www.thesoulsurfer.net

Art Director, Graphic Designer | Vancouver

Tell us a little bit about your background?
I’m self taught, all that I know to draw, to apply in the design filed, to program, was learned, absorbed watching the others…the good ones… trying to take each detail to do a perfect job…I’m graduated in Advertising and I can tell you that is very important to go to University, to open your mind, to become more mature… but in practical terms…it doesn’t make much difference when you have to look for a job…wasn’t my diploma who gave me my first job…was the portfolio…and one job leads to another…contacts, invitations…and here I am increasing experience…I worked at StudioWeb, ThunderHouse, McCANN On Line and always you have something new to learn.
If you have means to study abroad, do it…there I’m sure you’ll learn much more in practical terms to build a nice portfolio.

What are you doing now? Where do you work?
I’m working at J.W.Thompson Digital. I have the role of communicate high-level concepts to the design team, ensuring adherence to these concepts throughout the design process, I’m also responsible for ensuring that solutions are in line with the time and budget constraints of a project, creating and designing the concepts for websites’ style guides.

When did you start with graphic design?
II draw since I was a little boy, strongly influenced by my father who lead us (my brothers and I) to explore this fantastic world using different materials. Naturally I was raised reading many comic books and graphic novels, as a consequence, I had plans to work with comic books in the future but here in Brazil we don’t have marketing for this at all… disappointed with a few possibilities I decided to go to university to study Propaganda…I knew that in that field I could have some chances to draw and earn some money, but things aren’t so simple. I started studding at Methodist University at night so I could spend the day Looking for some job in any Advertising agency. After along search I had the opportunity to start working in a small agency called Bom Tempo Propaganda, there I learned all the necessary stuff to do print media…and it was ten years ago.


How many hours/day do you spend on your computer?
I try to have a normal life…working 8 hours a day. At the office the computer is my main tool so you can’t avoid staying in front of the monitor During all day long… But more than this I’m sure that it has harmful effects to your health…beside this I like to go to swim at night then go back home and sleep well.

What programs do you use to create your websites?
The programs are the same that most people use… Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, HTML editors like Dream Weaver or Home Site…

Do you prefer technologically advanced sites or sites with simple but good design?
I believe in a mix. In a first moment for the user the design must be clear leading him to the content that he wants. Straight forward. In the second moment probably the user will be in contact with heavy technology which is running in the background but it must be transparent to him…it must be like a good special effect in a movie…the good one is that who’s there but you have no idea…


Do you have any hobbies outside of digital art and computing?
Sure I have. During the week I’m used going to the gym to practice swimming.
On weekends I go to the coast to surf but on flat days I’m skateboarding around my home.

What are your plans for the future?
Keep working with cool things, trying to produce cutting edge stuff.

What do you know about brazilian web designers or graphic designers?
Brazil is a place with very talent people…I know a few guys in web design that rock but are still looking for a place in the work market, others tried or are truing to live outside Brazil as my friend André Matarazzo who works at Blast Radius in Amsterdam… we have Nando Costa who had a very nice recognition of his work by the international design community… but they are not many… in addition I would like to comment about the Bossa project it’s an on line art magazine, very nice and beautiful, made by Brazilian designers.


Any final comments?
Yes. We had a huge downsize after the dot coms crisis and the market was reduced…we ‘re living a worldwide recession…companies working on a Shoestring…good designers unemployed…but I believe that crisis means opportunities, many companies realized that investing on web can be much more productive if having a limited budget so let’s show them that they ‘re right, that really worth it. That’s why I’m still working with web…I believe in this media and make no mistake about it. Thanks.