Heitor Lobo Campos
Product Designer
Heitor is a product designer from Brasília. He has worked on a variety of projects—bikes, watches, washing machines, lights, and more—and his designs often reflect a sense of whimsy or and joy. He is a believer in beauty. “I try to make product as pretty as it is functional,” he says. “Of course, we should try to make things as functional as possible, but that's no excuse for a bland design.”
Brasília, Brazil
A Design
Get to know Heitor Lobo Campos
Why was your experience in Detroit so transformative?
I didn’t choose Detroit. The university chose it for me and sent me to Lawrence Technological University. At first, I didn't know what to think, because I wanted to go to San Francisco or New York. But Detroit has has a really interesting, thriving design community. It's very focused around cars, and very concerned with aesthetics. I'm much more concerned with the profile of the product and the negative space it has now. I always try to incorporate things like that into my designs.
Did your experiences affect the light you designed on Gantri?
Definitely. Originally I'd intended for the base to be smaller and the shade bigger. But we quickly realized that it would take a long time to print, so I decided to go with a more slim, aerodynamic look. The form ends up looking very distinctive that way.
What inspired the pattern on the light's shade?
I row three times a week. Here in Brasilia, there's a big lake that’s perfect for rowing. We don’t have big waves that can ruin your balance. Every time I row, I become fascinated with how the water moves—whether it's a still day with mirror-like water or a windy day where you can barely row. So the shade is supposed to look like a body of water wrapped around the cylinder. That's why I called it Lago (lake).
If you could visit any place in the world, where would you go?
In the Netherlands, there's a musical clock museum called the Museum Speelklok. It has all these mechanical instruments, clocks, and music machines. They have a machine that was made by a Swedish “folktronica” band called Wintergatan. They drop marbles into it to play music, I'd love to see it working in real life, I think DIY mechanisms are fascinating.
What are your goals after you graduate?
I want to get more products to market as soon as possible. I'm also curious about getting my master's degree. I'd love to study in another country again. But mainly, I just want to keep incorporating my ideas into design. "Lago" was the first time I've brought a product to market as an individual designer. I was slightly nervous, but it felt great.
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