After more than 10 years of success, we are updating FollowMe.

In 2014, when you launched FollowMe, portable lamps were practically non-existent. Where did the idea come from?

IBOriginally, the idea came from a table lamp I found while looking through old Marset catalogues from the 1970s. They featured a lamp called Flass. I was struck by the way the dome was supported on a tubular structure; there was something very special about the relationship between the pieces. From there, I began to develop what I called New Flass in my digital files.

Was there a specific moment, a particular need that inspired you?

IBWhen I presented the proposal to Javier Marset, it worked with an incandescent bulb and was designed to be connected to the mains. It was Javier who suggested going one step further and incorporating a technology that was still in its infancy at the time: LEDs and rechargeable batteries. We were very excited by the idea of a cordless lamp that you could take with you.

Were you aware at the time that you were creating something so groundbreaking? Or was it more of a natural response to how you yourself wanted to relate to light?

IBOver the following months, as we tested the first prototypes, we realised that we were very close to something new, a different way of interacting with light, one that was freer and more human.

‘FollowMe’ is a very evocative name, almost an invitation. Who or what do you follow?

IBTo find a name that would live up to the design, I invited some French architect and artist friends, RoWin Atelier, to help me with the naming. It was Christmas 2013, and in one of our conversations, the song Follow Me by Amanda Lear, Dalí's muse, came up. There was something about that title that fit perfectly: it was an invitation to let yourself be guided, to follow the light, almost like a poetic gesture. Years later, that same song was chosen by CHANEL for the Coco Mademoiselle campaign in 2023. I found it very curious that such an iconic, century-old brand with such a refined aesthetic sensibility would choose such a peculiar theme.

FollowMe has become an icon of contemporary design and has won awards such as the Red Dot Award. How does it feel to see your design become a benchmark, a lamp that has accompanied so many people in so many moments?

IBFollowMe has brought me so much joy. Over the years, I have received messages and anecdotes from users telling me how it is part of their daily lives. It is one of the products with which I feel the strongest connection between designer and user.

Beyond professional recognition, have you received any comments from users that have particularly touched you? Any stories about how FollowMe has helped someone?

IBIn particular, there has been a very peculiar use that has filled me with affection, as several women told me that it was an ideal lamp for lighting their night-time breastfeeding sessions, not only because it has adjustable intensity, but also because it is portable and can be taken with you during this act so full of love. I find that story very special.

Is there anything you would like people to know about FollowMe that may not be obvious at first glance? Something about its design, its process, its purpose...

IBPerhaps its origin is linked to an old Marset piece, to a design story that already existed and that we reinterpreted from a contemporary point of view. It did not come out of nowhere, but rather from the desire to breathe new life into an old idea.

If you could talk to the Inma of 2014, what would you say to her about these 10 years?

IBI would tell her to trust herself more. That what she was doing made sense, even if she couldn't see it yet. I would tell her to continue to let herself be guided by her intuition, because that is where her strength lies. And to enjoy the journey, because these ten years were going to be full of learning, collaboration and shared emotions.

Apart from FollowMe, what makes you feel free?

IBIn addition to FollowMe, what makes me feel most free today is being able to continue designing with purpose, surrounded by a team and companies that believe in the value of well-executed ideas that improve people's lives.