Takeover Tuesday Diogo Rosa
An interview with Diogo Rosa: Portuguese graphic designer and creative director.
Q&A with Diogo Rosa.
Read time: 5min
Mack Garrison:
Thanks for participating in our Tuesday Takeover, Diogo. For those that are unfamiliar with you and your work, can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Diogo Rosa:
I am a Portuguese graphic designer and creative director who collects a vast and varied amount of ambitions and passions. I love cinema, design, art, food and I recently discovered that I like to travel more than I thought I would.
The idea of being able to experience other cultures and other realities beyond my own is something that fascinates me.
I have been working as a freelancer for the past 7 years now, which allows me to travel while I work. I started my career while I was still in the second year of my design degree at the University of Aveiro. Since then I have worked with numerous brands, studios, and companies. I have had the privilege of working on significant projects that effectively and actively want to create a positive impact on people and society.
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Snapshot from Diogo’s “Spice Trade” project.
Mack Garrison:
You have a wonderful blend of whimsical characters to more graphic looks. How did you develop such a wide range of styles?
Diogo Rosa:
I'm not fascinated by the idea of doing the same thing over and over again, some people say that sometimes my head can be a little chaotic and complex, but in my opinion, it's just a wide range of ideas coming at the same time, and a huge desire to put them all into practice. I get bored easily, so I find tools to ensure that doesn't happen. That ended up defining a little bit of what I do professionally. I'm always pushing my limits to learn and do new and different things, and when that happens I want to see that reflected in my work.
Character from Diogo’s “O Rosa” project..
Mack Garrison:
What are your favorite types of projects to work on?
Diogo Rosa:
Those that allow me to tell stories. Since I was a kid I always loved the idea of storytelling. These stories can be found in many different forms: in movies, visual identities, logos, posters, illustrations... the list is endless.
Mack Garrison:
It's always hard to choose one piece, but is there a project that you're especially proud of?
Diogo Rosa:
By the time I finish a project, it is not difficult to choose, however, this decision is ephemeral. Since progress is my central goal, I strive to make the next piece better than the last. They all tell different stories and represent different contexts. By this I mean, that right now my piece could be one, but tomorrow it could be another. But, if I had to choose only one, it would be the one I did not do in a professional context, but as an escape from everyday routine, almost like an illustrated diary of my ambitions, anxieties, and desires. This project would be "O Rosa".
Mack Garrison:
How did you initially get into design and illustration? Who were the folks that inspired you?
Diogo Rosa:
I remember my parents saying that I wanted to be a chef when I was a kid, yet every time they looked at me, I was drawing, painting, or building something. I don't see it so much as a premeditated choice, but something that happened naturally and organically. Ignoring the cliche, I assume that everything that surrounds me is a reason for inspiration. However, my most recent passion for traveling around the world has acted as a base for many of my new projects.
Work from the Spotify ID project.
Mack Garrison:
Could you tell us a bit about your process? How do you try to tackle creative problems?
Diogo Rosa:
There isn't usually a consistent and uniform line of creation for me. I like to adapt to the clients and the project itself. Everyone and every project require different ways of thinking, and it doesn't help me to have something very rigidly structured. Don get me wrong, the structure is always there, however, for the initial phase, where the creative part is a huge portion of the equation, I like to have a more flexible and fluid process.
But there is something I always do before I start designing. I open my notebook or a blank artboard in adobe illustrator and start putting all my ideas there, from the craziest to the most basic and simple. And in the middle of all these experiments, there is always something that can work as a base or structure for the project.
About the creative problem, well... we all procrastinate, we all have moments where we feel uncreative, and in those moments the only thing that helps (at least for me) is to just keep pushing.
Mack Garrison:
What are some of the tools you use to create your work?
Diogo Rosa:
Throughout my career, I have lost count of the number of tools I have used to create projects, and the number keeps growing, every day we have new tools to respond to new needs, and I make the effort to learn them. Whether these tools are digital or analog. Right now I use Adobe Creative Suite, however, I believe we just need to be creative and stop thinking we need to use X & Y tools to create something magical.
Mack Garrison:
As a successful freelancer, any advice you'd like to give to the next generation of artists?
Diogo Rosa
Thanks for calling me successful, but I still have so much to learn and to grow, and maybe that's what I can share. To not stop growing and learning. No one knows everything, even when we think we do.
It is so easy nowadays to create, share and learn. This easiness brings with it a higher level of competition. With more people doing it, the more saturated the market becomes. Nevertheless, there are audiences for everyone.
My advice is not to waste time with doubts. It was something that I struggled with for a very long time, with so many ideas running through my head, plus all the doubts about which one I should do... It's not worth wasting time on second thoughts, but rather gaining time on doing what is on your mind.
Mack Garrison:
Anything else you'd like to share with our readers?
Diogo Rosa:
Work on your dreams and yourselves. Keep trying to keep yourself fulfilled and happy. And above all, if we help others to achieve their goals, others will help us to achieve ours. We don't have to drag other people down to feel empowered. Be ambitious and humble at the same time.
Mack Garrison:
Thanks so much for the great chat, Diogo! And for the folks reading this, make sure to check out Diogo’s Behance linked here.