From Moodboard to Global Design Influence

Currents is our new interview series spotlighting contemporary creatives shaping today’s visual and cultural landscape. Each conversation explores their background, inspirations, challenges, and lessons — an honest look at creativity in motion. The name Currents reflects movement and connection: the flow of ideas and energy that defines the present.

For our first feature, we speak with Theresa, the founder of Paragonet — a minimalist and brutalist design platform that’s become a quiet global reference for clarity, structure, and form.

Minimalism meets intention.

At just 20, Theresa, the creative mind behind Paragonet, has built one of the most quietly influential design platforms celebrating minimalist and brutalist architecture. What began as a digital moodboard has evolved into a global reference point for designers and aesthetes who value clarity and structure.

As Paragonet prepares to expand beyond social media with a dedicated website, Theresa reflects on her creative process, her evolving idea of success, and the power of direction over noise.

How would you describe your creative/professional identity in one sentence? I collect and share minimalist and brutalist design and architecture, while keeping a clean, consistent style that reflects what inspires me.

What is the meaning behind your name? And how to pronounce it? The name merges Paragon, meaning a model of excellence or perfection, with Net, which suggests both a network and a collective. It’s pronounced “para-go-net”. Together, it reflects the idea of connecting and shaping design culture, creating a space to share ideas and find direction.

How did you develop an interest in design and architecture? I’ve always been interested in design, but it started with fashion. During the 2020 lockdown and everyone was stuck at home, I became more curious about interiors. I spent a lot of time looking at spaces and objects online, trying to understand why certain visuals felt right to me and why they created a certain mood.

The Wassily Chair was one of the first pieces that really made me appreciate minimalism. That was the first time I really understood how strong simple design can be. After that, I kept exploring, and my interest naturally grew from interiors to architecture and objects.

For me, it wasn’t a big switch, more like a natural progression. I’ve always been drawn to clean structures, proportions, and honest materials, whether in fashion, interiors, or architecture. It kind of developed naturally.

Tell us a little bit about your new editorial platform, Paragonet. Paragonet is a page that collects and shares minimalist and brutalist design and architecture. It features objects, spaces, and visuals from both well-known designers and smaller independent studios. The idea is to bring strong references together in one place and show a clear direction in this type of design.

It’s meant to be a clean and consistent source for people who are interested in this aesthetic and want reliable examples to look at, whether for inspiration or research. It brings together people from around the world who share the same interest in this type of design.

“At first, success meant growth. Now it means direction and depth."

What made you start your own platform? How did you get started? I started the page 5 years ago in October 2020 when I was 15 years old as a place for me to express myself without having to talk. I’ve always found it easier to show what I connect with visually rather than explain it in words. Paragonet began as a personal moodboard where I saved things that felt right to me. I didn’t think about growth or a plan. I just posted what felt like “me.” With time, people who have a similar taste discovered it, and it just grew on its own. Looking back, it wasn’t only about expressing myself. I think I was also looking for people who see design the way I do and feel the same connection to it. In a way, it became a way to find my people.

Do you design? If yes, what do you specialize in? If not, what stopped you from doing it? No. I do have a lot of ideas, sometimes too many, but I get distracted easily and I tend to overthink and want things to be perfect before I even start. So I end up collecting and exploring more than actually creating. I can definitely see myself designing in the future. I think it’s just a matter of time.

What skills do you usually apply on a day to day basis? Researching, observing, and collecting ideas. Honestly, a lot of it is pretty practical. Looking at different work, organizing it, and planning what I want to share. I think visually, so I spend time choosing images that fit together and feel right for the page. I’d say the skills behind it are mainly organization, visual judgement, self-teaching, and sticking to a direction. It’s nothing complicated; the hard part is staying consistent.

How did you acquire them, through study, mentorship, or self-teaching? Mostly on my own. I spent a lot of time looking at design, saving references, and trying things out to see what works. The best way to learn for me is just to try something and see if it works or not and then figure out why. That’s basically how I learned. I’m still learning and improving; it’s an ongoing process.

Can you walk us through your process from idea to execution? Usually, an idea starts from an image, a material, a shape, or even a random moment in everyday life. It’s not always design-related. Sometimes it’s a building I walk past, sometimes it’s a film scene, a texture, or even a feeling a place gives me. If it stays in my head, I start saving things around it – photos, old magazine pages, small notes. Then I put them together and see if there’s a line or mood connecting them. From there, I try things out visually and see if it actually works. I just place the references together and check if it makes sense. If it does, I continue with it. If not, I leave it and move on. I don’t force ideas; I follow the ones that stay in my head and are worth exploring.

What tools, habits, or rituals keep your day-to-day work flowing? Music helps a lot. I listen to things that match the mood I want to create. I also save small ideas during the day in my journal. Writing things down helps me clear my head and keep track of ideas. I plan my days really detailed in a calendar as well, and a to-do list is always part of it.

How do you handle creative disagreements or feedback?

I'm always open to feedback. I appreciate when someone takes the time to give feedback. If it makes sense, I adjust things right away. And if I see it differently, I like talking it through and understanding their perspective. I think feedback usually leads to better ideas, so I always try to take it positively.

"None of this would’ve happened if I didn’t just start."

What's been your most rewarding and most challenging project so far? Definitely building Paragonet itself. The beginning was the hardest part. No plan, no audience, just figuring things out and trusting that it would make sense over time. The best part now is seeing that the page actually connects with people.

When someone tells me they use it for ideas or references, it’s about the people I’ve met online and offline and the opportunities that opened because I began. None of this would’ve happened if I didn’t just start.

How has your idea of success evolved as your career's grown? At the beginning, success meant growth: more posts, more ideas, more people discovering the page. Now it’s less about scale and more about direction and depth. Success today is creating work I’m proud of, building something with longevity, and connecting with people who are genuinely interested in design and culture. If the platform opens doors, sparks good conversations, and leads to meaningful collaborations, that feels like real progress.

How do you manage creative burnout or self-doubt? What boundaries help you protect your creativity and well-being? For me, the worst thing during self-doubt is isolating and staying in my head. I still have to push myself every time, but stepping out of that loop helps. I go for a walk, run, watch a film, or meet family or friends — just doing something outside my own thoughts helps. I’ve learned that forcing creativity rarely works. Taking space, staying connected to real life, and keeping some distance from the screen is important for my well-being.

What's the best (or worst) piece of creative advice you've received? Best advice Don’t wait for clarity or approval. And trust your intuition. Worst advice “Make sure everyone likes what you do.” Trying to please everyone just removes all direction.

What would you tell your younger creative self starting out? Don’t wait for certainty. Trust your taste, try things. Failing is one step closer to success.

How does your culture or environment influence your work? Growing up, I wasn’t really surrounded by a creative scene or something like that. I had one close friend who was also interested in art and supported the ideas I had, but most of my inspiration came from looking outward. I like being in different subcultures at once: fashion, cars, art shows, movies, sports, traveling, and so on. The more niche, the better. Then you can view things differently from others. I just take in as much as I can and mix it. That gives me a different perspective because I’m not stuck in one bubble. Seeing all these little worlds next to each other changes how you look at things.

What do you hope your work contributes to the wider creative community? I’m always looking for new creatives and upcoming artists. I hope Paragonet helps someone discover a name they didn’t know or just enjoy and get inspired by the work. I want Paragonet to be a creative space for people all over the world. And besides that, I want to shape my own style with Paragonet even more to something that holds up long-term.

What can we expect from you and your platform in 2026 and beyond? What would be your main goals? In the next years, I want to keep building Paragonet and the culture around it. The plan is to develop it step by step, building a creative space that exists both online and, over time, offline as well. That means staying consistent with the digital platform while slowly bringing some ideas into real-world projects and collaborations when the timing makes sense.

Favorite Designers?

Virgil Abloh, Daniel Arsham, Rick Owens, Helmut Lang, Martin Margiela, and Dieter Rams. They’ve all shaped how I think about design and culture.

Favorite Architects?

Ludwig Godefroy, Tadao Ando, Peter Zumthor, Le Corbusier, and Marcel Breuer — I love their balance between raw structure and emotional depth.

Favorite Artists?

Basquiat, David Lynch, and Anthony Bourdain. Each of them builds worlds through perspective, not just medium.

Music You’re Listening to Right Now?

A$AP Rocky, Kanye, Playboi Carti, Imogen Heap, Aphex Twin, Lucki, Berlioz, and Sade — it changes all the time, but music always sets the tone for what I’m working on.

Favorite Social Media Platforms?

Instagram, since it’s my main space for sharing work. Privately, I spend a lot of time on YouTube and Pinterest — they’re where I discover new ideas and visuals.

Website

https://www.paragonet.eu/

All images courtesy of Paragonet