A graduate of Mines Saint-Étienne, Arthur Farre, ICM E08, has been Director of Design and Head of the Design Studio at GA Smart Building, a construction and real estate development company with 600 employees, since November 2017. His multidisciplinary career, marked by professional experiences and encounters, led him back to Saint-Étienne, where he recently recruited a young graduate of the Master of Science in Engineering Prospective Design, Lucas Marques Lima.
1- What were the key stages of your academic journey?
The Master of Science in Engineering Prospective Design did not exist in 2008, but from the 2nd year of my ICM curriculum, I followed the design and engineering track and the Finite Elements axis, then the project management and innovation option in the 3rd year. I completed my 2nd year internship as a MOA project manager (construction of social housing in Reunion Island) and my final year project within the Brams cognitive neuroscience laboratory in Quebec (International Laboratory for Research on Brain, Music, and Sound).
I wanted to pursue research, architecture, engineering, and design, a multidisciplinary curriculum but with a creative focus!
2- A generalist profile, a vision that is both technical, innovative, and transversal—is that a definition of the engineer-designer?
My training gave me this transversal vision, which, in my opinion, is very complementary to that of a designer. It also brings a sociological dimension (from conception, material selection, user perspective, and consideration of expectations), a cross-pollination of skills, curiosity, and creativity where interaction is essential to leverage different expertise and fuel projects.
That’s why, after my position at the Oresys Consulting Firm, I decided to pursue the specialized Master’s program “Innovation By Design” at ENSCI, les ateliers. It allowed me to gain real experience in industrial design, complemented by a design internship and a senior designer position at Eliumstudio, recognized for its achievements in the connected objects sector.
You recently hired a young graduate from Mines Saint-Étienne; how did this come about?
Since the 2016-2017 academic year, I have been involved in the ICM curriculum and the Design workshop of the Master of Science in Engineering PRODE, which Lucas attended.
His digital design skills and multidisciplinary background fully align with our company’s global vision, namely “the creation of connected buildings that are increasingly intelligent, comfortable, and pleasant to live in.”
My mission today is to lead and establish a design expertise and innovation center within the group. This collaborative approach will be carried out with a team of designers.
After completing a 6-month internship with the GA Smart Building group, Lucas Marques Lima works as a designer responsible for the user interface and experience of the group’s digital products.
1- What did the Master of Science in Engineering Prospective Design specifically bring you?
For me, design is a discipline of intermediation: an intermediary between subjective and objective, between concrete and abstract, between form and content. This is partly why the interdisciplinary training offered by the Master of Science in Engineering Prospective Design was extremely interesting and useful: through various projects, it fosters exchange and collaboration among students from different backgrounds. This blend of visions was essential in my development as an interaction designer because it prepared me for the reality of the job market, industry, and the development of design projects.
I took advantage of this program to participate in several competitions. I was a laureate of the “Un Tramway Nommé Design” competition, promoted by STAS and the Saint-Étienne Design Biennial in 2017, and won third place in the international technology and innovation competition TechINK, held in 2017 in Shanghai with Yang Meng from the same cohort!
2 – Why recommend this program to students?
I believe that an interdisciplinary vision is imperative for any student, engineering student, or professional interested in innovation. Understanding and approaching the perspectives of different professionals involved in product, service, and digital application development projects, among others, is essential for long-term or short-term project development. In this sense, this Master of Science in Engineering is a unique opportunity to work on multidisciplinary projects and collaborate with students and professionals from diverse backgrounds and expectations.
3 – What was your background before studying in France?
I am a Brazilian interaction designer, born and raised in the city of Rio de Janeiro. I studied product and graphic design at the Higher School of Industrial Design, the first design school in Latin America. After graduating, I co-founded a digital startup called Weddup with three other partners and started working as a freelance interaction designer in Rio de Janeiro until August 2016, before joining the Master of Science in Engineering Prospective Design in Saint-Étienne.
> Learn more about the Master of Science in Engineering Prospective Design (PRODE), a unique multidisciplinary program in France jointly managed by the Institute of Business Administration (IAE) of Jean Monnet University, Mines Saint-Étienne, and the Saint-Étienne Higher School of Art and Design (ESADSE).
> The GA Smart Building Group “creates smart buildings and offers smart, design-oriented, and connected solutions.”
