DIALOGUES WITH INGRID PICANYOL

Over the past 8 years, Ingrid Picanyol has been on the dream path for any designer. With a prolific studio of her own and a portfolio full of projects of all kinds for clients across the globe, the multidisciplinary designer based in Barcelona welcomes us into her cozy studio to talk about processes, personal evolution and natural wine. Join us!

You have been running your own studio for over 8 years and working for different clients. What led you to launch your own project?

I have never been good at obeying. And it's not that I'm an indomitable being or a free spirit who is terrified of any kind of commitment. Quite the contrary, because I am tremendously hard-working and disciplined. And I say tremendously because until very recently I didn't know the pleasure that comes from doing nothing. Or rather, from not producing anything. I dedicated two and a half years of my life to learning everything I could in a design studio and I quit, overcome with anxiety. Overwhelmed by the demands with which I judged myself and by the demands of the path to maturity itself.

For many people, two and a half years may not be anything, but for me it was enough to reach a point where I only saw two options for continuing: dedicate myself to something else or try to practice the profession in my own way. And that way was still very uncertain for me, but I was clear that I wanted to be the one who was in direct contact with the client, to be able to understand their needs without intermediaries. I wanted to propose solutions directly myself, without having to agree on them with a creative director. And run the risk of making mistakes. And then run the risk of learning.

For us, that drive is an exercise in courage worthy of admiration :) In the graphic design sector, even with a portfolio full of awards and great projects that support your worth, do you think that being a woman and young creates rejection for some brands or clients?

It's a very interesting question, but also very difficult to answer. I can speak from my experience and tell you that this has not happened to me, but as I write this I also have the feeling that perhaps I have not noticed. Or that most likely what happens is that those brands and clients, who believe that a male designs better than a female, have not even written to me and that is why I have not perceived this discrimination. In any case, I am grateful that if there are people like that, they have not approached me.

From what we have observed (the “ thoughts ” section of your website is a reflection of this) you are a designer who enjoys the research process prior to each project. Do you have a methodology or do you just go with the flow?

I try! The truth is that I am not very methodical and a bit chaotic. I have notes everywhere, in notebooks, on my mobile, on post-its, on bookmarks in books I read, etc. I think I work on each project without a predetermined route. I compile the reflections I make, as well as everything I find along the way. This exercise is allowing me to enjoy the journey and, above all, to cope with that distressing moment of not yet knowing how to resolve an assignment.

Photography, packaging, branding, art direction… nothing is beyond you, but what do you enjoy doing most?

Precisely because I play several keys, I enjoy them all so much. I tend to get bored too quickly, so in this multidisciplinary field I feel constantly stimulated. I couldn't tell you what I enjoy the most. I would tell you one thing and the day after the interview was published I would want to change it! But what I can tell you is that, right now, I am really enjoying teamwork in the studio. We recently created a campaign for the Torelló Mountain Film Festival and it has been wonderful to see the seed of an idea grow over several months together with a team of five people. It is the project in the studio where the most professionals have participated and the truth is that I am very excited about what we have built together. Even though it is a project that places death at the centre, for me it is a project full of energy. Over the last two years it has been difficult for me to adapt to not working alone, so I am very happy to be able to enjoy it.

You are also crazy about natural wines! This love has led you to have your own project SANG , in which you combine design, friendship and no sulphites. How did this project come about?

Yes! I love them! This project was born when I was confined with my partner in a 35㎡ apartment during the pandemic. He is also a graphic designer and has his own studio, but until then we didn't know how we worked. We were teleworking just a few centimeters away and we started to fantasize about designing a project together that was unrelated to our studies. So we decided to invent one. At that time it was impossible for us to find natural wine, since all the restaurants were closed, and we came up with the idea of ​​creating an online store project to get it. We proposed to Jaume Jordà to join the project and he accepted. Jaume was and is a client of mine for quite some time now, and apart from dedicating himself to distributing and creating natural wine projects, he is very passionate. He is the one who invites me to discover this world for the first time, who shares his particular vision of the world of natural wine, and who has infected us both with his passion. So Sang could only exist if he also joined.