Published by Leonardo Calcagno
Who are you?:
I was born in Buenos Aires in 1986 and grew up in Montevideo, Uruguay.
I’ve been drawing for all my life, and I ended up studying graphic design and industrial design.
I’m currently doing an MA in Design in Brazil.
Your current job :
Freelance graphic designer, with a focus on branding, and as designer, new projects are always on my mind.
In which city are you located?
In this moment I’m in Florianópolis, Brazil.
A word to define what kind of worker you are :
Synthesizer
What tools are essential to your life (app, software, etc.)?
Illustrator, Photoshop, iOS Gmail app
What does your office space look like?
My office is wherever I have my laptop and my phone. I kinda like to work in different places.
What kind of music do you listen to when you are working ?
Depends on my mood. St. Germain, The Whitest Boy Alive, Justice…
Spotify is a great pal too. Anyway, sometimes I prefer to work in silence (how weird is that?)
Do you have a way to organize your day to maximize your work?
I find it useful to make to-do lists. “Clear” app is a cool tool for this
What tips would you give to improve productivity?
I’m methodic with projects, I tend to give my clients detailed timelines/schedules, and stick to them.
Investing time in straightforward clear presentations will optimize the process and help you avoid extra revisions.
You’re better than your colleagues to :
I don’t think I’m “better” than other colleagues… I guess my main differential is the amount of time I invest in research, and trying to understand everything about what the client/company do and what need to say. Very important IMO, for developing a strong visual identity, it needs to reflect the personality of the product as well as send out specific messages to the target.
What is the best advice anyone has given you ?
I don’t remember any particular piece of advice. In fact, I’m not a big fan of receiving or giving advice. IMO, real life experiences are the best way to learn and grow professionally.
So if I have to choose one of these motivational phrases, I will go with “Make things happen”.
What is your best tip for saving time ?
Procrastination is evil… so in my particular case (while creating) I find it useful to disconnect wi-fi.
What is your routine start and end of the day ?
I actually don’t have any particular routine.
Aside from your computer and your phone, what gadget can you not you go live without??
A timeless iPod Classic, little scratched but still beating as day one.