Here’s another interview guys! Today, I had the pleasure to interview Marcelo Marfil, a famous UI and icon designer from Brazil.
You can find his website here: http://www.marcelomarfil.com/
- Hi there! Can you please introduce yourself to MacStories readers?
Sure thing. My name is Marcelo Marfil, I’m a 24 years old icon and UI designer from Brazil.
- How did you interest in design - especially icon design - get started?
I just started working on it professionaly recently, it all started when I saw a Mac for the first time, found it way different and I sorta liked it! I always liked to tweak/enhance everything around me and when I bought my first Mac it wasn’t different, the interface and icons were great, so I though, I should start learning on how to do this, since then I’ve been customizing and creating icons to fit my needs and standards but not yet with the professionalization in mind, so how it happened?
I need to go a little into my story to explain how I started it.
Well, actually I have a degree in Social Communication and I worked as an art director in advertising agencies for the last 6 years. In my first year in the university I decided to open my own agency with my girlfriend, there weren’t many opportunities at the time so I had to create them.
Four years later I got my first prize on a regional competition as the best ad design/concept. Later when I finished my degree, I decided to work on a small agency in São Paulo, named Apice do Brasil, finishing the collaboration with my girlfriend on our own agency.
To finish this story is becoming a boring one, I kind of freak out of advertising, quit from my job and started to work as an icon and UI designer.
- What would be a typical process for you when starting out a new design project?
As an advertising guy, getting a degree in Social Communication helped me to organize my projects and know what my clients want. My advice for all of you are looking to begin your career: All information is relevant!
When you get a new client, you have to know him, you have to know everything about their products/services. Creativity is information you got in your entire life. Most of your inspiration for creativity is not around people you admire, it’s around what you learned in your life about food, travel, friends, culture, arts, etc.
So I don’t have just one method as a typical process. I can use a lot of them depending of the work I’m executing, but trust me, it’s all inside you.
- Where do you find inspiration?
There are some guys whose works I love, they’re absolutely my inspiration: Laurent Baumann, Nando, Emanuel Sá, Jonas Rask, Adam Betts, Fernando Lins and a few others.
- Which apps do you use most to create your works?
I use photoshop and illustrator, but new apps are always welcome, I usually like to test all the tools available that can help me.
- Do you have a “favourite” icon among the ones you’ve designed?
Designers have a thing. We kind of like our latest work, but probably next week that work it’s not looking so awesome (to us). That’s our motivation to keep it always up. So I dont really have a favourite one.
- Can you please describe us your workstation?
I spend about 12-15 Hours in my home office, so I try to have everything I like around me so I feel more confortable to do my work.
There are two new gadgets I’m in love with, an all-new 13.3 MBP and a 24’ Apple Led Cinema Display. All decorated with some pop art frames, a lot of design books and an awesome sofa, ( You know… sometimes we need a little nap! ) a flip clock, all of this featuring some nice ambient sound and I can’t forget to mention the 328… bottles of water, yeah, I drink a lot of water.
- Can you tell something about your future releases?
I can’t talk so much, but fabulous things to come in the near future. Keep your eyes opened, something nice will happen.
- Thanks for chatting with us! Have a great Festival :)
Thanks. It was a pleasure, I really appreciated the interview, have a great festival too!
