In 2017, 30 million people visited the city. While the industry has boomed in Barcelona, it has hampered the originality and carefree-spirit which made the city popular in the first place. In that way, it draws attention to elements that might not be as immediately obvious, such as food presentation.ĭesign could also be an opportunity to redress one of the city’s biggest issues: tourism. The bar installation hopes to showcase experimental design across culinary culture, from the way we eat to how we cook. For example, A Gathering Bar is a meeting point which “represents the relaxed and pleasant lifestyle of Barcelona”. Inspired in Barcelona is supported by the city’s council and also puts on installations which are directly relevant to the city itself. She does however echo Ávila’s opinion that the value of design is a work in progress in Spain, especially in comparison with Nordic countries and the UK. It’s a sizeable task but Roig says that the city’s diversity should help it achieve international recognition. One of the BCD’s primary aims is to promote Barcelona-based design to international audiences, from China to America. The anodized titanium and aluminium refillable ballpoint pen shows that “less is more, and simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”, according to the website. In March, product design studio Anima’s Davinci Pen was highlighted. Roig points out that the range of projects is reflective of the city’s diverse specialisms, from graphic to industrial design. The directory is continually updated, which Roig says is key to showcasing new work. Though the branding had been in use for several years, the digital element was a reaction to the lockdown and impossibility of physical events.īCD executive director Isabel Roig says that the organisation wanted to recognise the importance of creativity to the city, from small talent to bigger projects. Last year, it launched Inspired in Barcelona, an online platform which seeks to champion Barcelona-based work. The organisation hosts design events throughout the year, though in 2020, most of these were inevitably cancelled. While many people are familiar with the city – from Gaudí’s architecture to its restaurant scene – Barcelona Centre of Design (BCD) aims to promote its creative scene to international audiences. The country’s other design centre is Barcelona. Inspired in Barcelona’s international ambitions Davinci pen “Comparing this with my past experiences gave me much more hope,” Ávila says. The government ministry already appreciated the value of design, she says. It was for a special project for Observatorio de Mujeres, Ciencia e Innovacion (Observatory of Women, Science and Innovation) which promotes gender quality in the scientific sector. It’s an identity that she designed for Spain’s Ministry of Science and Innovation that perhaps best illustrates the studio’s ethos. It’s been hard to convince Spanish clients about the value of design when discussing potential work, according to Ávila. The lack of homegrown interest in design is one of the reasons why she works with so many international clients. “When I was studying design in school, I could see that Spain was not a country that gave value to design.” During these years, Ávila says that it was difficult to see good design behind any significant public campaigns. “To see that change gives me hope,” she adds. That will help bring recognition to the industry, she believes. “If people are able to see design in the streets, they can start to recognise good design,” Ávila adds. “It was never like that before,” she says, explaining that the council now counts on design studios and professionals. In the past four years, Ávila says that design has become much more integral to public campaigns run by the city, for example. The graphic designer has also noticed a change in the perception of her industry. Ávila did not know she was going to specialise in this kind of “participatory design”, but says that it’s helped to foster a sense of community in the Spanish capital though some topics – especially money – remain taboo. Ávila has helped to launch the Madrid chapter of Jessica Walsh’s Ladies, Wine & Design group as well as Meet a Designer, which brings together the capital’s design community. Throughout, building a community has been a focus. “I started my own studio because I didn’t see many opportunities to work at a design studio in Madrid and build my own future,” Ávila says. The studio has worked on branding for a New York-based boutique production company and a progressive fashion brand. The graphic designer set up her own studio Half & Twice in Madrid following a stint in the corporate branding world as a way to pick projects closer to her heart: those that champion sustainability, community and diversity. Paloma Ávila knows the power of networks.
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