Spanish National Design Awardee for 2024 Héctor Serrano revisited key milestones of his 25-year career in a talk and exhibition titled The Journey in Between, held as part of the cultural program celebrating Spain’s National Day in Manila. The event was organized by the Industrial Design Program of the De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB).
Benilde Industrial Design Program Officer-in-Charge and Chairperson Johann Mangussad underscored the significance of cross-cultural exchanges in shaping the local design landscape. “It is through conversations such as these with our partners around the world, today especially with Spain—a country with such rich history and heritage—that we continue to deepen our own understanding of what good design truly means for us Filipinos,” Mangussad said.
Ambassador of Spain to the Philippines Miguel Utray attended as guest of honor.
During the talk, Serrano, a Valencian designer known for his human-centered approach, discussed the concepts behind his Madrid retrospective curated by design journalist Tachy Mora. He said the exhibition’s central long table served as a metaphor, illustrating the progression and layers of his work. “The exhibition is not about the final result, but it’s more about sharing with the visitor the storytelling and thinking behind the objects,” he explained.
Much of Serrano’s creative philosophy, he said, is rooted in the curiosity he observes in children, pointing to a photograph of his daughter as an example of the inspiration that drives his practice. “Curiosity for me is the engine of everything. We try to keep curiosity running through every project that we do in order to discover new paths and keep innovation going,” he noted.
He elaborated on materials as an essential language of design, emphasizing that innovation often works subtly and may not be immediately visible to users. “As designers, the material is—like for a writer—the language. It’s how we communicate,” he said. “Sometimes, innovation is silent. Maybe the user or the person who enjoys the object does not necessarily know that it’s there.”
Serrano also spoke about the link between innovation and commitment, reflecting on a sustainability project developed with his team. “We wanted to go beyond not only using sustainable and recyclable materials, but to question how we produce, commercialize, and sell products,” he said.
Memory, both personal and collective, plays an important role in his design process. Serrano described how initial impressions of an object are often shaped by past experiences. “When you first see an object, in order to decide if you like it or you don’t, or you feel attracted or not, you always base it on your memory,” he said. “So I think as a designer, it’s very interesting to play with that collective memory.”
He discussed intuition and gesture as integral aspects of design, noting that synthesis remains central to conveying ideas. “I think synthesis is one of the jobs of a designer—to try to communicate a complex message but in a very simple way,” Serrano pointed out.
Serrano added that emotion is a fundamental part of the creative process, influencing decisions that are not always purely rational. He also highlighted the importance of hands-on creativity and installation work, observing a renewed interest in tactile experiences. “As we are obsessed with the use of mobile and digital [gadgets], I think there is a trend which is about doing things with our hands,” he said. “We designed a full collection of objects for basic craft exercises to disconnect from the screen.”
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