Three questions to Frédéric René Lebrun, of French-Belgian origin, the author of an interesting development which brought him from Industrial design studies to web-design. All this in Michelangelo’s homeland...
Why Florence as the place for your studies?
«It was 1988, Italy was the cradle of International design, all that had anything to do with design spoke Italian. Even the most fashionable Teutonic designer, Collani, has something Italian about him. The choice was therefore unmistakable, but which school? At the Italian embassy I was introduced to a list of private schools. There was no hint to public structures. Only after a precise request was I shown the ISIA in Rome and Florence, which however according to them was worth very little.
I opted for Florence, closer to my home; a choice I never regretted. Half way between a holiday colony and the "Fame" school, the lack of technological facilities and organisation was made up for by creativity and imagination, gifts that are often lacking in private school students ».
How much does the environmental context count in design?
«I would say a lot. Florence is a very beautiful city, but just for visitors. It offers few ideas from the point of view of design. A little reactionary, a little shopkeeper mentality, Florence gives little space to new designers. The "modern" cultural offer is scarce for a “capital of art”. A completely different matter is represented by Florence’s surrounding area, especially for the liveability of spaces ».
How did the passage from industrial to web-design take place?
«This was also an obligatory choice. Anybody wanting to work as industrial designer must necessarily head for the North of Italy or abroad. The possibility of creating one’s own project, which otherwise would be too theoretic and lacking in comparison for feasibility and usability, is essential. A prototype or the setting into production require substantial investments. Often companies do not rely on young designers, preferring experienced professionals. Web design and in general graphic design are therefore in a sense more approachable because they are not subjected to great production costs. Auto-production and the circulation on the network of projects makes the activity more realistic and gratifying. As far as instruments and skills are concerned, I don’t see great differences. After all they are projects which contemplate the interaction of man with an object of use in an all-round view (in this case the interface), themes that are part of a designer’s baggage».
ISIA Florence - Istituto superiore per le industrie artistiche (In Italian)
ISIA Urbino (In Italian)
Polaroid Project (In Italian)
Tea Cup Project (In Italian)
