History…
I grew up in Italy, in a place famous for manufacturing ceramic tiles. Everyone around there is somehow involved in the ceramics trade – from lorry drivers to graphic designers. I knew I didn’t want to go into ceramics so I tried very hard to find something else to do.
I ended up going to college to study graphic design and photography. I really liked the course and design so decided to go to university to study product design, making things like sofas and lights. But after a few years, designing products didn’t seem that exciting and I started to think that it was not what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
I thought if I got into designing furniture for children that it would be more exciting and would work with my degree. I decided to make products for children and really liked it. I did a lot of research into how children use things and enjoyed that. When you design a product for children, you can think of a hundred different ways to use it but they’ll still surprise you with something you hadn’t even considered.
I really care about children playing with toys that will develop their minds. It makes a big difference to how they think as adults and how their brains develop. The first thing I made was a piece of furniture for children and then created a musical toy. I enjoyed that very much so I tried to create children’s products whenever I could throughout my degree.
When I moved to London, I contacted companies I wanted to work with, such as educational toy companies, and ended up working at the company I still work for now – Fiesta Crafts. My title there is senior designer but, as the company is small, I do everything from ideas generation to market research, I deal with manufacturers and I monitor production so that everything is done properly. Plus I do a lot of admin. It’s very varied and I know how every aspect of the company works.
Toys…
I make educational toys, mostly traditional toys from a modern perspective. The toys are not computerised or electronic but made using wood, fabric and natural fibers. The products are designed so that children learn through play.
As a child…
I was always into drawing. I used to create a lot of the toys I played with. I had a Barbie and would create all sorts of things for my Barbie games. I’ve always been into playing and been imaginative.
Family…
Almost everyone works in the tile business. My dad is a production manager in a tile company and my sister works on the chemistry side of things – doing tests on different clays. They’ve always been really supportive of me and what I wanted to do. The first Christmas I spent in London, my parents came to stay. I gave one of my husband Barney‘s nieces a toy I designed. I think that’s when my dad first realised why I wanted to design toys. He told me he understood why I didn’t want to work in the tile trade – toys seem more rewarding and fun!
Drive…
The inspiration to do what I wanted didn’t really come from an external source. It was down to me to work everything out and get myself sorted, to learn to do things properly and get the most out of my experiences.
Influences…
I often see things created by other people and wish I could make them. That always inspires me to figure out how to do things. I didn’t have influential teachers or mentors in my life. It’s always been me, trying to figure out how to do what I want. Even at university, nobody was really doing toys. Everyone wanted to be the next Philippe Starck. What I was doing was really different. During my degree I got involved in toys and it was a lot more interesting than making sofas!
Pros and cons…
My favourite part of the job is seeing children playing with products I’ve created and watching how they interact with them. Admin is the least enjoyable aspect of what I do as it’s quite time-consuming. My job in some ways is like any job – there are parts of it that are not very exciting. But, as a whole, it’s a good job.
Working in a small company has its perks too. I’ve worked on everything they’ve produced and I get to travel to Hong Kong and China for research and have learnt a lot. I like the creative element of what I do and the excitement of it. Every time I create a new toy, it’s completely different from the last.
Advice…
Barney’s always been really supportive. And really complimentary, telling me I’m great and that I’m clever. I know a lot of people like my work but it’s nice to hear someone say they do. Barney’s always there, telling me to believe in myself, which is great especially when I feel like I’m not good enough. There will always be people who are better than me in certain areas but I can do my job really well and have learnt most things on the job. There are always new challenges and new problems to solve.
Inspiration…
Children are my main source of inspiration. After half an hour of playing with a child, I am full of creative ideas. I also read books about children and play, which are quite useful.
And I like the Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green and Pollack’s Toy Museum near Tottenham Court Road. They are always inspiring places to visit. You get to see that most toys available now are just toys from the past reinvented.
Relaxation…
I watch comedies on TV or read books or have people over for dinner, which is always nicer than going out in town. I just enjoy relaxing at home, cozying up to my cat and my husband. In summer, I spend time in the garden, sorting out the vegetable patch. I like very homely things.
Plans…
Work-wise, I’d love to start a blog, where I research interesting toys or get parents to give their opinions about various topics. I don’t know when I’ll get around to do that but to get a chance to do research, outside of work, would be nice. Just to see what’s around.
Collect things…
I love books with children’s illustrations, story books and that sort of thing. It seems I have a lot of handbags for some reason too. And cookbooks. I don’t really collect things but I end up buying certain things more than others.
If you could go back in time…
When I was younger, I started a lot of things I didn’t finish. I didn’t really get stuck into anything although I did a lot of everything – sport, music, college work. I could have worked harder I suppose.
To those starting out…
Don’t get too conditioned by everything around you. A lot of the time, you end up worrying about whether what you’re doing will sell so you think about making something saleable. But sometimes the best things come from wacky ideas. You might have to develop those ideas to make them work but give it a try and be original. Don’t just try to do what someone else is doing. Be open and play around.
If you’re designing products for children, you need to understand how they do things by spending time with them, watching how they play and how they figure things out. It’s better to work with children and make something for them than doing it the other way around, making something then getting children to like it.
Dream life…
I would love to work as a freelancer, doing what I do now and be a product development consultant, advising companies on what products to sell and how to improve the way they operate. It would be amazing to work without any restrictions, to be able to use different materials and different styles.
I’d also like a house in London and a big house in Italy, probably by the seaside. I’d love to be able to go back and forth between the two as much as I wanted without having to worry about taking leave or making money. It would be great if I didn’t have to work too much either. Maybe just have a job as a hobby – that’d be nice.
• All product images Copyright of Fiesta Crafts Ltd