pure and which everything comes from one way or another.

What sort of projects are you working on at the moment?
At the moment , we are developing new pieces for the Earth To Earth collection.
That will continue to mix solid materials, but I’m always looking for new and different processes.

A designer’s work is so diverse – how do you manage to hold down a career and a life?
It isn’t easy and it’s a difficult balance to do every day, but actually as a designer you are always thinking about design not as product but for example the details, colours or ways of doing it, even when you cook for example, and that makes me happy and inspired.

Name 5 key essentials for 2013 and beyond.
– organic
-purity
– sensitive
-adventure
-without limits
If you could offer one piece of advice when it comes to product design, what would it be?
You never have the ideal time to set up everything, so try to keep simple and minimize the time to do a successful effort. Work in what makes you happy.

How important do you feel Design Awards are as recognition of designer’s talents and achievements?
It’s very important for the whole team to have this type of recognition to be inspired to continue and do better.

What are your aims and goals for the next twelve months?
The team sets up many objectives for the different departments that includes the creation of new pieces and presents them in the most recognized design events.

Final thoughts; tell us a little more about yourself
The car you drive?
Actually I consider myself a lucky person, I go to work by bicycle which is not very common in Portugal.
Your favourite place to travel to in the world?
I love to travel to the Scandinavia region in Europe because of all different factors of food, weather and people as well as the Design.
Your favourite hotel/ restaurant/ bar?
I have several small places which I discover when I travel, but I have a favourite one in Oporto which is about Portuguese tapas where you can try a bit of everything, it is called MissOpo.
The place that gives you the most energy?
Where the ocean is.
And the place that enables you to totally relax?
There is this amazing part in the south of Portugal called Alentejo, where you can find the a mix of ocean, trees and lowlands, it feels like time has stopped.
Your favourite food and drink?
I love to eat sashimi with a good white wine.