Hey Emanuele! First, let’s talk about your journey. How did you get into design? When did you know you were meant to be a creative?

I've been drawing for longer than I can remember. A day didn't go by without me holding a pencil, at some point I had no choices :)

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Young designers can find out their own path by experimenting with multiple disciplines, attending design events and connecting to inspiring people.

What is your favourite design discipline and why? How did you find out it was your favourite? How can young designers find out?

I love lettering and typography. I fell in love with letters by looking at all the old streets signs in Italy, where we have a huge typographic culture. I'm also passionate about branding cause it is the tangible application of design on a product that people can experience and share. Young designers can find out their own path by experimenting with multiple disciplines, attending design events and connecting to inspiring people.

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Do you think young designers should try to learn many disciplines or focus on mastering a single one?

I do think that becoming a specialist in one thing will make you stand out but I tried many things before focusing on a single one, graphic design is such a broad field.

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I always start with a discovery phase that allows me to get to know the brand and the people behind it, understanding the needs and their goals.

What is your creative process? Do you think young designers should have a set of processes or go with the flow?

A solid process comes with experience and its structure can be fairly subjective. When I work for a branding project I always start with a discovery phase that allows me to get to know the brand and the people behind it, understanding the needs, their goals as well as finding out the components that we'll need to create. It follows a solid research phase that terminates with the final designs. Asking the right questions is key and the earlier you put a process in place the better.

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How do you get inspired?

I get inspired by observing what people do, by asking lots of questions and being curious about their personal stories.

I also get inspired by going to the supermarket. For someone who does branding and lettering that's a sort of free museum.

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In your portfolio, show your expertise as well as your personality.

What would your dream young designer portfolio be?

My dream young designer portfolio should show your expertise as well as your personality.

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What is the most important thing to know about design in your opinion?

Everything around us has been designed, and as designers, we are responsible to make the world a better place.

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Work hard on your craft, put together a strong portfolio and reach out to the right people. Talk to them.

How can young designers get their first internship/job? Is it important to go to design school or not?

The best way to get an internship is to work hard on your craft, put together a strong portfolio and reach out to the right people. Talk to them. The great thing about our industry is that the majority of professionals are open to sharing incredibly useful advice. Going to school will connect you to some other amazing creators, doing some networking and learning the fundamentals. At the same time, we are lucky to live in a time that offers several affordable ways of learning and connecting.

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Did you learn any tricks during your career? Do you have any tricks you would have loved your young-self to know?

Probably start managing your time, being more aware of how much time you spend on each task will allow you to work smarter. That is something I wish I realized before.

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Start managing your time. Being more aware of how much time you spend on each task will allow you to work smarter.

Do you have any favourite books/resources you would have loved to read when you were younger to help boost your creative career?

"Win without pitching manifesto" by Blair Enns. Such a great resource for creatives.

To wrap up, do you have a favourite quote? How is it relative to your creative career?

"Everything you can imagine is real."

by Picasso.

Any act of creation, whether it is a design piece or a new business, starts off as a vision.

Anything you want to promote or plug?

I would suggest watching Building a Brand, a new YouTube documentary about design and branding created by The Futur that I'm sure young designers would enjoy watching.

You can also find my work on instagram @manuricci_ . That's the only medium I manage to keep consistently updated. Ciao!

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