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 think everyone is born creative, some peoples keep cultivating and practicing creativity while others don’t.
I never had a revelation moment, it was a coincidence and part of a long process of growth, where I’ve learned how to control creativity and build a mental framework to let express it in the best way possible. Still learning it and growing.
I got into design the moment I choose to attend the Graphic Design course at the Art Institute in high-school. I had no idea of what graphic design was back then. In the beginning, I thought it was about drawing comics, I soon realized it was something else, but I kept liking it.
‘Making websites’ was never my dream, but my passion for MTV music videos and motion graphics pushed me to explore interactivity, and that’s why I got hooked and shifted my creative focus on digital design. That’s why I transitioned from graphic design to digital design.
Translating your passions into your work is the key to keep having a driving element in your career
What is your favourite design discipline and why? How did you find out it was your favourite? How can young designers find out?
I consider design, a discipline as a whole. I like the interactive part of it, as a way of creating more compelling stories and narratives. I like the problem-solving part of it, to create easy to use experiences and products. I like the creative part of it, where I can experiment with different styles, techniques and mediums.
Young designers should embrace their passions like photography, illustration, video making, art, comedy, mathematics, sport, writing etc. and make them part of their narrative as designers. Translating those passions into their work is the key to keep having a driving element in the career.
Writing your own copy, shooting your own photography or creating your own illustration for a project, help elevate the work you are doing and keep fueling the excitement for the craft.
As I said, I really liked video making, motion, animation. Motion is a signature on my projects and if I can’t animate I try to build products, marketing, and brands that have a story to tell.
Do you think young designers should try to learn many disciplines or focus on mastering a single one?
Absolutely try to learn as much as you can early on to figure out what you do like and what you don’t. The industry is constantly changing, learning different things help you transition in different roles, shift your career if needed and help you stay relevant.
When you force creativity and curiosity, it is the moment you stop being creative and curious.
What is your creative process? Do you think young designers should have a set of processes or go with the flow?
I think young designers should learn ALL the processes, but then go with the flow, depending on the situation and the project.
When you force creativity and curiosity, it is the moment you stop being creative and curious. That’s why I don’t have a prescriptive process. I usually adapt my approach depending on the client and the project and I create ad-hoc processes for the specific situation.
How do you get inspired?
It depends on what I’m working on. I think the only consistent source of inspiration are clients. I usually spend as much as I can understanding them.
It could be by doing workshops, interviews with stakeholders or just reading through all the material related to them or the project. Understanding their story, their market, their type of audience etc. Through this exercise of understanding I always find something that sparkle something meaningful, from an interaction to a visual element or a narrative.
I deeply believe that if you are not sharing the work, it doesn't exist.
Do you think having a portfolio is important for young designers? What would your dream young designer portfolio be?
I think sharing the work is the key to our profession. It doesn't necessarily need to be in the form of a portfolio but could be shared through social media. But I deeply believe if you are not sharing the work, it doesn't exist.
The key skill for a designer is to have an opinion and a point of view.
What is the most important thing to know about design in your opinion?
The most important thing to know about design is that you have to be curious because design is about everything.
To answer your question, everything is important. The key skill for a designer is to have an opinion and a point of view. This means that when you are in a conversation with the client, you need to know how his business is working, know everything about his industry, how design has shaped that industry, and so on.
Of course learning the basics, from how to setup a grid to the use of colors and fonts is important, but it’s just the start. Having an opinion and a point of view is the key.
How can young designers get their first internship/job? Is it important to go to design school or not?
I think is important to figure out what do you like and start from there. Figure out what do you like, pick an industry that is a good fit for you, find the best companies in that industry, and understand how could look like working in one of those companies.
After you’ve found your goal, build the skills and portfolio required. If that means going to design school, do it. But again it depends on individual cases, it’s important to don’t have a hurry, it might require years to reach your goal.
Did you learn any tricks during your career? Do you have any tricks you would have loved your young-self to know?
I’ve learned to be more efficient. In my early days I was spending half of my time focusing on the wrong things, dragging behind work over the weekends and late nights.
Now I’ve learned what to prioritize, I’m more efficient and I organize the work in order to have a good work-life balance.
I’m still sometimes working extra hours, but I reserve that extra time to tasks that I enjoy. I try to complete all the boring tasks as soon as they come into my pipeline.
Do you have any favourite books/resources you would have loved to read when you were younger to help boost your creative career?
I just finished reading ‘Creative Strategy and the Business of Design’ by Douglas Davis. I think it is a great book for designers. Design is about solving problems and most importantly business problems. Learning how business objectives and marketing decisions drive the creative work is super important and it is not something you’ll usually learn in a creative school.
To wrap up, do you have a favourite quote? How is it relative to your creative career?
"Luck is when preparation meets opportunity"
- Seneca.
It is relevant because all the good things happened in my career were a consequence of hard work and taking my chances. This is probably the best advice I can give, focus on your craft, work hard, enjoy it, take your chances!
Anything you want to promote or plug?
If you want to check out my latest work you can visit my Dribbble or follow me on Twitter.
