area 114 | São Paulo

ovo ltda was founded in 1997 by Helena Radesca and Luciano Araujo, in Sao Paulo (Higienopolis). The team is multidisciplinary and deals with architecture, product design, graphic design,
web design, interior design and furnishings, design strategy and set design. Since 2005 the partners are also active as lecturers at the Brazilian headquarters of the European Institute of Design.

The table base, highly original, is made by extrusion of a circular section. The structure is capable of creating perspective illusions, because different points of view are created every time the table is moved. The base may be made from tubes in various metal alloys, wood or synthetic materials. The production is completed by folding (calendaring), depending on the material used, and may also be crafted with rapid prototyping instruments. The design associates the rules of classic geometry with mathematic logic, and the highly original form is created by modelling the surfaces. The Toroid table is the first product realized by “ol! design and do”, a company whose mission is not just to create design objects, but also to take care of their realization and sale.

What is the concept underlying your design?
I believe the principal concept is a freedom from preconceptions. Research represents the basis of our work, we are conscious that we can tackle any kind of programme with this process and with creativity. Our method enables us to operate in different areas, and for customers with differentiated profiles. Moreover, it is impossible to neglect the importance of originality, technical perfection and aesthetics, which a good design must always aim for. What kind of innovation is introduced by your work? Innovation serves to break down the barrier between architecture, product design, graphic design and digital design. The essence of design is the freedom and awareness to be able to adapt to different scales. Every project is conceived as an autonomous and original creation, rejecting every pre-established idea, and involves an investment in many hours of research and study.
What is your principal inspiration?
We usually carry out extensive studies for every project we realize, analyzing in depth the story, present and future, of our creations. Every project may provide an original solution, but the designer must be able to respect and observe its peculiarities and respond to them in a positive manner.
What is your field of operation?
Apart from products as the TK1 (Take One) lamp, the 97 chair, the Biscuit module and the Toroid table, Product Design is always an essential part of our projects, conceived on the basis of a totalizing visual identity. We believe in the concept of sustainability through a responsible use of resources, without prejudices towards radical materials or modes.
Another sector is brand design, or in other words the creation of a name and a brand, which is essential to the success of a company, a university or a product. It is a matter of a type of project which not only calls for creativity but also for an extensive technical and practical familiarity with signs and meanings, as well as a certain studied attention to the choice of typographic character and an attention to the limits and varieties of application. Another branch of application of our work is the visual identity, a code which functions for any initiative associated with a brand. It is an important communication mechanism, which is capable of conveying a clear and precise message to a heterogeneous public through graphic, chromatic and formal codes. The philosophy of Ovo Design is to respect the individuality of every customer, and develops every project on the basis of the characteristics of each of them.  Set designs is another field of application. The main purpose of set design is to involve the spectators, bringing them nearer and making them understand, to form a link between stage and public. We consider set designs as  architectural compositions, a design and art of space, which must create a very precise, high quality product and avoid any waste of materials, manpower and time. Our set designs can always be taken apart and reused.
Finally, the strategic design is that area of design where one applies technical and statistic analyses to prepare a coordinated action within a company in the field of design, communication and production. The goal is to create a kind of mental map, to present the concepts and analyses to the customer, to aid a complete understanding and vision of the project.