How did you get into the industry?
I've grown up surrounded by creativity, raised in a family deeply rooted in the arts. My father, who started out as a street artist and then as an actor, had such a strong artistic influence on me as a child and brought me up to think as an artist. Even at the age of 8, I recall accompanying him and my twin brother to busk in various venues. His high standards and constructive criticism fuelled my pursuit of excellence, shaping me into a meticulous creator, often striving for perfection.
While my brother has pursued videography and animation, and my sister has found her path as a singer and dancer. I personally, loved drawing from early on, finding joy in creating realistic pencil sketches.
This early passion led me to pursue formal education in the arts that has provided me with a solid foundation and further helped me refine my skills.
Though I explored, studied and experimented in various creative niches, including cinematography, music composition, and oil painting, the advent of the digital era naturally drew me towards graphic design and digital illustration. In 2008, I began experimenting with digital drawing and photo-manipulation, eventually specializing in vector drawing, which has now become my primary focus.
Where are you based now and who do you work for?
I am a freelancer and I live in Italy (Verona).
If you weren’t in your current industry, what would you be doing?
Prior to being a graphic designer, I was an oil painter. I would probably have my own atelier now.
Can you explain your creative process? What makes it unique?
Coming from a background of painting on canvas. For me, graphic design can be also art. Or at least, I aim to make something beautiful and artistic through visual communication, merging art with modern graphic design is a subtle way to do that.
I give importance to details and implement hand drawing as the foundation of most of my graphic design elements. Shapes and forms are meticulously researched and crafted, either through traditional paper sketching or digitally on an iPad. This approach may add a more personal and unique touch to my designs that could hopefully help distinguish my work from the usual, cookie-cutter designs prevalent in the industry.
How would you describe your style?
Contemporary, illustrative, bright and colourful, subtly-skeuomorphic.
Which individuals do you gain inspiration from? Do you have any heroes in the industry?
Yoga Perdana has certainly influenced me in my early vector design projects. I love his style.
What tips would you give to aspiring creatives looking for work?
Find a style by experimentation. Try new things until you find what you are best at. Once you see what you are good at, and what you enjoy doing too, stick to it to improve it and stay consistent.
What tips would you give to other professionals to get more clients?
It's not sufficient to rely solely on talent. I came to realize later in life that freelancing entails much more than just creative skills and that, for me, approximately 50% of my freelancer's success comes from effective client communication and self-promotion. I had to cultivate a business-oriented mindset, an area where I initially struggled.
Learning to articulate ideas and align business objectives, especially when dealing with clients lacking clarity or creative insight, are one of the most important aspects of a creative professional.
What kind of tools/kit/software could you not do without?
Adobe Illustrator and a pencil.
What’s your secret to staying inspired and motivated?
I am extremely self-critical when it comes to my work. Positive feedback serves as a significant source of motivation for me, driving me to continuously strive for improvement and excel in what I do. However, through routine work, I've come to recognize the importance of understanding that motivation may not always be consistent every day. Despite this, I push myself to begin working regardless.
Over time, I find myself naturally entering a state of perfect creative flow, typically halfway through the project. In this phase, I become fully immersed on the task at hand, experiencing a profound sense of connection with my art. It's a feeling I love and strive to attain with each project.
What’s the work achievement you’re most proud of?
Both the Beck’s project and the Nespresso campaign I worked on back in 2015 / 2016 in collaboration with a creative agency in Milan.
What is the one thing that you would change about the industry?
Effective, original graphic design and visual communication requires enormous investment of effort, time, and experience. I take this opportunity to address platforms such as Fiverr.com, which, regrettably, have undermined the significance of skilled professionals in this field in the past.
My hope is for people to continue recognizing the vital role visual communication plays and to give proper recognition to the dedicated professionals behind it.
Any websites, books or resources you would recommend?
Pinterest is probably the best infinite resource of visual inspiration.
