Interview published in. Exe magazine "21st century: The Power of Graphic Design, a publication from China, published by Ooogo. In this set of two hardcover books. Exe has 324 pages in Chinese and English. Pump Diseño holds a portfolio and an interview.

1. Since Pump was founded in 1996, do you remember that what the most difficulty and happiness did Pump meet? Do you remember that how to get the first project?

Pump Diseño’s first project was an advert designed for Techint Organization in 1996. Our remit was to communicate the Summer Internships at the Organization which was a new program at the time. The following year, the project added a poster and a leaflet giving information on the program, its activities and objectives. The program leaflet is still designed at our studio, 14 years later.

The biggest challenges of launching this studio were mostly about the uncertainties of going it ourselves, and our lack of experience of tax and admin issues. And last but not least, the lack of space. I think our breakpoint came when we won a job for a major client from the energy sector which meant we were able to move to our current offices and bring in more staff, services and equipment.

2. What is the competitive advantage of Pump?

Pump Diseño has a small structure which means it can move quickly, flexibly and provide customized responses. And we have overall control of our projects, which is key to ensuring that the quality of the graphic work is top-notch. These are definitely competitive capabilities in a socio-economic context that is constantly shifting, and they are consolidated by our professional training, approach and long-term vision of our business.

3. We know that Pump has provided service for Pepsi, how did they become your client? How do you feel about this experience?

Pepsi became one of Pump Diseño’s clients after a project that actually took place before we set up the studio. We knew the account executives personally so we could show them our work. It was a very satisfactory relationship as regards packaging, POP material and internal communications pieces. Our last design project for them was the packaging for 7UP Free. However, there were changes in management and the relationship foundered somewhat, so we moved into the area of corporate identity.

4. Could you share with us some details of how Pump operates projects? What do you prepare before the official meeting with your client?

If you take the motto on our last Christmas Greetings card, you can see that our concepts have not changed much since we started out, beyond the actual passage of time itself. In fact, meet, listen, understand and build define in detail the way we work with many of our projects, particularly the larger ones.

Before we meet face-to-face with a client, the most important thing is to know them previously, although there are often similarities as regards their corporate environment. We research information on Internet and look at their competitors. We also try and find out who is going to be at the meeting, their position, preferences and also how much time they are allocating to the meeting. Finally, we prepare a portfolio of our work which involves a series of files organized by theme. The information we pull together allows us to reach a better definition of what we are going to show them, which means we can be practical, clear and to the point. During the meeting, we try to understand the client’s needs particularly in the area of communication as we exchange ideas in order to clarify what they are looking for. We then propose a working methodology and ways of organizing their current and future needs.

5. What project has given you the most satisfaction recently?

What are the concept and the process behind this? Some months ago we were involved in a design project which kept us very busy and on the ball, not only because of the project itself but also because of the synergy we have with the client and their importance in the sector. The project was about a series of pieces to commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of a landmark printer’s called LatinGráfica. It was fascinating for us to develop the series of ideas which went back and forth, involving meetings with people from all levels, permanent interaction and unlimited resources for the different creative aspects involved. Being part of a design project for a printer’s means you can use a whole range of possibilities for production usually out of reach on other occasions. The final project was widely communicated and achieved high levels of visibility among both the printer’s clients and suppliers.

6. What do you think about inspiration?

Where do you get your inspiration? In our sector, when you’ve been working for as long as we have, inspiration is something permanent and yet it often appears in surprising ways. We don’t necessarily associate it to something ethereal, the avatar of our selves, if you like, but things that are rather more concrete and real, daily things, perhaps even trivia, or stuff that’s from our working surroundings where enthusiasm, perception and good humor are just as important to inspiration. We believe that the visual culture surrounding us feeds our inspiration.

7. Tango from Argentina is famous in the world, the Argentines give us the impression of something enthusiastic and imaginative, is that true in real life?

This is true, the tango is extremely representative of Argentina in the world, although it is also a phenomenon which has become a kind of pretty picture postcard for tourists, people prancing around with neither training nor dignity. This for export aspect of it is not what describes us. And in fact, the tango, is something nostalgic, sad and its music doesn’t always match our interests. We would agree that the Argentine is creative because we have to be as our daily reality changes so much.

8. How do you feel about the current design industry in Argentina?

If we take design to be a phenomenon of the global services culture, the design industry in this country is permanently growing and developing. For instance, UNESCO named Buenos Aires as the City of Design in 2005. Perhaps it’s the strong immigration part of its history or the European influence (the social and cultural aspects which make it different from the other countries in the region), but whatever the reason, Argentine graphic design has a very clear style of its own and is seen as a benchmark in Latin America, precisely because of its differences. At all events, the challenge posed by industry and our activity is to continue to promote a more appropriate design culture among our clients when it comes to managing their image, something that always needs further work.

9. How many members does Pump have?

What is their role? How do they work together? There are five of us working at Pump Diseño and we outsource to other professionals as and when we need to for different projects: these include photographers, writers, architects and other design experts. The full-time team is headed up by Lucas López as Creative Director, with Mauro López as Executive Director and Customer Relations, Daniel Rezza as Project leader, Illustration and Animation, and Cinthia Avila as Production Assistant. Although we tend to assign people roles for each project, we believe that team work achieves the best results in general terms for many of the stages involved in design projects. Here we often exchange roles which is good experience for us and yields promising results in work terms, as well as fostering a permanent brainstorming culture for the exchange of ideas.

10. What’s the most of Pump wants to show to the readers through .exe Magazine?

We’d like to share our experience of an Argentine design studio that gets really passionate about each of its projects and tell them about our approach which is all about trying to achieve the best in everything we do and get the most out of team work.

11. What books do you have on your bedside table?

Mauro:A Confederacy of Dunces, by John Kennedy Toole and El Gran Arte (High Art) by Rubem Fonseca.
Lucas:Lo Real y lo Virtual (Real and Virtual), by Tomás Maldonado and La Potencia del Pensamiento (The Power of Thought) by Giorgio Agamben.
Daniel:Dante’s The Divine Comedy, Alberdi and Sarmiento by Milciades Peña.
Cinthia:A gift, How to Read a Photograph by Ian Jeffrey. Academically, La Travesía de la Forma by the Argentine writer Verónica Devalle.

12. Where do you get your news from? Do you read design, art or architecture magazines?

M:Online newspapers. I read some publications.
L:I read the paper at breakfast time. Also I read design and music publications pretty much every day.
D:Radio and Internet. Not much.
C:Different online media. Design magazines too.

13. What kind of music do you listen to? Do you listen to the music when you are working?

M:Everything. There’s always music playing in the studio. But I’m not unaware of the value of silence either.
L:Music by Arvo Pärt and concrete to Japanese experimentalism by Taj Mahal Travellers, electronic stuff by Boards of Canada to Pere Ubu, from Robert Wyatt to indie music by Glasvegas.
D:All the time.
C:I listen to everything, I like to listen to new things and I listen to music all the time.

14. What is the best moment of the day? How do you arrange your time for work and life?

M:My best moment is in the morning, I try to plan the beginning and end of my working day so I can enjoy the rest of my life.
L:My best moment, in terms of energy and vitality, is early in the morning. I could recreate the Tatlin tower then. That’s when I organize my family life, my work and life in general, and always have done.
D:Morning, when I organize my working day, and in the evening, when we have family dinner.
C:In the evening, when I get home, it’s time to relax, take stock of things and plan for tomorrow.

15. If you have a child, do you want your child to be a designer? Why?

M:I’d like him or her to make their own way not necessarily follow me.
L:Yes, I’d like them to get into design, it’s a marvelous intelectual activity, a very active visual culture and one that is always moving forward. And it makes money.
D:Whatever makes him or her happy.
C:I don’t have children.

16. Could you describe your style as a good friend of yours might?

M:Not really. I hope I am…
L:Yes, dedicated and persevering. I agree with this, I know how to choose my friends.
D:No.
C:As regards this profession, people see me as enthusiastic, curious, and temperamental. These are just a few things people say to me. Good friends always tell you the truth!

17. Are there any artists, designers or architects that have influenced you or that you particularly appreciate? Why?

M:Le Corbusier from secondary school. Miró, Müller Brockmann, Proust because of lost time...
L:Otl Aicher, a major designer whose thoughts still guide the profession today.
D:I’d say two although I have many more: Egon Schiele y Goya. More than an influence, I admire them profoundly for their talent.
C:I’m fascinated by the Swiss design school, like Müller Brockmann and Armin Hoffman, and I feel totally destructured by pop art.

18. Are there any artists, designers or architects that you are most looking forward to working with?

M:No. I think that collaborations with people happen naturally.
L:I’d like to know more about the working methods of the writer and entrepreneur Dave Eggers.
D:Not looking for anyone in particular.
C:No.

19. Who would you like to design something for? What’s your expectation for the future?

M:I agree with Lucas and add that if we could solve some of the economic issues within the cultural sphere, I’d aim to work with some institutions to create awareness of certain issues.
L:I’d like to design exclusively for the cultural sphere, museums, galleries, exhibitions, art books, with patience and dedication with no creative or budgetary limitations. My expectations are really about continuing to work as we have been so far.
D:To carry on working and learning and improving.
C:I always find something new and interesting in every Project. I try to take advantage of this as much as I can. I really enjoy team work and learn from each person’s take on things. I hope to carry on learning and improving as I work.