After 8 years Cherry Bomb rebranded this year and it defiantly caught our eye ! So we had a chat with Nora and Gabriel—Art Directors and Co-Founders of Cherry Bomb—who served up some awesome advice for what they look for in portfolios, on why it's important to be humble, lessons they've learnt along the way and whats happening in the design scene of Mexico City
What do you look for in a great portfolio?
Fortunately, we receive many books from recent graduates or young designers in search of new opportunities. We feel lucky, because we love they perceive us as a place where they would like to work and learn. On the other hand it is sad, because we can’t accept everyone.
But when we have the opportunity to choose new cherries, we seek mainly cleanness. We believe that a clean book, with attention to detail, speaks of someone looking for quality.
We aren't interested to see a portfolio full of big brands. We aren't interested to see if he or she has worked for Coca Cola or Nike. We prefer to see good and creative projects even if it is for small businesses. We prefer creative and detail orientated people.
What qualities and skills to you look for in a graduate?
Someone who loves his profession. A student or graduate who loves design will become a designer who won’t want to stop learning.
We like them to look constantly for references and fall in love with the work of other designers. That they argue everything they do and defend their point of view. A proactive person who doesn't get discouraged by a negative response. As well as being humble and having a strong desire to learn everyday. There is nothing more unpleasant than a egocentric Mr. Smartass.
What three naughty things have you done in your career to get ahead?
We quit our jobs and left our comfort zone to create Cherry Bomb.
Keep us together in our dreams, tighten our belts and keep working even if everyone else is outside having fun.
Dare to change. After 8 years as Cherry Bomb Design Studio, this year we rebranded ourselves, now we have evolved to Cherry Bomb Creative Co., we changed the image of the studio and the very essence of the brand, and so far it has worked perfectly. Otherwise, we probably wouldn’t be talking to TDK right now.
What have been some of your biggest disasters and how have you learnt from it?
Major disasters occur when we take a new client or project just for money.
Perhaps because the budget is too juicy or because when you are an independent studio as we are, you can see the need for work only for the money (for example, when we started or in some downswing).
This can be a factor into that you can’t believe in the project and don’t commit completely or simply because the client is an asshole, working only for money can have as a consequence really terrible projects, without soul or heart.
And, although it is not always the case, it happens more often than we would like. Also we’ve never worked for politics, and we will never do it.
Grab your sketchbook and try it, try it with your Wacom, try it with brushes and watercolors. As you want, but try it. And if you get stuck, find out how to fix it. Search for tutorials on YouTube and pause it over and over again... and you will see how, little by little, you will start to get rid of your sources of inspiration to work with your own methodologies, with your own style.
What advice would you give students starting out?
First, look at everything that is happening. We are able to look at all that creative people are doing anywhere in the world at our fingertips. We have Instagram to look pictures of kittens, but also to know the work of thousands of illustrators, designers, etc. Follow relevant hashtags, comment, save posts, share it, see the detail ... then go to Behance, Dribbble, Blogs and Pinterest and do the same, follow whoever inspires you the most.
And secondly, don’t be afraid to imitate, because that's how you'll find your own style. Try to imitate the style of this Colombian, Icelandic or French illustrator you love, try to figure out how it was done this project that blew your mind, or try to learn this technique of hand lettering that you like so much.
Grab your sketchbook and try it, try it with your Wacom, try it with brushes and watercolors. As you want, but try it. And if you get stuck, find out how to fix it. Search for tutorials on YouTube and pause it over and over again. Buy courses online and offline, Google it, check blogs... do it again and again and again, and again... and you will see how, little by little, you will start to get rid of your sources of inspiration to work with your own methodologies, with your own style.
And then, when you've discovered it, keep working.
What is the design landscape like on your city and where do you fit in?
The discipline of design has evolved in our country. We have left behind the kitsch Mexican aesthetic full of luchadores and images of Frida Kahlo, which is usually the image of Mexican design for the world.
In or country there are studios focused on branding and graphic design of great quality that work for both national and foreign brands, such as Anagrama, Saavy, By Futura, etc. Mostly studios from the north of the country. All incredibly talented and amazing. But we believe not be there. Our proposal moves away from luxury and monochromatic ranges, which are so popular in northern Mexico.
We love the use of color, illustration and pop culture, we believe that characterizes us and separates us from those great design studios in Mexico. We are more adorkable and that seems to like people and the design community.
Our studio is small and independent, but we are fortunate to have a team of valuable people, committed to creativity and professionalism. At Cherry we are not people who seek to be the center of attention and we always prefer that our work speak for itself. We could say that Cherry Bomb fits well being cool, but not so cool.
Where to find Cherry Bomb online.
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