Lucas Zanotto

The artist.

If a playground would be a person, it would most likely take the shape of Lucas Zanotto. This creator of cake-making drones and brewer of a one-bean coffee has also designed a series of playful tools meant to inspire creativity in kids (and grownups too!).

Winner of an Apple Design Award, Golden Lion in Cannes, Best Promotional Animation at Ottawa Animation Festival and a YCN Professional Award, among others, this uber talented designer, animation and director is sure to give us all a solid boost of outside-the-box thinking!

Lucas Zanotto was born in the Alps of Northern Italy, but he lived and worked in Milan, Barcelona, Berlin and is currently based in Helsinki. He is the founder of YAYATOY, a company making tools to sparkle kid’s creativity and creation.

“I’ve always loved to build things with my hands,” Lucas tells It’s Nice That, “feeling the textures and the forms.” With his physical work, Lucas’ primary objective is to achieve “the perfect smooth surface” either through a seamless background or just the right lighting. Working in the digital however, requires the opposite.

“When I first started to play with 3D software, I realized it comes form the other end, as you have to add imperfections to make it feel more real.”

In the end however, Lucas finds that the overall outcome and impact of the work, is irrelevant to the medium. “It’s more about the whole experience you build up over time,” he explains.

Trying things out and finding inspiration through experimentation is the most important aspect of Lucas’ work, the medium “is more about using different tools to get there.”