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- DIALOGS
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DIALOGS WITH INGRID PICANYOL
INGRID PICANYOL AT THE STUDIO
In the last 8 years, Ingrid Picanyol has been living every designer’s dream with a prolific studio of her own and a portfolio full of diverse projects for clients around the globe. This Barcelona-based multidisciplinary designer welcomes us to her studio to talk about processes, personal evolution, and natural wine. Join us!
You’ve been leading your own studio and working for clients around the globe for over 8 years. What led you to launch your own project?
I’ve never been good at taking orders. And it's not like I'm some untameable being or free spirit that’s terrified of commitment. Quite the opposite, actually. I’m extremely disciplined and hardworking. And I say extremely, because until recently I didn’t know the pleasure of doing nothing! Or, rather, of producing nothing. I dedicated two and a half years of my life to learning everything I could in a design studio, and I resigned riddled with anxiety. This anxiety was brought on by the demands I put on myself and the demands of the road to adulthood.
For many people, two and a half years might not sound like long, but for me it was enough to reach a point where I could only see two ways forward: either switching careers or continuing in the profession on my own terms. I wasn’t exactly sure what those terms would be, but I knew I wanted to be in direct contact with the clients so I could understand their needs without intermediaries. I wanted to be the one to propose solutions to them directly, without needing to get approval from a creative director first. I wanted to run the risk of making mistakes. I wanted the chance to learn.
For us, that drive is an admirable show of courage. :) In the graphic design industry, even with a portfolio full of awards and impressive projects, do you think being a young woman has caused certain brands or clients to turn you down?
That's a very interesting question, but also very hard to answer. I can only speak to my experience and tell you that it hasn’t happened to me, but even as I’m writing I have the feeling that maybe it’s more that I didn’t realize. What probably happened is that the brands and clients that think male designers are better than female designers haven’t even contacted me, so I haven’t felt that discrimination. In any event, I’m glad that if there are people like that, they haven’t reached out.
From what we’ve seen (the “thoughts” section of your website is a reflection of this) you enjoy the research process before each project. Do you have a methodology or do you just let it flow?
I try! The truth is that I’m not very methodical and I'm a bit chaotic. I have notes everywhere. In my notebooks, in my phone, on post-its, on bookmarks in books I’m reading... I think I go about it differently according to each project, without a predetermined route. I compile my thoughts, plus everything I’ve found along the way. This allows me to enjoy the journey, and also to feel less anxious when I’m still unsure about how I’ll handle an assignment.
Photography, packaging, branding, art direction... you do it all. What do you enjoy most?
Precisely because I do so many things, I enjoy them all a lot. I get bored quickly, so this multidisciplinary approach keeps me constantly engaged. I wouldn’t know what to say I enjoy most. I could say one thing, and then when this interview is published I’d probably want to change it! What I can say is that right now, I’m enjoying working as a team in the studio. We just created a campaign for the Torelló Mountain Film Festival, and it was marvelous to watch this seed of an idea grow over a period of several months with a team of five people. This is the project where more professionals participated than in any other project in the studio. I’m honestly thrilled with what we built together. Although this project focuses on death, for me it’s full of energy. Over the past two years, it’s been difficult for me to adjust to not working alone, so I’m very happy to be able to enjoy it.
You're also crazy about natural wine! This love led you to start your own project, SANG, where you blend design, friendship, and absolutely no sulphites. How did this project begin?
Yes, I love natural wine! This project began when I was stuck in my 35㎡ apartment with my partner during the pandemic. He’s also a graphic designer with his own studio, but until then we really didn’t know each other’s working style. We were working remotely just a few centimeters away from each other, and we began fantasizing about a joint project unrelated to our studies. So we decided to come up with one. At that time, it was impossible for us to find natural wine since all the restaurants were closed. In order to get it, we had the idea to create an online store. We invited Jaume Jordà to join the project, and he accepted. Jaume had been a client of mine for quite some time. In addition to developing natural wine projects and distributing natural wine, he’s very passionate about it. He's the one who introduced me to it for the first time. He shared his unique perspective on the world of natural wine, and he infected us both with his passion! So Sang could really only exist if he was part of it, too.