Living the flexible life at Barca where they believe in peoples individual creative rhythms (ie they get to decide what time they get into work in the morning ) , theres a strong sense of collaboration and a whole lot of fun! — with a bit of coffee on the side ☕️They share with us a bit of what their day to day is like and some top tips on developing your style.
What does a typical working day include for you right now?
It always starts with a message from our project manager Maira haha. Regardless of that, we’re pretty flexible when it comes to schedule. People have different ways to get things done so everyone decides the best morning hour to get in the studio. Everyone is assigned on different projects but we are a small studio so opinions come from everyone. The co-founders, Gabriela and Jun, are always in touch with all projects, but usually focusing on designing one at a time and balancing it with client interactions and decision making. Everyday is different but we spend a lot of time on Slack and WhatsApp. Also because the studio is based in São Paulo and one of the co-founders live in New York.
Whats your take on internships? (do you take interns now?)
We often look for young people excited to try new things in design and illustration. To work with someone whose eyes and techniques are not saturated by the market is a nice breath of fresh air. Our interns are included in our team's creative process from start to finish. Mainly we just want to work with positive people who are willing to do good work, no matter if they are still in college or not.
What do you look for in a great client?
We like to work with people who value our work and insights. So that means creative freedom, reasonable deadlines, willingness to listen us as professionals. And obviously, good sense of humor since we will have so many cups of coffee together!
How did you develop your style as an illustrator and what tips would you have for others?
We (Gabriela and Jun) have very different ways of communicating visually, which might seem hard to work out but it's actually very complementary. We try not get stuck in one particular style, and mix the best qualities of our work separately to create something new. Our tip for someone figuring out their style is to try as many things as possible. But once you find it, don't restrain yourself to it – just like everything, your style should evolve with you and change with time. As long as you are having fun with it and not getting bored, than it is probably fine!
If you are not repeating solutions and actually worried about doing your best on every single project, it will never feel boring.
What advice would you give students starting out?
Design and illustration are passion jobs. We personally feel very privileged to be able to work with it. So try to keep this passion alive by working with people and jobs that align with your values. Work hard to do your best and evolve your work to something you are proud of. Look around to see what visually and conceptually triggers you and motivates you. Also, after years of experience it still feels like a pain when creating something new. If you are not repeating solutions and actually worried about doing your best on every single project, it will never feel boring. And it might even make you feel stressed or insecure. It is ok. We like the feeling.
What is the design landscape like on your city and where do you fit in?
São Paulo's design and illustration landscape has changed a lot in the past 5 years or so.
This is a city that big agencies were sometimes the only option. That meant A LOT of corporate work that might not be the best option for everyone. In the last few years, we were able to see small studios and freelancers taking over and this is very exciting! Creativity is at its peak when not only big companies decide what’s out. Also, just like there's been a boost of smaller business flourishing in São Paulo, talent is spreading out of big agencies to meet rising brands' needs. It's a very exciting time to be a creative here, no matter where you want to be.
Where to find Barca online.
Website: wearebarca.com
Instagram: @heybarca
