I have been an Industrial designer for many years now and at this point of my career I know where my filed of work should go to specifically, instead of firing all over the place and try to get as many opportunities as they come. In my work I have always followed my beliefs and chosen my own professional paths. Thankfully I haven’t had the chance to design a product that will be mass produced or is against my way of working. I have always been a green thinker who loves nature and hates environmentally unfriendly practices, waste, global warming and related topics.

As a designer I do not have an extensive Portfolio, super cool drawing skills or high proficiency in computer software, even though I have good experience in working in all design environments and I also have background in some areas of design such Interior, graphic and industrial. In this regard, I am a multi-skill and multidisciplinary person who has been working and had hands-on many different ventures.  This is either because of the environment that I grew up with, professional interest or personal enthusiasm.

I am a sailor and love boats, especially sailing boats. I am a beekeeper and loves bees and the work they do to/for the entire planet. I grew up between major urban centers and rural areas so I love the city and nature and a green thinking as well. I am aware of social consciousness and community development. My mother taught me about cooking from early stages of my life so started my own restaurant and been cooking ever since. Along with this I have embraced gardening as one of my passions too. In addition to this, the last two years of my life has been decisive in terms of knowing what to do when I get back to my home country Chile. Studying the Master of Design at UTS in Sydney was truly refreshing, inspiring and most of all educational. Subjects like User-Centered Design, Future Design Strategies and Technology workshops among other were enlightening and made me rethink my career path.

All this has helped me created the person that I am today, personally and professionally and has prepared me to realize where I should aim to become the designer of the new generation.  A generation that looks into the future to seek for better opportunities to transform this world into a healthier living organism (with us on it).

That is why I have decided to embrace all these ideas and bring them together as one great initiative.   A Design Company that will facilitate shaping the future through UX Design and Sustainable Design, connecting four major concepts: SUSTAINABILTY, COMMUNITY, DESIGN and USER EXPERIENCE.

SHAPED BY DESIGN is one of the names that are coming to my mind to start this company. This corporation will take a step further in bringing design to the table using a term I have come up with which is not very accurate but it works for the moment.  This term is CONTRIBUTORY DESIGN where the main idea is that the “User” designs the outcome but with a strong participation from the “Designer”. For me, the design process is shifting from the designer to the user. Obviously some users do not have any knowledge or education in design and this is where the designer comes in.

Although it uses these concepts and comes from them, it is not Co-Design, User-Centered Design or Participatory Design but a User-Based and User-Designed process where the designer guides, shares knowledge and contribute to develop the project into a specific design outcome. This is a first approach of the idea and I am shearing something that I have just made up so I don’t want to invalidate other approaches. On the contrary, User Experience design is the foundation for this and it might be similar or even more than that but any help on this is welcome. My mother language is not English but if you help me come up with a right name for this type or work it will be very much appreciated.

Chile will be the home for this initiative because it is my home country and also a developing country where much help is needed in these areas of expertise.  

Any feedback, comments or opinions are welcome here or you can email me @ feligonzalezr@gmail.com