OUR TEAM
TOMAS L. ORTIZ FERRER
Having worked as the Creative Lead for Philips Lighting in the Asia Pacific region for seven years, prior to becoming a founding partner in Design Narratives, Tomás is well equipped to shed light on the entire design process!
After graduation, Tomás worked on urban furniture design with different Architecture practices in Argentina, winning the Urbanism Prize from Cordoba City in 1996. He then consulted on design and engineering for appliance, computer and automotive businesses, focusing on a seamless integration of creativity and production.
Arriving in Milan, Italy in 2002, Tomás collaborated with Memphis founder, George Sowden, creating furniture and installations for brands such as Moulinex, Tefal, and Pirex. After opening his own design consultancy in Como Lake, he continued art directing for a variety of sectors from home design accessories and furniture, to sports and kitchenware.
Tomás moved to Asia in 2009 to spearhead Philips Lighting innovation, establishing, driving and coaching the design teams in Hong Kong and Shanghai, to find and develop meaningful lighting products and solutions for Asian and global markets, including professional lighting developments for clients including Gucci, Prada and other luxury brands. His team was awarded over 20 IF and Reddot Design Awards.
When Tomás is not designing, you will find him sailing or training for his next trail run, or at home, reveling in his passion for music and an ongoing quest for brilliance in sound design by building new speakers!
MARIA ELENA MARTINEZ FAYO
Putting the ‘delight’ into design, Marie’s passion is all about creating a 360-degree brand experience.
Originally from Argentina, Marie studied Industrial Design and worked at various Architecture and Design studios in her home country before embarking on a global design journey in 2002. Uncovering the value of Italian design in Milan and working alongside respected design professionals such as Marc Sadler and Makio Hasuike, Marie was designing furniture, lighting, consumer electronics and more, for leading companies across Europe.
This included unleashing a passion for toy design, working as Lead Designer for Chicco. Shaping the toy’s experiences needed great doses of empathy and synthesis; understanding child development and the dynamic interaction kids have with toys. This has sculpted Marie’s approach to design thinking and generated a deep understanding of how we interact with products and the impact they can have on people’s lives.
Now based in Hong Kong, Marie has a deep understanding of the manufacturing processes which assists with design quality, and a natural sense for graphics and colours, and how to use these to create touch-points and consistency across the brand.
When Marie is not crafting the bricks that will build great brand experiences, she can be found hiking on a country trail, or more likely, at home co-creating amazing concepts with the real little designers of the house!