Cristiana Couceiro
QTell us a bit about yourself, where you live and work, and how you came to be a designer and illustrator?
AI got into design through the longest path. It's almost like it was only possible path. I graduated in Media and Communication, and later worked in Internal Communication, where my days were spent writing. Endless hours stuck in words. I spent years dodging design, until I finally got to where I am - although I still don't know exactly what you'd call this "place". Maybe it's in experimenting, every day, in equal and different measures, in excess and in lack. I live in Lisbon and I work at a small agency as an Art/Creative Supervisor. I also freelance as an Illustrator.
QWould you agree that, despite what you've said, your degree - and the experience you gained - have influenced the way you communicate in design? And would you consider a formal education a requirement to excelling in design?
AIf at first I thought I had wasted years on the path to becoming a designer, today I consider [my degree] to give me an edge. Ideas and concepts are expressed perhaps more fluidly. [My formal education] gave me the confidence to not fear experimentation, contradiction and the game of metaphors. Also, and most importantly, it helped me minimise, to reduce design to it's basic form, and to maximise the message. Inevitably it will influence you. And it's a positive influence. A formal education is always a good starting point, a good start that leads to an even better finish. On its own, it won't make you a good designer, but it will give you an unmatched knowledge that transcends design.
QDescribe your typical work day.
AI get up between 8am and 8:30am. I have breakfast, go through my emails, check the news, and visit the usual sites and blogs. I also revise the plan for the day. I start at the agency at 9:45am. At 1pm I have my lunch break and go for a swim. I'm back at work at 14:30pm. The day at the agency usually comes to a close at 7pm. After that I go out for supper, and hang out with friends. Either that or I just have a quick break, then supper, and then work on my illustrations until 12pm. Sometimes until 1pm or 2pm. Or 3pm. Then I plan the next day's activities. I don't get much sleep. I guess my typical day is atypical. One thing that's constant is that I always read before going to sleep. Sometimes a few lines, sometimes a few chapters. Nothing "digital". Just books. I love books.
QWhich books would you recommend, design related or otherwise?
ASo many! All the 'Graphis', particularly from the 50s and 60s. 'The Penrose Annual'. 'Geometry of Design: Studies in Proportion and Composition'. 'Typographic Systems of Design'. The 'Swiss Graphic Design: The origins and growth of an international style 1920- 1065'. And also the 'Italian Modern Design Book', which I haven't managed to get yet, but can't wait to read. The list goes on and on.
QHow does living in Lisbon influence your work, and what future do you see for Portugal, both in terms of design work being available, and in terms of international exposure?
AThe light [in Lisbon] is always inspiring. And the contrasts. Lisbon is deliciously decadent, ripped in time, full of vintage elements. And I let myself get lost in those little details. In shops that closed down, but which still hold, intact, beautiful examples of typography and logotypes on the shop windows. On neighbourhood hair-dressers and groceries. Lisbon seems to fluctuate between the old and the new. As for design in Portugal, I see the best of futures. I wish the best. The microcosm is expanding and pre-conceived notions are slowly disappearing. Portugal is starting to bloom. There's good design in Portugal, no doubt about it, but we export too much of it. That can be a good thing, but it also shows that the need for growth is bigger than the traditional formality.
QIf you could meet anyone - alive or dead, designer or not - who would it be, and how has she/he influenced your work?
AAlexey Brodovitch. I think I could spend days just watching him work. And watching him choosing photos, cutting, and constructing on a white sheet of paper.
You can see Cristiana's work on her personal website
SeteDias
Interview also available in Portuguese
