NIC BUTTI BUTTISTILE
LEGENDARY INTERVIEW
Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer Nic Butti BUTTIstile ("NBB") for their original perspective and innovative approach to design as well as their creative lifestyle, we are very pleased to share our interview with our distinguished readers.
DL: Could you please tell us a bit about your design background and education?
NBB : Politecnico di Milano: BA in industrial design Politecnico di Milano: MA in transportation design & management
DL: What motivates you to design in general, why did you become a designer?
NBB : design is problem solving: my goal is to let my designs help people live a better life
DL: Did you choose to become a designer, or you were forced to become one?
NBB : I was forced by my own nature and by the imperfection of (most of) the objects around me.
DL: What do you design, what type of designs do you wish to design more of?
NBB : with my team at BUTTIstile, we focus mainly on transportation design and medical devices design, in terms of concept + styling + user interaction&in terface + graphics + branding, all the elements that will give the final user a deep and complete experience.
DL: What should young designers do to become a design legend like you?
NBB : experience > re-imagine > think > work > try > fail > start again
DL: What distinguishes between a good designer and a great designer?
NBB : I hope I'll find out, later on in my career
DL: What makes a good design a really good design, how do you evaluate good design?
NBB : in brief: FUNCTION&EMOTION&VALUE
DL: What is the value of good design? Why should everyone invest in good design?
NBB : better experience, less waste (of material, of time, of money, of space etc)
DL: What would you design and who would you design for if you had the time?
NBB : many things!
DL: What is the dream project you haven’t yet had time to realize?
NBB : I'd love to design a whole new concept of dog pound for stray dogs
DL: What is your secret recipe of success in design, what is your secret ingredient?
NBB : passion! (& hard work)
DL: Who are some other design masters and legends you get inspired from?
NBB : Dieter Rams comes to mind first, and not many others
DL: What is your greatest design, which aspects of that design makes you think it is great?
NBB : VINNO: the whole cooperation with Vinno allowed us to SURPRISE and SHOCK all the big players in the medical field, a great personal and professional satisfaction. From zero to star in three years. AIMA Camo electric scooter: faulted by a so-so production quality, it still represents a game-changer in the Chinese market of e-scooters. Obviously I'm very proud odf 99% of the projects we developed.
DL: How could people improve themselves to be better designers, what did you do?
NBB : TRY. keep trying.
DL: If you hadn’t become a designer, what would you have done?
NBB : Veterinarian or MotoGP rider ^^
DL: How do you define design, what is design for you?
NBB : design is the natural evolution of human's needs
DL: Who helped you to reach these heights, who was your biggest supporter?
NBB : my parents, my customers, myself.
DL: What helped you to become a great designer?
NBB : I'm not a great designer, yet.
DL: What were the obstacles you faced before becoming a design master?
NBB : fear of failing.
DL: How do you think designers should present their work?
NBB : with passion
DL: What’s your next design project, what should we expect from you in future?
NBB : every single case is different, but the overall trend would me more fat free design (cit. Ross Lovegrove)
DL: What’s your ultimate goal as a designer?
NBB : to be useful, even ESSENTIAL
DL: What people expect from an esteemed designer such as yourself?
NBB : constant innovation
DL: How does design help create a better society?
NBB : in a Darwinian way, good products will push bad ones to go extinct
DL: What are you currently working on that you are especially excited about?
NBB : everything
DL: Which design projects gave you the most satisfaction, why?
NBB : VINNO zero-to-star process
DL: What would you like to see changed in design industry in the coming years?
NBB : less nonsensical waste of material/space/time/energy/money/... but our society must change first, and that's a very hard task
DL: Where do you think the design field is headed next?
NBB : new materials will open new scenarios.
DL: How long does it take you to finalize a design project?
NBB : it varies according to each specific project
DL: When you have a new design project, where do you start?
NBB : I close my eyes and imagine the future of my design
DL: What is your life motto as a designer?
NBB : we can do better
DL: Do you think design sets the trends or trends set the designs?
NBB : both. I prefer the first way, obviously.
DL: What is the role of technology when you design?
NBB : extremely influential
DL: What kind of design software and equipment do you use in your work?
NBB : from crayons to 3d printers
DL: What is the role of the color, materials and ambient in design?
NBB : extremely important: our design is a direct consequence of the quality of our life
DL: What do you wish people to ask about your design?
NBB : "can I try it...?"
DL: When you see a new great design or product what comes into your mind?
NBB : I wish we designed it... now let's make it better.
DL: Who is your ideal design partner? Do you believe in co-design?
NBB : There's ONLY co-design, but my partners are my clients, their suppliers, everyone who's involved in the creation of the final product
DL: Which people you interacted had the most influence on your design?
NBB : I will always be thankful to my professor and good friend Gino Finizio (ginofiniziodesignmanagement), for showing me the real potential of being a designer
DL: Which books you read had the most effect on your design?
NBB : "la caffettiera del masochista" by Donald Norman comes to mind.. and many others nto directly related to industrial design, for example "the call of the wild" by jack london > teaching me how to observe the world from a very different perspective (as you never know how different from you the final user of your design might be)
DL: How did you develop your skills as a master designer?
NBB : by working hard towards excellence
DL: Irrelative of time and space, who you would want to meet, talk and discuss with?
NBB : Many people, but Leonardo da Vinci would beat them all.
DL: How do you feel about all the awards and recognition you had, is it hard to be famous?
NBB : I'm not famous, I'm proud I gave visibility to my customers and the objects we designed for them
DL: What is your favorite color, place, food, season, thing and brand?
NBB : light blue + bormio + creative salads + summer + motorcycle + Vinno ^^
DL: Please tell us a little memoir, a funny thing you had experienced as a designer?
NBB : I used to give a name to the concept cars I designed when I was 9-10 y.o.... inspired by my favorite girls in my swimming team :)
DL: What makes your day great as a designer, how do you motivate yourself?
NBB : every day is different
DL: When you were a little child, was it obvious that you would become a great designer?
NBB : a designer, for sure. a great one, I'm still working on it
DL: What do you think about future; what do you see will happen in thousand years from now?
NBB : Humans will be gone.
DL: Please tell us anything you wish your fans to know about you, your design and anything else?
NBB : I believe that all the answers above contain enough elements to understand whether someone likes me or not. Good luck to both.
