#WinningWednesday: Radical Design Ideas, Renegade Attitude with Marcelo

“Vamos Peñarol vamos uno mas!” (tr. Come on, give us one more Peñarol!)

At a football stadium in Uruguay. I know that man. I know his secrets; the way he thinks; and his passion. I’ve been following him for quite a while now; I can spot him from anywhere. That’s him there alright; the loudest and most uncontrollable Peñarol fan at the stadium. He loves Somos Peñarol but right now you’d think he hates their guts. Yes, that’s my man, Marcelo da Silva, passionate as ever.

Backtrack in time – graphic design class at a local university in Australia. Everyone is given a project to design in half an hour. As soon as the teacher leaves the classroom, Marcelo is busy sketching away on paper with pencil and felt tips markers. “What’s he doing,” I say to myself, “he’s supposed to do it on computer!” Yet there he is, driven to complete the perfect design in 30 minutes. Marcelo, as I’ve come to know, is quaint and radical, but behind the rustic exterior is a brilliant mind and a talented artist.

Client asked for a retro feel yet something that can age well. Intricate design one of my favorites for a coffee and wine bar.

Scene at the back office of Corkscrew Grinders, a wine and coffee bar. “So if you see here, I’ve placed the symbol of a corkscrew at the center of the design but I’ve not made it large enough to overpower the entire look of the logo. I’ve chosen this color scheme to give it a retro look as you requested. You can use this logo with any of your products – signage, coasters, merchandise etc. without any fear of color clash.”

Clear, calm, and confidence ooze from this man.

Next stop, at the beach. Marcelo’s standing on a rock next to a pier; sketch pad in hand and dogs on either side. Suddenly he grabs his camera which hung around his neck, and points at sea gulls flying over Sydney’s harbor. “Click, click, click”. Then he dives down and twists his body at an uncomfortable angle, “Click, click”.

The gentle morning sunlight is good for photography. For over an hour he continues to photograph gulls only. Have I mentioned, he’s a talented photographer too? Check some of his best clicks here:

Yes, this man is talent reincarnated. He’s as wild and free as the gulls he shoots. His mind is as beautiful as a color palette from which he paints his designs. His designs are thoughtful creations, concocted at the wee hours of the night or while walking along a crowded beach.

For an onlooker, Marcelo seems formidable with his tattooed arm and inseparable dogs. But beneath this renegade image is a sharp marketing executive. He’s worked with large companies as Marketing Manager; he’s fully aware of what is required to make a brand work; what consumers like; and what clients really need to do to attract them. Moreover, his background has crafted him into a professional and knowledgeable brand graphic designer. And he’s on ZillionDesigns’ designer panel. He’s one who speaks his mind – logical, reasonable and passionate about the designing profession and industry, his words help enrich the designers’ community. That’s why he’s our brand ambassador.

There he is now at his computer. He’s going through the minor details of a design draft for Uni Iceland, to be submitted today. The swift clicks of his mouse, occasional whistle, and grunts, show his concentration. I could feel the tensed atmosphere in his studio cum office. A perfectionist at work – do not disturb.

Client wanted a wild feel yet still modern design to be used for an Icelandic seafood company. I’ve created a striking design which shows movement.

Marcelo doesn’t like hindrance, limited hours, or cluttered thoughts, including clients who do not know what they want. But he knows he’s got to work his way around them; he does so by maintaining good rapport with them.

But he’s stuck with ZillionDesigns because he loves a challenge each project and client brings with it, and the freedom to do what he does most naturally – design. That’s how he’s gotten into designing for our crowdsourcing platform in the first place. When his friend introduced him to ZillionDesigns 4 years ago, he’s been hooked ever since. He’s impressed by the group of designers on the panel but more importantly, he’s impressed by the diversity of clientele and the challenge they bring with them.

I see him now frustrated, maybe even a shade red in the face. He doesn’t like unprofessional designers who pass clip arts for unique designs. “What? What are you doing, mate!? That’s not how you do it, you don’t copy clip art!! Use simple lines instead” He pulls his beanie off his head and throws it on the floor. “Aarrrrrgh! Copycats…. I hate them!” Off he goes, to the beach again, with his dogs and a design book in hand.

Client, an interior designer, wanted her initials included in a subtle manner but it had to be the main part of the logo. I’ve created a simple & clean design ideas to showcase her initials.

Perhaps to find inspiration from the book, or objects around him; his camera slung over his shoulder perhaps to get ideas from his photography. I don’t really know, but what I do know from past interactions with him is that he hates copies in any form, shape or size.

He knows what he knows from what he’s learned from past experiences, but he designs what he designs from his heart. He believes in his own sense of style in the designs he creates to stand out from the crowd. “It’s all in the head” he says, and that’s what he advises everyone do to – be true to your own ideas.