Little Tu Lamp Vase by Giusi Castaldo

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DI: What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?

GC : Little tu is meant as a need to converge varieties into a single place, a single design: natural light and artificial light, day and night simply.

DI: What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?

GC : The prototyping of Little tu has been very long, almost as much as the time necessary to seed, iron, take care and, little by little, to see a plant coming into being and growing. Taking care of design and its realization into details has transmitted to us the desire to create something everlasting, renewable, a timeless design.

DI: What are your future plans for this award winning design?

GC : Designing and realizing new projects!

DI: How long did it take you to design this particular concept?

GC : Two days to imagine and design it. Almost a year to prototype it.

DI: Why did you design this particular concept? Was this design commissioned or did you decide to pursuit an inspiration?

GC : Just like other past of mine, I have decided to follow my inspiration, pointing to the future projects which will be commissioned to me.

DI: Is your design being produced or used by another company, or do you plan to sell or lease the production rights or do you intent to produce your work yourself?

GC : Together with the creative director and co-founder of Unisono Produzioni association, we have decided to sell or rent the production rights. Obviously it depends on the agreements with the firms.

DI: What made you design this particular type of work?

GC : Almost all my projects have been thought as Christmas presents for my boyfriend. In this way his passion for nature and mine for light have generated the union Little tu.

DI: Where there any other designs and/or designers that helped the influence the design of your work?

GC : I get myself influenced by what is surrounding me or by what can be useful to my intent.

DI: Who is the target customer for his design?

GC : I can see Little tu in halls of hotels, tourist resorts, theaters or waiting rooms of museums, in coffee bars, restaurants or along the corridors of hotel rooms. An easily adaptable project.

DI: What sets this design apart from other similar or resembling concepts?

GC : Its essential design.

DI: How did you come up with the name for this design? What does it mean?

GC : Little tu is like a carers, a cure. A little lovely present.

DI: Which design tools did you use when you were working on this project?

GC : Project designer with 2D and 3D model supports, the search among furniture firms for the choice of material, various prototypes in carpenter’s shop and models for the ideal plant engineering for the lamp.

DI: What is the most unique aspect of your design?

GC : The components: light, water and nature.

DI: Who did you collaborate with for this design? Did you work with people with technical / specialized skills?

GC : I have always had at my side the Creative Director Alessandro Falco and the carpenter’s shop Trivelli of my town.

DI: What is the role of technology in this particular design?

GC : Almost null.

DI: How did you decide to submit your design to an international design competition?

GC : We think this is a way to take up in order to meet firms of high quality, even at world level.

DI: What did you learn or how did you improve yourself during the designing of this work?

GC : To get courage. And the registration to this competition is an example of that.