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I feel like part of the team, and to have the responsibility.

Gelman: Tell me, did you expect that you’d get as much responsibility as you got going for an internship?

Armando: I don’t think so. Man, it’s tough to remember that far.

Gelman: It was like three months ago! [laughs]

[all laugh]

Armando: I didn’t really know what to expect, to tell you the truth. Prob- nah, definitely not. I didn’t think I’d be as involved or depended on, do you know what I mean? Before I started, definitely not. So that’s a good thing.

Gelman: Tell me, what is the first thing you learned here? Talking about exciting experiences...

Armando: How to use... I think how to use the Snap to Point.

Gelman: No! How to clean tables. How to clean stainless steel tables.

Armando: Yeah, I learned that the first day. And how to vacuum.

Gelman: How to-

Armando: How to clean, how to organize books, biggest to smallest, everything 90 degrees.

Josh: What’s "Design Machine clean?"

Armando: Design Machine clean is clean! Upstairs, though, that’s not Design Machine clean.

Josh: [laughs]

Gelman: I haven’t been upstairs for a while.

Armando: [grimace] No, that’s not—

Gelman: I should check it out.

Josh: [laughs] No, that’s not Design Machine clean.

Gelman: Really? How come?

Armando: We should turn this place into like, for like a week or something, turn it into a designer camp, or something. And just let students clean those tables, against the grain like that, just to how them the focus they should have in cleaning their studio. Those tables are fun.

Gelman: You said fun?

Armando: They’re fun. Fun to battle with. Well, I mean, after a while you kind of build a relationship with them.

[laughter]

Armando: Sometimes it turns out good, sometimes it takes a little longer.

Gelman: What’s the trick?

Armando: Um, you’d think that I would know after doing it all summer, but... Press hard, against the grain... Well you want to talk about the actual process?

Gelman: [nods head] [laughs] No, you don’t have to.

Michael: I actually have some serious questions.

Gelman: No, no, that’s good.

Michael: Why design? Why be a designer?

Armando: This is one of those good, original interview questions. And I remember the answer I gave back then was that I liked working with people, and I remember saying that I liked it because it was hard. And I remember you saying, "Well, a lot of things are hard." But it’s being able to be in a profession where you can be creative. You have to tackle creative problems, and at the same time you’re still interacting with the public and with the viewers, people who are looking at your work, the clients, especially in a studio like this, just being able to work in a cool environment. Not just like sit in an office and bitch all day.

Michael: Okay, second part of the question: do you feel you have an obligation as a designer to make a contribution to society-to do something meaningful-or is it just a process of meeting clients’ expectations and making cool stuff?

Armando: He needs a triple mocha.

[all laugh]

Armando: A contribution.

Michael: Is there more? Do you think your work as a designer is more than just being a designer?

Armando: Well, yeah, absolutely. It can have serious effects, depending on how seen your work is, and what type of areas you’re in, and what type of exposure you’re getting, definitely, you should take it seriously. I want to say at certain levels you should be more serious about it, but that’s not really true. Because I think designers should take their work seriously, no matter if it’s at a local printer or if it’s MTV. They should take it totally seriously. It’s your work, and people are looking at it. Almost like a responsibility to the design industry itself. You could just elevate others, I guess.

Josh: Would you work for tobacco companies?

Armando: I don’t know, man, I don’t think I would.

Michael: Oh, I’m sorry, I just have a whole list of questions. They just keep popping up. What is the most important thing about design to you? What do you value the most about being a designer?

Gelman: It’s the same question, you just asked. No?

Armando: Similar.

Michael: I think he’s trying to squeeze something out of you. Let’s see.

Armando: What do I value the most?

Gelman: Sponsored by Starbucks!

Josh: [laughs]

Armando: I think I value being able to listen to Squarepusher while on the job.

Josh: Good answer.

Armando: No, what do I value the most? Just being able to be creative. It is a similar answer. Being able to be creative and being able to inform people and to grab people in a useful way.

Gelman: You know, actually, it reminds me our first interview with Armando. How creative can you get as an intern, if all you’re doing is cleaning tables, vacuuming, and scanning if you’re lucky.

Armando: Well I guess, creative, not so much as ideas popping out, but on a level of just pride in your work, and doing everything to the very best it can be done. I think there’s a level, kind of like a level of creativity there. It’s discipline, creative discipline.

Gelman: Isn’t that contradictory? "creative discipline?"

Michael: No, I don’t think so.

Gelman: Well, I know what he’s talking about, when he’s talking about responsibility. That’s Armando. That’s how he took everything on. Whatever it was. With the same kind of enthusiasm and seriousness.

Armando: I think whether it’s being creative or whether it’s being responsible, it’s just, it’s that approach to that problem, to that project.

Gelman: You know what, let’s talk about Design Machine. Again, you did research on companies, and now you worked at Design Machine, and you talked about your experience, but what do you think how would you describe Design Machine’s approach and Design Machine’s work. How different or similar or is it to other designers, and what do you like about it or dislike?

Armando: The approach, I think, is quick, accurate, direct. A certain level or quality of the work that always has to be reached. No unnecessary things in the work, no unnecessary ideas or techniques. You understand what I’m saying? Well researched, exciting. I feel like no matter what it is, the approach is always kind of exciting. But at the same time, never forced or overdone. Is that a good enough answer?

Gelman: Don’t worry. It will be edited. [laughs]

[laughter]

Gelman: Are we all brain-dead?

Michael: I have another question. And I just had a small latte.

Armando: Oh, I forgot, he did have a latté. Okay, so now it’s kicking in.

Michael: It’s a Design Machine question. Is there anything that you feel, anything you would suggest as an improvement or something that you think is missing from Design Machine that you would suggest adding or changing?

Gelman: Yeah, like Dave [Heasty] kept telling that we needed girls at Design Machine. That we needed more females at Design Machine.

Michael: Well they’re all gone, aren’t they? Weren’t there women here at one point?

Gelman: No, actually at one point there were only guys. Now we have Ruchika and Kaoru, and Toki but we used to not have anybody.

Josh: There have been female interns.

Michael: So now it’s just a guy Machine.

Gelman: The best time, when it’s the most efficient Machine, is when it’s all guys.

Josh: [laughing] You sure you want to go on record saying that?

Armando: Yeah, right?

Gelman: It’s a joke. Actually we had some really cool chicks working here. Like Nat, Jen, Iris. They were awesome. Very good designers. We became good friends. And now they do really well on their own.

Michael: We’re an equal opportunity company.

Josh: Well, come on, if we’ll hire people from Jersey, we’ll hire people from anywhere!

Armando: Yeah!

[laughter]

Armando: Come on, come on! But my biggest suggestion would be, and it can definitely be improved, would be bigger speakers. Bigger speakers.

Gelman: It wasn’t loud enough? [laughs]

Armando: For the first half it was, but I think I got used to it.

Gelman: You just got deaf.

Armando: It’s my eardrums...

Josh: Do you think that music is important to design? For you personally, at least.

Armando: Yeah, definitely, I mean, it was kind of before, but after working here, definitely. Like I said before, different kinds of music.

Gelman: Yeah, it’s a musically equal opportunity company.

Armando: That it is.

Josh: Yeah, as long as we like your tastes. [laughs]

[laughter]

Michael: So you think that if you had bigger speakers here it would be the perfect place to work?

Armando: Possibly. A PlayStation 2 would help.

[laughter]

Michael: If Sagmeister had bigger speakers, would you go work for him?

Armando: Nah.

Michael: Had to ask.

Gelman: Well actually, they’re really into music too.

Armando: Well they listen to the CD’s they design, supposedly.

Gelman: No, they have tons of CD’s. It’s like a CD store with shelves of CD’s.

Armando: Really? Do they have Squarepusher?

Gelman: I don’t know. Lost of German pop for sure..

Michael: Lots of David Byrne.

Gelman: Okay, let’s have something to sum it up. It’s gonna need a lot of editing.

Josh: What designers didn’t you know about before you came here that you learned about here and now respect or find inspiration from?

Armando: Fukasawa, yeah. Stallinga. Definitely. Kitagawa.

Gelman: Henk Stallinga.

Armando: Those are the three big ones. Those are the ones that I was really impressed with. KesselsKramer, Chermayeff and Geismar.

Gelman: You didn’t know them before?

Josh: What do you think about the education that you’re receiving? Did you kind of confirm that your program is the right program, or did you realize that there was something missing?

Armando: From a creative point of view, I realized yes, that the program is in the right direction. Yeah, that’s pretty much it. I was gonna say, the whole business aspect of design and just being organized with your process and having all that planned out, I think my program that is more kind of self-taught. But I’m not really sure you can teach that as a professor, to really plan out your project before you start it, so you know what to do. But yeah, that’s it.

Josh: What do you think of just design schools in general? Do you think they are preparing people for internships, and therefore also for the design world-did you feel you were prepared well, did you feel there were other things this school should be doing?

Armando: I though I was prepared well. I think that schools in general should make students as aware as possible of what’s going on in design and designers, old and new, and they do that in my program, to a certain extent. I think it could be done a little bit better, but for the most part-for a lot of that stuff the student has to take more initiative anyway.

Gelman: That’s a good point. Tell me, in your opinion, what role New York plays and influences what Design Machine does? And how it has inspired you.

Armando: When I think of New York as a workplace, I think of the grind, I think of work, I think fast-paced, fast ideas, I think that influences the work, I also think of ideas that haven’t been seen before, and new stuff, exciting stuff, whether it’s design or clothes or cars, anything that’s going on in the street.

Gelman: There aren’t many cars, though. It’s not really a car city. You live in New Jersey, how do you get to New York?

Armando: I drive to the Park and Ride on the New Jersey Turnpike, and I take the bus into the Port Authority, which is at 42nd Street, then the train uptown- I mean downtown.

Gelman: That’s a hell of a commute.

Armando: It’s not that bad, really.

Gelman: Why don’t you just drive to New York?

Armando: The traffic sucks and there’s no parking. The only parking is like $40 a day.

Gelman: Parking is expensive and you don’t get paid for your internship.

Armando: Yeah, well, even if I got paid I don’t think I’d pay to park here. No, the commute isn’t actually that bad.

Gelman: What kind of car do you drive?

Armando: Do you really- do you want me to be honest with this?

Gelman: Of course.

Armando: Um... I drive a Mercedes truck.

Gelman: What color?

Armando: Silver.

Gelman: Yes!

Josh: What model? What year?

Armando: It’s a 2003? Yeah, it’s a 2003.

Gelman: Wow. That’s a pretty fancy car. Are you rich?

Armando: No, I’m not rich.

Josh: Got a good stereo system in it?

Armando: Nah, it’s stock. It’s flashy enough, man. It’s flashy enough.

Michael: Don’t you have to have a bumping stereo system in New Jeresy? Isn’t that required by law?