Ana Cristina Quiñones
Ana Cristina Quiñones
Based in
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Seniority
More than 10 years experience
About

Ana Cristina Quiñones is a Material, Product, and Furniture Designer from Puerto Rico with a Masters Degree in Furniture Design from Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design in London, a Bachelors Degree in Industrial Design, and a background in Architecture courses. Specializing in sustainabili

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ty and material innovation, Ana creates effective and meaningful solutions to environmental issues by designing sophisticated objects that have a story to tell through their materiality.

In 2012, Ana started to create an innovative plantain and coffee waste-based material composite and continued to further develop and refine it through research and design until finally establishing it in 2015 under the name Materia Madura. Since then, she has developed a wide range of products that have been exhibited globally throughout galleries, museums, and acclaimed design fairs. Her work has also been published throughout a variety of international publications. In 2020, she expands Materia Madura into a brand and a business; offering sustainably designed products made with local, innovative waste-based materials to be accessible to all through an online platform.

www.materiamadura.com

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Founder, CEO & Design Director
Materia Madura 2020 - Present
San Juan, Puerto Rico

Materia Madura is a sustainable materials and design company.

Plantain and coffee, cultural staple foods of Puerto Rico, are produced and consumed abundantly, therefore their organic waste is also abundant, contributing to local landfill waste and environmental issues. Analyzing food waste as a cri

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tical issue and local resource, a new material was developed from these waste streams to open innovative possibilities for design applications. Taking advantage of our local waste and transforming it through design, we aim to highlight how many everyday products are designed with toxic, unsustainable materials when they can be produced with locally sourced, non-toxic, and sustainable materials.

Offering an alternative to agricultural waste, food waste, and recycling, by buying Materia Madura products, businesses and individuals can obtain everyday products that are sustainable while contributing to the reduction of Puerto Rico's agricultural by-products and promoting its circular economy.

www.materiamadura.com

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See 15 more achievements
Designer & Sustainability Consultant
Independent & Freelance 2015 - Present
San Juan , Puerto Rico
Professor
Escuela Internacional de Diseño y Arquitectura, Universidad Ana G. Méndez Aug. 2016 - May. 2020
Puerto Rico

Teaching Industrial Design courses at a BA level including:
-Material Design
-Sustainable Design
-Contextual Research
-Fabric Science
-Foundation
-Prototyping
-Industrial Design core classes

Recipient
La Base, Fund for Puerto Rican Designers
2020
Puerto Rico
Director Summer Design Program
Escuela Internacional de Diseño y Arquitectura, Universidad Ana G. Méndez 2018 - 2019
Puerto Rico

Summer Design Program Director (Industrial Design, Fashion Design, Graphic Design, Interior Design, and Architecture courses for kids and teenagers 6-18 years old)

-Managing course content and coordinating program logistics
-Leading and managing teams
-Budget administration
-Material and supply so

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urcing
-Producing progress reports
-Hiring professional talent
-Sourcing employment opportunities for current BA students studying design-related fields
-Interviewing potential team members

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Todxs a Todo
Museo de Arte y Diseño de Miramar (MADMi) 2018 - 2018
Miramar, Puerto Rico
Timbiriche Design
Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico (MAC) 2018 - 2018
Puerto Rico
Visual Merchandiser & Sales Associate
West Elm 2016 - 2018
San Juan, Puerto Rico

-Design consultations
-Implementing creative visual merchandising strategies
-Designing visual displays store-wide
-Customer service
-Managing financial transactions
-Increasing store sales

Trouping Colour
Clerkenwell Design Week 2017 - 2017
London, United Kingdom
Souvenir
Meca International Art Fair 2017 - 2017
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Nos Vemos
Proyecto Local 2016 - 2016
San Juan, Puerto Rico
BID16
Bienal Iberoamericana de Diseño 2016 - 2016
Madrid, Spain
Design Internship
Studio Marlène Huissoud Aug. 1, 2015 - Oct. 1, 2015
London, United Kingdom

Creation and experimentation of designed objects with biodegradable, sustainable, and/or repurposed materials, as well as working as the second hand of the lead designer concerning exhibition design, packaging, logo, and concept design. Made sure finishing details were handled correctly and on schedu

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le with pending timetables. Overseeing and directing specific artists and/or interns throughout the design process.

Projects included:
'From Insects'
'Pressed Side Table'
'The Brûlé'

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Degree Show Two
Central Saint Martins 2015 - 2015
London, United Kingdom
The Intelligent Optimist, Lethaby Gallery
London Design Festival 2015 - 2015
London, United Kingdom
Twisting Tradition, Mint Gallery
London Design Festival 2015 - 2015
London, United Kingdom
Master's in Design (Furniture)
Central Saint Martins (London) 2013 - 2015
London, United Kingdom
See 12 more achievements
Designer
Victoria & Albert Museum Apr. 1, 2014 - Dec. 1, 2014

As part of a research and design exhibition at Blythe House, of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, one of the most iconic musical instruments of the 16th century in Puerto Rico; the güiro--a Latin American percussion instrument--was reimagined and designed.

The research was focused on musical

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instruments from the 16th century archived at Blythe House. These instruments were often made from a variety of materials, both conventional and unconventional. Being influenced by the unconventional, organic material and sustainable practices were applied by using local plantain waste from Puerto Rico as the material source for design.

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Designer
Duffs of London Apr. 1, 2014 - Jun. 1, 2014
London, United Kingdom

Duffs of London Jewellery. Shortlisted for jewellery competition of an upcoming luxury brand.

Visiting Professor
Escuela Internacional de Diseño y Arquitectura, Universidad Ana G. Méndez Jun. 1, 2013 - Jul. 1, 2013
Puerto Rico

Industrial design summer course professor for children. Teaching design skills and involving the students in the creation of objects.

Bachelors in Industrial Design
Escuela Internacional de Diseño y Arquitectura, Universidad Ana G. Méndez Aug. 1, 2009 - May. 1, 2013
Puerto Rico
Feria de Arte y Diseño
La Galería Nacional 2013 - 2013
San Juan, Puerto Rico

Together with another designer, representing the Escuela Internacional de Diseño y Arquitectura, Universidad Ana G. Méndez, a set of trays and containers with locally sourced materials and manufacturers was designed and exhibited at the Art & Design Fair of the National Gallery of Puerto Rico.

Designer
Two Squared Studio 2013 - 2013
Puerto Rico

As part of the design collective, Two Squared Studio, a tray table made from locally sourced materials in collaboration with local manufacturers from Puerto Rico, was designed and selected to be exhibited at the Wanted Design International Fair in New York City.

Salone Satellite
Salone del Mobile, Milano 2012 - 2013
Milan, Italy

Selected to represent the Escuela Internacional de Diseño y Arquitectura, Universidad Ana G. Méndez in the 2013 Salone Satellite international exhibition in Milan, Italy. The project, titled "El Balcón", emerged from a series of patterns that have been present throughout Puerto Rican design and archi

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tecture. It aimed to transmit a re-invented version of the local culture and way of life in the form of functional objects.

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Internship
Urbana Architecture & Design Jan. 1, 2012 - May. 1, 2012
Miramar, Puerto Rico

Skills included model-making, prototyping, concept design, graphic design, 3D modelling, exhibition design, and lighting design.

Winner
Arq. Maruja Fuentes Viguié Specialist Scholarship
2012
Puerto Rico
Honoured
Who's Who Among Students in American Universities & Colleges
2012
Volunteer Work
Wesleyan Academy Jul. 1, 2007 - Aug. 1, 2007
Puerto Rico

Designing the interior of a sales room.

Volunteer Work
C.C.C. Jun. 1, 2007 - Jul. 1, 2007
Puerto Rico

Remodelling a poor-conditioned house in a low-income community.

Industry sectors

Sustainability

Languages

English

Bilingual

Spanish

Basic knowledge