12/10/2024

Emiliana Design

Ana Mir and Emili Padrós founded Emiliana Design in the late 1990s after graduating from Central Saint Martins in London.

From the beginning, their goal has been to add value to products and experiences and contribute to building a better world through design. The studio is known for its global and interdisciplinary approach.

Through this vision, the studio works on product design and creative direction for companies, as well as exhibition and installation design for museums and institutions, ephemeral spaces, limited edition objects, and conceptual and experimental projects.

The studio has also been actively involved in cultural and social collaborative projects aimed at improving people’s quality of life and in educating new generations of designers in national and international schools and universities.

The studio’s work is driven by the importance of the concept in the creative process, exploration of historical, social, and cultural contexts, curiosity, the search for poetic gestures, and a constant sense of wonder. It has always worked with creativity, generosity, and enthusiasm on projects of various scales and types.

Ana Mir and Emili Padrós are conscious of the responsibility designers have towards people, companies, and the environment. Their interdisciplinary approach has led to a diverse professional trajectory that provides coherent and innovative solutions to each client. Every project at Emiliana Design requires careful attention to production processes and materials to maximize their physical and sensory capabilities while minimizing environmental impact.

We spoke with Ana and Emili about their approach to design, their values, cultural and collaborative projects, and the products and spaces they would like to work on:

Interiors from Spain: Sometimes you work independently, and other times as a duo. How do you complement each other, and what does each of you bring to the work?

Emiliana Design: Working as a team means intertwining ideas, starting from trust and respect for each other. Sometimes one of us sparks an idea and the other improves it, or vice versa. We’ve been working this way for over 28 years, and it seems to work well.

We also have moments of working independently, which gives us personal space. It’s enriching.

Emiliana Design: We both like to participate in the creative process, so when we work as a team, we trust each other fully. We put what’s best for the project first. This back-and-forth helps projects improve and grow.

Interiors from Spain: How would you define your creative process and approach to work? What do you aim to convey in your projects?

Emiliana Design: When we design together, many factors come into play. Our approach changes depending on whether it’s a commission for a company with a precise brief, an “open” commission, or an experimental project.

Our work process is generally quite rich. It starts with ideas we ignite, exchange, or challenge. We’re interested in the relationships that the users establish with the objects we design. We believe objects can tell stories, trigger situations, provoke emotions, or transform spaces. Ideas such as participation, play, humor, and sometimes provocation, often come to mind when we begin designing.

We rarely start by drawing directly. Sometimes we write notes, ask questions, search for or create images, touch materials...

For us, it’s essential to touch, to make models, to experiment... whether working on the design for a space, object, furniture, perfume, or chocolate. Since we work on such different projects, our design process often involves all the senses—touch, smell, even taste.

We’re curious and enjoy learning how things we design are made, following their development, visiting workshops, and speaking with technicians. It’s another way for us to keep learning.

Interiors from Spain: How do you view current design trends? Do you think what users value today has changed?

Emiliana Design: We see a growing sensitivity towards using durable materials, like wood or ceramics. These days, everything produced around us is being scrutinized: food, fashion, architecture, design, they're all part of this world. There’s a noticeable interest in the origin of materials, how they’re processed, and what happens to them after they’re no longer useful.

In workplaces, there is a need for comfortable environments that are well-insulated thermally and acoustically, promoting well-being. It’s been proven that spaces that foster well-being can have a healing effect.

In public spaces, both indoors and outdoors, plants are becoming more prominent. Living or working surrounded by greenery is more pleasant and creates positive, healthy environments for people.

Interiors from Spain: What lesson would you have liked to learn earlier, and what advice would you give to someone entering the design world today?

Emiliana Design: We’ve learned to be patient and not to give up, and to accept that not everything works out on the first try. We believe it’s essential to maintain curiosity and always be receptive.

Interiors from Spain: You’ve been involved in cultural and social collaborative projects aimed at improving people’s lives. Could you share something about these projects and how they have enriched you professionally and personally?

Emiliana Design: We participated in the Sao Paulo Architecture Biennale with children from underprivileged neighborhoods, co-designing “Ciudad10,” a city of the future they dreamed of. It was a beautiful, exciting experience.

In Lleida, we also worked with the Down Association of Lleida and the La Panera Art Center to create Christmas light installations throughout the city, involving young people with Down syndrome in a highly collaborative and creative project. The project lasted a year and we managed to involve many families. Seeing the satisfaction on their faces was the best part. For us, leaving the usual market circuits is very enriching. These projects give opportunities to people who often can’t access the world of art and design, while also providing social visibility to underrepresented groups.

Interiors from Spain: One of your latest works, CARE for Vergés, focuses on furniture design for older adults with reduced mobility. What sparked your interest in this group, and how did you address these needs through the collection?

Emiliana Design: Paulina Ballbè introduced us to the postgraduate course in “Management and Promotion of Active Aging Projects” at Pompeu Fabra University. We were intrigued by the idea of “active aging”, and as curious designers, we were interested in exploring it further. The course had a broad and positive perspective, addressing how to optimize health, participation, security, and well-being. We saw how design could contribute to improving quality of life as people age.

We’re convinced that a well-designed, well-lit, well-soundproofed, and well-furnished space can have a healing effect and positive impact on the mood of older adults.

Interiors from Spain: Can you tell us about your work with foreign companies? In which countries have you worked, and where would you like to collaborate?

Emiliana Design: We’ve worked with companies in France and Italy, and we have long-term clients in Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden. We tried working with Japan many years ago but weren’t successful. We knew it would be difficult.

Interiors from Spain: What projects are you working on at the moment?

Emiliana Design: We’re advising companies to enhance their business strategies both nationally and internationally, incorporating design into their overall company strategies and adding value to their products and experiences. We enjoy these collaborations because the results are visible, and the numbers back them up. Business evolution is essential for competitiveness.

Interiors from Spain: 30 years on, is there any product or space you’d like to design that you haven’t yet?

Emiliana Design: In the near future, we’d love to see cars disappear from the city and reduce pollution levels. We’d like to think about how to make this happen.

It’s also important for cities to become more people-friendly—towards the young, the elderly, and children and teenagers.

We will continue working on inclusion and accessibility through design.

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