Tommy Blend is a versatile multi-media artist from Portugal specializing in 3D motion, design, and music. Tomás Correia makes fascinating, distinct, digital eyewear and alluring accessories under his brand quatiica. Believing that designers have a responsibility to imagine a better future, Tomás also uses design to envision a new world built on peace. Tomás Correia reveals his inspiration, delves into his “O2 pods” concept, and gives us a glimpse into his vision of how humans and nature can evolve in harmony with technology.

Describe yourself in 3 words.

Imaginative, Intuitive, and Ambitious.

How did you get involved in design and 3D motion?

I started using editing software 6 or 7 years ago when making Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO), videogame edits, and fragmovies. It was great. Then I began designing logotypes and turned them into 3D objects using Blender. This was very exciting because I began taking commissions for my 3D work for the first time. I’m self-taught and still learning how to use parts of the software. I’m trying my best to get a concept or an idea into a digital or real product. It’s a great feeling when I manage to do it.

What projects are you inspired to work on?

During high school, I studied art and created a clothing brand called “Wunderflies” now called “quatiica.” Under this brand, I showcase my headphone attachments and music. It has been an awesome experience creating all these different types of digital headwear and eyewear. I would love to get more into 3D printing, so my designs could be made in real life. The dream is for people to wear them in the physical world at fashion shows or just for fun in their daily lives.

As a musician and designer, is there a cross-over between the music you create and your designs?

Music is another topic I love. I played the cello when I was younger, then learned FL Studio, and how to produce beats. After this, I began making instrumental music and just released my first song “green river.” I am very influenced and inspired by Masayoshi Takanaka, and The Pillows, as well as the whole indie rock and shoegaze scene. In the future, I want to mix this shoegaze vibe with something more futuristic like electronic music, and then will design 3D music videos or cover art to complement it.

Tell us about your “O2 pods” concept. What role do you think 3D designers have in creating a new future and how is that powered by technological advances?

I see 3D designers as having an important role in making creations to better our world. I created my O2 pods using 3D design and they are oxygen producers that filter the CO2 trapped in underground waters, and release water vapor and O2 into the atmosphere with no emissions. When I made the O2 pods, I was thinking of a device humans could make to filter out the impurities in subsoil that we release to nature every day. The biggest challenge with my designs is figuring out how they could be made in real life without causing pollution during the manufacturing process.

What does your ideal world look like, and what would you be wearing in that world?

My ideal world would be a place where the political, economic, religious, and educational organisations would be reworked, so there would be peace in this crazy world which I think we are ruining. I believe humans are becoming a not-so-natural species and very selfish. The future should not just be all about technology. We need to find a way to bring nature with us, or else we will become machines. It is sometimes hard, but I try my best to stay positive about the future and I believe that we will evolve into a better species.

It would be awesome to wear some of my creations in the future. It would be even better if I could wear them without being judged by close-minded people. I would love to design the craziest fits, keeping them practical, functional, and cool.