Eddie Sotto is a thinker, a visionary and a Disney Imagineer. One of the world's most respected creative consultants and theme park attraction designers, Eddie is CEO of Sotto Studios in Los Angeles. Join us now for part two of our latest interview with Eddie Sotto. […]
NN: Tell us about Sotto Studios. What are you doing doing currently?
ES: We are currently having fun running a broad based experiential design studio, Sotto Studios, here in Los Angeles. We only take on a few select projects a year. If there was one thing I learned from guys like John Hench and Herb Ryman, it was how they approached places as emotional "experiences" and not just themed environments. I gathered from them that the most important aspect is "form follows feeling".
NN: "Form follows feeling". That's quite an interesting departure from the traditional modern architects' view "Form Follows Fuction." You mentioned the term experiential design. Why is this term special to you?
ES: Entertainment Design exists to emotionally move the audience; so it makes sense that what you do comes as a result of what you want the guest to feel. That is why we call ourselves "experiential designers". This broad approach to design has led us into fields we did not originally anticipate. It led us into creating new television formats, reinventing the car showroom, creating new themed restaurants, and developing some very extreme residential designs. So with that "creative solution" based mantra, we get to work in areas we would otherwise miss out on if we didn't have a studio like ours.
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