Ekhi (pronounced “EKI”) comes from the Basque coast , and has a first name that highlights her origins in the Southwest of France. Ekhi is a designer and artistic director , she designs objects and scenographies that combine art, architecture and societal issues. These traits are the roots of her personality. Her goal is to link creativity and service.
She attended the Boulle school , which helped her determine her path and also taught her drawing (a practice that is being lost), which today brings a uniqueness to her creations.
The Boulle School is a benchmark in the field of art and design in Europe. It was founded in 1886. It is a public institution that has survived both world wars. It is both a school of applied arts and a high school for crafts , interior architecture and design . Today it is located in the 12th arrondissement of Paris.
Ekhi has a Mediterranean Basin identity with a wide open horizon, many issues around light as well as earthy atmospheres.
For Ekhi, the word passion rhymes with the word work . Indeed, the creativity she develops on a daily basis fulfills her. The great value advocated by Ekhi is creativity in the service of the common good. Indeed, she highlights objects that serve the general interest . She highlights social issues. This is not only about design, but also warning messages.
A Profession of Creativity and Rhythmic Service
During our conversation, Ekhi shared with us the realities of her profession. She pointed out that there were common points between the profession of product design and retail design because the methodology remains the same. The only thing that changes is the cursor of the brands towards their commitments. Indeed, in recent years, companies have been increasingly invested in the construction of their image . We can see that customers attach more importance than before to the values of a company (even if these sometimes do not reflect reality).
For example, the Made In France, which Aire also advocates , Ekhi advises certain companies that it supports in order to be in phase with the values they uphold. In recent years, we have seen a questioning of the population in relation to their consumption in the face of climate issues. Made In France has become fashionable again, it pleases Aire and it also pleases the planet. Let us remember that the short circuit is essential in order to improve our carbon impacts. In addition, French manufacturing ensures respect for the working conditions of the people who worked on the product. Finally, buying Made In France means participating in the economy of your country.
First and foremost, every project for Ekhi begins with a question: “Where do customers want to go? ” Then, she analyzes the resonance between what the brand exudes and what she wants to express through the brief. If there is a discrepancy between what she says and the company's reality, Ekhi can refuse to collaborate. We can therefore say that Ekhi is true to her values.
The best projects are born when there is a connection between both parties. His commitment extends from the design to the marketing of the product.
The methods
His daily work is punctuated by several stages:
- Hand drawings with black tips
- 200g glossy white paper that enhances its features
- His computer for the 3D stages and illustrations
Ekhi is then assisted by other talented profiles who complement hers in technical production monitoring and computer-generated images. Indeed, she has a qualified entourage that she cannot do without.
A designer dedicated to creativity and service
For Ekhi , the new commitments brands are making to address climate change represent a creative renewal. Above all, it's a challenge and an exciting new playing field. New laws can sometimes make life harder for our designers. We need to establish new codes and address a new generation . She therefore links creativity and service.
Ekhi is part of this new generation. She believes that everyone, at their own level, can make a difference in the face of global warming. Every little bit counts. Today, we must right the wrongs of past generations by changing our consumption habits. We're not asking you to become vegan overnight, either. But in 2022, you should at least sort your waste and pick up the paper you just dropped.
Ekhi is currently looking for projects with an increasingly strong impact. We can find her collaboration with the brand GWILEN . This is the most committed she has been able to do so far. Indeed, it involves furniture made from marine sediments .
Collaboration Ekhi Busquet and Gwilen
"This day that comes"
Ekhi loves to highlight projects that don't yet have media clout and that could become the players of tomorrow. For her, it's a way to give a boost thanks to the name she's already made in the industry.
Brands and the Ekhi Mindset "creativity and service"
The brands Ekhi works for are known on various scales. These companies contact her to create a strong global brand identity . It's necessary to address environmental issues without ever neglecting "beauty." This is what characterizes her profession. Ekhi manages to find the balance between the environmental impact of her work and the aesthetic she wants to give it. She must "find the balance" between creativity and service.
She responds to her client's requests through a creative methodology that remains close to mathematics . Indeed, let's put aside prejudices, being a designer doesn't just require creativity. It's a profession where you also need to know how to use your calculator.
Brands contact her directly. But sometimes, she takes the lead and connects with brands that inspire her by combining creativity and service. Ekhi shared with us her interest in Maximum , an iconic brand of the circular economy . They offer furniture made in France, high-quality, recycled, and of course, affordable. Industrial waste represents 65,000 tons of material per day. She is attracted by the company's creativity and its ability to develop furniture from excess industrial waste. It is an ideal resource for our recycling geniuses. As the brand itself says: they create solutions from problems.
In addition, there are certain brands that are “historical” for her and that have accompanied her since the creation of her studio and with whom she takes great pleasure in working.
The Trait d'Union Generation
What sets her apart from other designers is undoubtedly her environmental commitment, which she made early on during her studies. Indeed, anxiety about her future emerged during the subprime crisis. This is justified, because experiencing an economic crisis while being a student calls into question future prospects. But unfortunately, our generation has experienced others (including an unprecedented health crisis) and will experience future ones. For Ekhi, crises are not crises. We are in a circle where several problems are accumulating to which we must find solutions.
Ekhi is careful to sign collaborations that are in line with her values of creativity and service. Her first major collaboration was with Emmaüs. For Ekhi, there is a generation that she calls “the hyphen generation .” This generation must face environmental challenges and find solutions for cleaner production. This is a concern that only this generation truly takes seriously. Inevitably, this generation wants to live as long as possible, and so do their descendants.
Green Materials
The crucial point that will drive us for the next 10 years will be greenwashing.
Let's start with a definition of green materials: a material of natural origin, available in large quantities, recyclable, modified with respect for humans, harmless, low energy consumption and sustainable.
“ Green materials ,” those materials advertised as sustainable and impact-free, necessarily require resources. Ekhi doesn’t believe the marketing rhetoric surrounding these new products. Why? According to her, it doesn’t revolutionize the production model . We can’t just take a so-called “virtuous” material and then continue to design our objects as we did at the beginning of the century. We need to find a deeper paradigm shift.
For Ekhi, “it is not healthy to produce paper products in large quantities if you intend to use them as disposable items.” This is really counterproductive and we need to address these uses .
On the other hand, it is not because we produce plastic (while we have entered an area where it is banned (according to her, wrongly)) that we are not concerned about the environment.
A life cycle
A product must be studied throughout its life cycle. A 360° analysis will allow us to better understand the production of the necessary resources, the recycling phases, and then the waste treatment. Because some “green materials” have no recycling solution in France. They are new and we do not yet know how to treat them. These materials will end up being buried underground, with all the negative impacts linked to soil pollution . We remind you that soil pollution will inevitably have an impact on humans. It disrupts the metabolism of plants and reduces the benefit of harvests. This makes crops dangerous for consumption.
For example: algae , when heated, transforms into a kind of plastic. It will then take more than 80 years for it to decompose. We are therefore far from the organic behavior that makes this material so strong. For the moment, it is simply a marketing argument.
We need to raise public awareness about this issue, and we all need to work together to find solutions. Every effort multiplied by the number of people would work wonders.
It's about reinventing the way we think, consume, and desire. So let's be inventive!
More Collective in Design
His greatest fear in his profession is seriousness. Indeed, the designer's identity is sometimes more emphasized than the substance.
Ekhi dreams of a more collective world of design, where actors would put their talent at the service of issues of general interest .
Indeed, their creativity can help shed light on certain societal issues. Moreover, the name of certain creators could be a significant lever. Or even their audience on social media, as Ekhi uses.
His Inspirations
Ekhi is an invested subscriber on the profile of Usbek et Rica . It is a French quarterly magazine founded in 2010. They write about social issues, they explore the future. They talk about international issues that few media highlight. It is therefore a good way to stay informed about the latest news .
She shared with us the account of her latest collaboration , GWILEN . This name comes from the longest river in Brittany. But above all, it's about Yann. Yann is an architect and engineer who has embarked on the development of a transformation process to produce his sediments. The objective is very clear: to limit energy consumption during the transformation process. The first tests were carried out in 2016. Four years later, Yann has successfully created his company. This year, he is launching a research and development program to develop new architectural applications.
In short: it's a natural process of sedimentary rock formation that solidifies this natural waste. This project required high-temperature firing. This saves energy compared to traditional processes.
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