CEO Fabio Salvador: How to design for the real world

Fabio Salvador Makers Deparment Desall Contest Winner

 

DESALL WINNERS: FABIO SALVADOR & MAKERS DEPARTMENT

Product designer Fabio Salvador is the winner of Bormioli Pharma Design and founder + CEO of Makers Department: a design studio based in East London, built around the belief that: “ecology and economics go hand-in-hand, and that it is only possible to make impactful changes if the two are perfectly aligned, enabling new products to be better made and made better.”

We asked Fabio and his team about the pillars of their creative work and they delivered. Below you’ll find the three essential guidelines that they keep in mind when designing new products, and we think these could easily inform a helpful framework for young and aspiring designers when approaching their work.

 

HOW TO DESIGN FOR THE REAL WORLD: 3 ESSENTIAL TIPS

1. Be like a Sponge – “Designers must be humble to not have preconceptions so that innovative ideas reveal themselves. Is important to make an effort and be obsessed in understanding the context around each different problem.” – Fabio Salvador

2. Build with Empathy – Validate ideas with users and let them decide what is good and useful and what is not.

3. Consider Impact – Execute with grace and quality so that natural resources are used with respect and humans can make the most of them. 

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS & CREDITS

A huge thank you to Fabio and his team at Makers Department for chatting all things design with us. Do look them up on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube! All images kindly provided by Fabio Salvador+Makers Department.

… What are your guiding principles for creating your work?

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Bormioli Pharma Dispenser Design – Winner announcement

Bormioli Pharma Dispenser Design

It’s with great pleasure that we share the results of “Bormioli Pharma Dispenser Design”, the international product design contest sponsored by Bormioli Pharma, the leading Italian brand in the world of pharmaceutical packaging, in glass and plastic.

Designers were invited to design a tablet dispenser capable of containing and dispensing oral drugs, particularly tablets and micro-tablets, in a controlled manner and according to the prescribed dose.

The contest brief reached 24 countries and generated 73 entries from our international community. We received several noteworthy, quality projects and the Sponsor appreciates all of them and congratulates all designers.

 

CONTEST WINNER

Congratulations to London-based Makers Department, the official winner of Bormioli Pharma Dispenser Design with the project “MediClicker”. Makers Department is a design studio composed of a small but multicultural team headed by Fabio Salvador, Industrial Designer, Founder, Director and Entrepreneur with a passion for startups and innovation.

MediClicker” is a mechanical pill-dispensing system, which incorporates IoT functionalities such as a display that shows information about the content, and a dedicated app that sends notifications to the patient’s smartphone.

“A simple yet smart device designed to reduce the stress of taking medication and helping patients keep on top of their doses and pill stock.” – Makers Department

Makers Department

Makers Department

 

EXTRA AWARD #1

Congratulations to Micaela Alvarado Eslava & Cèsar Augusto Lòpez Torres Chicoma for receiving the Extra Award for their project “Giro Dispenser”. Micaela and Cèsar are two young and talented designers from Lima, Perù, where they pursue their respective interests: design research and physical product development with a focus on user experience.

Giro Dispenser” is a system integrated with IoT functionalities and characterized by a number of divisions that allow for several types of medication to be taken simultaneously with a simple movement of the capsule.

Micaela Alvarado Eslava & Cèsar Augusto Lòpez Torres Chicoma

 

EXTRA AWARD #2

Congratulations to Francesco Castiglione Morelli and Dario Carlesi for receiving the Extra Award for their project “Daily Care”.

Daily Care” is a system that can be integrated with existing pill dispensers and which administers pills in a completely mechanical manner based on the patient’s specific dosage requirements.

Francesco Castiglione Morelli and Dario Carlesi

 

Congratulations to all participants and stay tuned for more updates on the projects!
In the meantime, choose your next challenge on https://desall.com/Contests

 

 

Lavazza HORECA Design Experience – Winner announcement

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We’re excited to share the results of “Lavazza HORECA Design Experience”, an international design contest sponsored by Lavazza Group, a leading Italian company in the global food and beverage sector.

With “Lavazza HORECA Design Experience”, Lavazza invited participants to design 2 new collections of service products pertaining to the coffee experience “away from home”, such as in cafès, restaurants, hotels and offices, and aimed at supporting activities that take place within coffee preparation, administration and consumption areas. Sugar packet holders, napkin holders, trays, menu holders and the like are examples of what designers were requested to design.

Lavazza HORECA Design Experience in numbers:
The contest brief reached 113 countries all over the world and generated 66 entries from our international community.

We received several noteworthy, quality projects and the Sponsor appreciates all of them and congratulates all designers.


Lavazza HORECA Design Experience: Contest Winner & Extra Award
Designer Stefanel Barutcieff has charmed the Sponsor with his great work and went on to win not one, but two awards.

Stefanel is a German-Romanian designer based in Munich, Germany, who specializes in graphic and product design.

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Congratulations to all participants and stay tuned for more updates on the projects!
In the meantime, choose your next challenge on https://desall.com/Contests

Textile R&D Naming – Winner announcement

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We’re excited to share with you the results of “Textile R&D Naming”, an international Naming Contest sponsored by a broad network of Italian companies in the textile industry.

Designers were invited to submit proposals for a name and payoff that could convey the concepts of internationality, innovation and knowledge-sharing and which are meant to be utilized by a network of Italian textile companies.

Textile R&D Naming in numbers:
The contest brief reached 91 countries all over the world and generated 471 entries from our international community.

We received several noteworthy, quality projects and the Sponsor appreciates all of them and congratulates all participants.

 

Textile R&D Naming: Contest Winner
Congratulations to Juan Pablo Razetto on winning “Textile R&D Naming”!

Juan Pablo is an industrial designer from Córdoba, Argentina, with learning and working experience in several fields such as automotive, home furnishings, sporting goods, product marketing and the plastics industry. Learn more about Juan Pablo by clicking the image below.

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Congratulations to all participants and stay tuned for more updates on the projects!
In the meantime, choose your next challenge on https://desall.com/Contests

 

Water Purification System Design – Winner announcement

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We’re excited to share with you the results of “Water Purification System Design”, an international product design contest sponsored by inuvai, an expert division of Fresenius Medical Care that offers innovative filtration systems tailored to the needs of different industries and laboratories.

Designers were invited to design the case and interface of an innovative purification system dedicated to water treatment.


Water Purification System Design in numbers:
The contest brief reached 101 countries and generated 66 entries from our international community.
We received several noteworthy, quality projects and the Sponsor appreciates all of them and congratulates all designers.


Water Purification System Design: Contest Winner

Congratulations to Australian designer Queena Le for her great project “Inuvai Water Purification System” which was selected as the official winner of the “Water Purification System Design” contest!

Queena Le is a UX/UI designer based in Sydney, you can check out her work and website here. Here’s what Queena Le says about her project “Inuvai Water Purification System”:

“The high-tech but minimalist form of the INUVAI casing is inspired by its very function – the movement of water. The dynamic lighting system is also directly inspired by the natural phenomenon of bioluminescence. The modular design allows the client to choose a case for the small or large filter configuration without compromising the design.”

Queena Le

 

Congratulations to all participants and stay tuned for more updates on the projects!
In the meantime, choose your next challenge on https://desall.com/Contests

*UPDATED* Barilla New Pasta Shape – Winner announcement

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We’re excited to share with you the results of Barilla New Pasta Shape, a contest we proudly launched in collaboration with Barilla!

The contest, which started this year, in March 2021, has received plenty of international attention with participation at its highest, confirming Barilla New Pasta Shape as the most widely loved contest we’ve ever created.

Barilla New Pasta Shape in numbers:

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BLOG_WINNER_GENERIC-666x666_Insight2-72 BLOG_WINNER_GENERIC-666x666_Insight3-72Participants were asked to submit original ideas for a new kind of pasta shape and they certainly delivered. A total of 2486 entries were submitted by 1476 Desall users and the contest brief reached as many as 141 countries, among which Italian, Russian, American, Israelian and German participants were the most prolific. We couldn’t be more proud of the Desall community, and the Sponsor sincerely appreciates and congratulates all and every single one of them. Bravo!

 

THE WINNER

Congratulations Mr Donato Santoro for your great project “Terzine” which was selected as the official winner of the “Barilla New Pasta Shape” contest!

Mr Santoro is an experienced Italian architect based in Milan, Italy, where he collaborates with several well-established architecture and design firms. After graduating from the Politecnico di Milano, he took his first professional steps under the supervision of renowned Italian architect, designer and photographer Ettore Sottsass.

We look forward to discovering what the “Terzine” new pasta shape looks (and tastes!) like as soon as it will be released on the market. In the meantime, here are a few images from Mr Santoro’s portfolio.

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UPDATE 10.12.2021: 3 EXTRA AWARDS
We’re glad to announce 3 Extra Awards for the “Barilla New Pasta Shape” contest. Find the extra winners below!


“Vortici” by
Davide Viadana


“TRIGEMINE” by
Stefano Mella

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“Corallo” by
Marcello Gasparini

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UPDATE 11.10.2022: EXTRA AWARD
We’re glad to announce 1 additional Extra Awards for the “Barilla New Pasta Shape” contest. Find the extra winner below!


“Trilli” by Pietro Petrianni

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SPECIAL MENTIONS

To satiate your curiosity, we’re sharing below three projects which, regardless of their feasibility and reproducibility using traditional technology, have attracted some interest and as such deserve highlighting:

 

“Blooming Pasta” by Aleksandra Nyc

Aleksandra Nyc

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Polish copywriter Alexandra Nyc wanted to create a pasta format that would “open” up once cooked, and whose “petals” would generously embrace any kind of sauce. Her main inspiration came from a particular type of “dried herbs and flowers that bloom while brewing tea.”

You can read what Ms Nyc says about her project below:

“We eat with our eyes first. Each visual sensation enhances our taste sensations.
In the soup, this shape of pasta will bloom. The sauce, on the other hand, will wrap its petals so that a bomb of flavor will bloom on someone’s tongue.

Interactive, non-obvious, inspired by nature, fitting in with trends and looking beautiful in soup, main course or salad. It will be tasty!

Cutting the pasta petals, pressing them to create 3-4 levels of petals, and then drying them in a form that allows them to “roll up” will provide the consumer with an unusual food preparation experience at home. Durum wheat will be the best choice because its “al dente” phase will keep our flakes in shape.”

 

“Barilla Ones – Reinvent The Pasta Experience” by Giuliano Chimenti

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Giuliano Chimenti, author of “Barilla Ones – Reinvent The Pasta Experience”, is an Italian senior designer based in Shanghai, China. He created a “single serving” pasta format that is spherical in shape and designed to be gently laid on top of a lush pool of sauce.

You can read what Mr. Chimenti says about his project below:

“Barilla Ones are single serving pasta in a revolutionary format.
Larger than any other kind of pasta, Barilla Ones are the hero of the course, served as unique, exquisite pieces on top of the sauce, pesto or other relishes.

Barilla Ones introduces a new way of consumption.
The spherical pasta is served in one-piece and invites the customer to slice it into smaller pieces, creating a unique experience and unexpected beautiful geometrical sections at every cut.

“Barilla Ones shape is a delicate sphere whose internal geometrical mesh, based on an octagonal matrix, reveals a radiant network that recalls the natural element of the sun. The mesh is designed in order to allow an equal flow of boiling water during the cooking (smaller holes around the outer edges, bigger ones closer to the core).

Barilla Ones are packaged in an exclusive format to protect their distinctive shape and present the novelty on the shelf, attracting the curious consumer looking for a unique new pasta experience.”

 

“SHUMI” by Yarden Joseph and Prielle Haddad

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The “SHUMI” project was submitted by talented Israelian students of industrial design from Shenkar college, Yarden Joseph and Prielle Haddad. As one can guess from its name and shape, SHUMI represents a friendly nudge to the famous Chinese dumpling dish “shumai” (photo credits @nickytrok).

You can read what Ms. Joseph and Ms. Haddad say about their project below:

“When we first thought about how we can design a new type of pasta we thought about what we are really enjoying having when it comes to pasta. It happens to be that we both love eating pasta that has soaked sauce and allows you to enjoy all the flavors bite after bite.
So, we thought about a round shape that traps the sauce and their accompaniment (while reducing the surface of the dough).

We designed the shape of the pasta in such a way that the top of the pasta is narrow,
and the bottom is open so that the pasta units can be stacked on top of each other in a modular way. Following this we decided to produce a new concept of packaging.
The package is designed as a standing roll with a suitable amount of pasta in it for one serving. This is to prevent waste of pasta and maintain its freshness.”

Congratulations to all participants and stay tuned for more updates on the projects!
In the meantime, choose your next challenge on https://desall.com/Contests

Eurospin Creativity – Winner announcement

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We’re very excited to share with you the results of the Eurospin Creativity competition, the contest sponsored by Eurospin, the largest Italian discount group that ensures quality products at the lowest price every day.

The contest called for new graphic solutions to reinterpret iconic brand images dedicated to the Sponsor’s paper-based promotional communication as well as in-store communication, first and foremost the flyer cover in various declinations. The message to be conveyed was that of the Italian smart way to shop, that is the ability to ensure quality products at the lowest price every day.

Our community contributed with 394 entries from 107 countries, submitting many noteworthy and quality projects. The Sponsor appreciates all submissions from the Desall community and congratulates all designers who took part in the contest.

Find below the 3 Winners of Eurospin Creativity – congratulations!


THE WINNERS

“Offer everything 1€” Award
Lucapira79

Graphic designer

“Offer price range” Award
BeppeTroiano
Graphic designer

“Offer % off” Award
stefano99
Architecture & design student

Congratulations to all participants and stay tuned for more updates on the projects!
In the meantime, choose your next challenge on https://desall.com/Contests