WELCOME TO THE DESALL BLOG. THIS POST IS PART OF THE “COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT” SERIES WHERE WE INTERVIEW THE BEST MEMBERS OF OUR CREATIVE COMMUNITY. THANKS FOR READING!

SELENA PLACINO is a passionate industrial designer from the Philippines 🇵🇭 and one of the authors of Forest Friends, the cutest collection of baby teethers developed in collaboration with Desall and Chicco. In this interview, Selena talks about how she has gained valuable experience working with established designers and companies and the importance of travel as a source of inspiration and insight for her work. The interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Hi Selena, thank you for joining us, today. Can you briefly introduce yourself to the readers?

Hey everyone, I am Selena Placino, an industrial designer based in Manila, Philippines. In 2018, I graduated from De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde with a degree in Industrial Design and I currently collaborate with start-up brands to create toys, packaging, furniture and more. As a designer, my ultimate goal is to bring to life a wide range of products that have a positive impact on people’s lives. I love challenging myself with new problems and obstacles to overcome.

Selena, in spite of your young age you have gained considerable experience in the past years. Tell us more about what you’ve accomplished so far.
After graduating, I had the privilege of training under Kenneth Cobonpue, a celebrated Filipino designer and the first-ever recipient of the Design for Asia Award. I worked closely with him on several furniture designs and even had the opportunity to collaborate with Italian designer Federica Capitani on the Forma collection. Following my time with Kenneth Cobonpue, I spent several years working for A2 Design Lab. This consultancy firm specializes in creating a wide range of consumer products, from sporting goods to baby products. I gained valuable experience working on various projects and further honed my skills as an industrial designer. Later on, I joined an Australian e-commerce brand as an in-house designer. It was here that I began my journey of working with start-up companies, and it was a fantastic opportunity for me to learn more about the practical side of manufacturing, making business decisions that have a direct impact on costs, and being hands-on with sourcing suppliers and manufacturers.

Among the many projects you have worked on, is there one that you’re particularly proud of? If so, why?
I love all my work. But the one I’m most proud of is the baby teether collection I designed with Maricar Tarnate and Krisler Manalili for the competition organized by Desall and Chicco. It’s not just any product; it was the first time one of my designs was mass-produced and launched on the market. Being from the Philippines, a country widely known for its handicraft industry, it’s not often that we get the chance to design and sell consumer goods internationally. So, seeing the teething rings I designed on the shelves of shops worldwide was surreal. I even spotted them in Chicco boutiques in my home country and when I visited a Chicco store in Milan. But the best part of it all is seeing photos of babies using these teethers, an incredibly heartwarming feeling.

What is your go-to source of inspiration that you’d recommend to other designers?
In my opinion, the best resource for designers is experience. By welcoming new things into our lives, we can learn so much. Travelling is an excellent example of this. I believe that we should travel as much as possible and take advantage of every opportunity to explore new places, whether it’s locally or abroad. Even walking around an unfamiliar city can be an eye-opening experience with respect to different cultures, people’s habits, new acquaintances, and unconventional art and sights. When I travel, I always try to purchase objects that I find interesting and beautiful and analyze how they were made. Putting ourselves in the thought process gives us a better understanding of how products are created and helps us empathise with our surroundings. It’s by truly understanding what other people see and feel, that we can design products that genuinely help them.

The designer/architect you most admire.
The one I look up to the most is Oki Sato of Nendo. What I like most about his studio is that they can design almost anything you can imagine: from architecture to interior design to small objects. Although their creations look simple and minimalist, they always have a certain wit to them that makes people smile. Oki Sato believes that a product should be simple enough to use, but still appeal to people’s emotions, which I try to apply to my work as a designer. When I last visited Japan, I made sure to get myself an object designed by Nendo. I bought the GLOO glue stick that they designed for Kokuyo. It has a square cap to prevent it from rolling off the table, unlike conventional glue sticks with a cylindrical shape. This product is truly one of my favourite items I own.

Where can we find you online?
Readers can connect with me via my website and Behance portfolio. I’m also on Instagram @selena.placino

“FOREST FRIENDS” CHICCO BABY TEETHERS by SELENA PLACINO, MARICAR TARNATE and KRISLER MANALILI

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