PEOPLE WHO INSPIRE
” No project is impossible. We can change a lot of things from product design”.
A conversation with Pablo Cálvin
Pablo is a multidisciplinary professional and deeply passionate about design. A lover of problem solving and personal development, he is a reference in the design of sound products.
Pablo recommends…
- A book:Bohemian Lights. I’m not a big fan of reading theatre in general. But I make an exception for Bohemian Lights. On the one hand, I think it’s very daring and I find its satire very amusing. I see many parallels between Max Estrella and Don Quixote. I think both characters and stories represent us perfectly as a country and as a culture.
- A film: Magnolia. I love discovering these characters, so imperfect and human. The performances are brilliant and seeing how their parallel lives weave the story allows you to empathise with their burdens and their quest for redemption.. Every character in Magnolia has a little bit of us.
- A song: The Sounds of Silence. It is a song that moves me and “humanises” me. Both the lyrics and the music are fantastic. Although the original version by Simon & Garfunkel is great. I always recommend listening to Disturbed live at Conan O’Brien’s show. If it doesn’t give you goosebumps, you’re not alive.
Hi Pablo, tell us something about you….. What is your role at Fonestar?
Hi! Well, about me, I’ll tell you that I love absurd humor and looking for the playful side of things in everyday life. And about my job, I’m in charge of Product Design at Fonestar. I make sure that all new products we design follow the same principles and are aligned with what the customer needs.
What do you like most about your job?
I love to see the process of how ideas take shape and materialise into something competitive. This cycle of working from the abstract to the concrete is very enriching and makes me feel fulfilled.
What do you think you bring to the company and your colleagues?
I would say that I bring innovation, brand identity and added value to the company’s products. And I think I bring to my colleagues the flexibility to be able to fit in new ideas and implement them.
What is the process you follow when designing?
To approach the design we followed the usual Design Thinking process:
- We empathise with the needs of the client and the market, researching thoroughly and gaining in-depth knowledge.
- Once we are ready, we define a basic proposal.
- We then go on to design the finalised solution.
- We make prototypes for testing (which have different levels of definition depending on the phase).
- After each prototype, we test internally with the team and externally with customers (this interaction with customers is key). Everything we learn from each test is incorporated into the design definition and used to fine-tune the design. It is an iterative process.
What is your recent design about?
El proyecto en el que estoy trabajando actualmente es la familia de altavoces de techo SKY, que se trata de una nueva familia de altavoces de techo con 3 gamas diferentes y que queremos convertir en la más competitiva del mercado.
What project or design are you interested in developing in the future?
I am very much looking forward to tackling the design of our future family of high power installation loudspeakers. I think we can bring a lot to that kind of product compared to what is on the market.
“I like to mix the good side of different schools of design”.
What inspires you when you design or which are your references?
I like to mix the good side of different schools of design:
- On the one hand, I like the clarity and clean design that Dieter Rams introduced us to with Braun back in the day.. It is a great reference for addressing usability and product semantics..
- I am also very interested in Scandinavian and Japanese approaches to design in the work of materiality, form and detail. If Rams brought us clarity, these schools bring us emotion.
How did you get started in design? What motivated you to pursue this path?
I have always been attracted to detailed problem solving and the design of small things. Over the years, with different approaches to design I saw how this attraction naturally fitted well with my personal strengths and could be a very good career path.
How do you think you could improve in your work?
In recent months, the Product Department has been making a great effort to improve market research and customer testing.. As it is the basis for many decisions, I would like to equip myself with more tools and resources in this regard.
What have you learned over the years that you have been working at Fonestar?
The fact that no project is impossible and a lot can be changed from product design. My biggest learning has to do with trust and the ability to transform a brand.
How do you think your products improve people’s daily lives?
I am pleased to think that somewhere there is an installer who has made his job easier and faster, or that a user has been able to configure something he wanted in a simple way, that someone has been thrilled by a clear sound or that people enjoy looking at attractive products.
