Interview With Barbara Sala from Italy

Interview with Lucille Yutien Huang from United States
May 22, 2023
Interview with Stan Tham from Singapore
May 23, 2023

Barbara Sala

Shortly after finishing her studies, Barbara Sala worked as a packaging designer and garnered experience and is currently running her very own design agency in Monza. 



Interview With The 2023 NY Product Design Awards Winner – Barbara Sala

1Please give us a brief bio of yourself and your background.

After completing my high school education at an art school, I attended a specialization course in illustration and comic book art at Castello Sforzesco in Milan. Upon finishing my studies, I worked as a packaging designer for several companies, gaining experience and furthering my knowledge of the industry.

Currently, I run my own design agency in Monza, located in the beautiful setting of Villa Reale, together with talented collaborators.

2What made you become/why did you choose to become a product designer?

I love creating and I enjoy drawing and seeing something beautiful come to life where there was nothing before.

3Tell us more about your business/company, job profile, and what you do.

My agency is RSTB Group. It's an agency that I describe as SMART because it's agile and fast and manages to deliver effective and high-quality projects in a short amount of time. We are a very close-knit team that has been working together for several years. We love our job and always give our best, even for small projects.

4What's your favorite kind of design and why?

I find it stimulating to be able to move between various product sectors, finding the right approach each time. I really enjoy creating the brand and visual identity, expressing the project's essence.

5To you, what makes a “good” design?

Clarity, essentiality, and innovation.

6Describe your design style and its main characteristics.

I like clean and simple lines and fresh colors.

7Congratulations! As the winner of the 2023 NY Product Design Awards, what does it mean to you and your company and team to receive this award distinction?

It's a great honor for us and a stimulus to always do better.

8What was the biggest challenge with this project?

Breaking away from a color code and a design system to create a completely new image while still maintaining brand recognition.

9What are your top three (3) favourite things about our industry?

Analysis, innovation, creativity.

10Who has inspired you in your life and why?

My father because he is tough. He is a man who built his company from scratch. He has tremendous energy and always wants to create and bring new projects to life even now that he's not a young man anymore. He taught me to believe in what I do, to put my all into it and not to be afraid to face difficulties but to fight to overcome them.

11Do you have anything else you would like to add to the interview?

Yes, I would like to thank two important members of my team, Sonia Vanin and Stefano Ciceri, who actively collaborated on the project, and Mellin Italia's marketing team, thanks to whom it was possible to bring it to fruition.



Winning Entry

MELLIN HEALTHY BABY SNACK | 2023

mellin-healthy-baby-snack-r.s.t.b.group-srl

This project was born with the purpose of creating an organic and healthy snack (from 6 months old on). A new thing for the Italian market…
(Read more at NY Product Design Awards)

Barbara Sala

Shortly after finishing her studies, Barbara Sala worked as a packaging designer and garnered experience and currently runs her own design agency in Monza. 


Read more about this interview with Qichao An from China, the Silver Winner of the 2022 NY Product Design Awards. 

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