Flávio Ferreira

A few weeks ago we had the pleasure to discover a bit more about a very special and talented person who always inspired us. We've been following his work closely for some time now, so this conversation means a lot to us. Enjoy it as much as we enjoyed learning a little about Flavio's story.

I'd like you to give a brief introduction about yourself. Who is Flávio?

My name is Flávio Ferreira, born and raised in Maia, Porto. I currently work as a graphic designer plus art director. During the day I work full-time at a school and in my spare time I freelance for various portuguese artists and labels.

As we know, you live abroad, specifically in England. How did you get there? By the way, what city do you live in and what's life like there? Was it easy to adapt?

In 2013 my family moved to England. After finishing my professional sports degree, I moved here too. I'm currently living right in the center of Liverpool, a city that in some ways (very few) has some similarities to Porto, which makes me feel almost at home. When I moved and had to start my life almost from scratch, it was difficult, mainly because of the culture shock with Portugal. My parents and sister were already here, which made it easier to adapt, as well as the fantastic way in which the English people welcomed me and treat me to this day, all of which has contributed to a better adaptation after 10 years.

What do you miss the most about Portugal?

The answer will always be the same and general: food and weather! I'd love to be joking by saying what everyone else is saying, but it really is something you only miss when you miss it. Lately I've started going to Porto more often during the year and I wish one day I could put into words what it feels like. It's truly something inexplicable, when I'm in Porto it's the place where I feel the best, without any comparison and I owe a lot to the English people for the way they welcomed me and made me one of them, but my home will always be in “Invicta” and I work every day to be able to return for good and in the best way.

How did your career as a graphic designer begin?

In Portugal I always had a special interest in music videos, album covers and posters. Until then I didn't really understand the reason for this interest, I just found their purpose interesting. I was always an average student in visual education, and even though it sounds super convenient for my story, I actually had a teacher who described my work as a "stain" on art.

Everything changed when I left Portugal and arrived in England with the chance to change areas. Initially, I wanted to enter the world of work directly after completing my 12th grade, but this was prevented, fortunately, by my mother! When I visited the college where I work today, I was almost ready to go into sport as it was the safest choice because I had already come from Portugal. I noticed that the creative media course existed, given my interest in video clips and design I ended up following this area. During the college course we had some classes on graphic design, and at that moment for the first time I felt I was in the right place.

My first “official” contact with the area came almost at the end of my media course and ended up dictating my decision to go to university, as I finally felt that I knew what I was doing and since then my passion for design has only grown. My first year of university was difficult as it was the first time I was studying design exclusively, I felt very lost at first due to the shock of university but I knew very well what I wanted to do and how to do it. I finished the course with the best grade and the rest we all know, since then I've never stopped. During my second year at university everything started to make sense in my head and when I graduated I entered the market fully and my career officially began and here we are.

Can you describe your creative process, going through all the stages?

In all the projects I have the pleasure of being a part of, it starts with a mini organization of ideas. The moodboard is fundamental for me to be able to project a direction for what the artist wants to achieve. This also helps the other side to better organize their ideas and make everything easier. Moving on to digital, I then start to develop concepts and proposals as quickly as possible, not with the intention of tidying up the project but in order to get feedback more quickly to develop something even closer to the final concept/design. Communication is just as important, if not more so, than the design skills themselves, as it helps the process and keeps both parties fully in tune with the development of the project.

You have a very distinctive style in your work, how do you define it? What are your main references and inspirations?

I'm obsessed with leaving my work intentionally imperfect, I feel it gives it a real, human touch. I don't want perfect work, I want real work, that through the image you can almost feel the texture and effects used. I take this very seriously and anyone who has ever had the misfortune of having to open an editable file of mine will know the level of detail I always go to in order to ensure that everything makes sense, whether at 20% or 400% zoom. I invest hundreds and hundreds of hours studying classic portuguese designs, and I feel that in recent years this has made itself felt a little more in my work. Records, posters, advertising, anything that was made in Portugal I don't hesitate to delve into, if I add to the fact that it's been a trend in the music world in recent years to reference yesterday in today.

This led me to discover lots of portuguese artists who are now part of the way I define myself as a designer. Fátima Rolo Duarte will always be my number one reference in Portugal, the work she left behind is very relevant to me and is used as a reference today in various projects I take part in. In more modern times, without a doubt Ricardo Chemega and Deck97, two designers from Porto with their own well-defined style, are obviously the ones I look up to the most and try to align myself with. I could make a list of international artists such as Bryan Rivera, David Rudnick, Travis Brothers, Garreth Hilliker, Isha Dipika, Clayborn Burjorian and Collin Fletcher, who work with the biggest international artists, but in recent years my main interest has been to study our own and our history to try to continue the line and keep our image alive.

Do you think the fact that you live in England has an impact on the way you see things or your approach to your work?

By living here, I feel that it has helped me to explore my interest in portuguese history. Being abroad has given me a broader view of what has happened, what is happening and where we can go. It was here that I trained and developed my interest in the area, if I had never come here I might never be here answering these questions, as I have this particular interest in portuguese art. Living here already becomes a slight disadvantage because it prevents me from visiting places that would be very relevant to me on a daily basis (a special mention to the “Fonoteca Municipal do Porto”, my paradise that I haven't managed to visit yet but I recommend to anyone who has the slightest interest in portuguese records, this is our sanctuary).

Since you live in England, have you had any work from there? It's safe to say that you've worked with most of the big names in music in Portugal. How did these opportunities come about?

Although every year I commit myself to looking for work in Portugal, and fortunately too, it only grows, I still only work for Portugal in my freelance work because that's where I feel at home and sure of the message. I'm trying to convey through my design. Fortunately, over the last few years, I've had the privilege of being part of some very beautiful projects with super talented people. I've been asked this question a few times and my answer always tends to be the same: for a whole year, I was posting my work online almost every day, making covers, imaginary merchandise, tests and concepts without any kind of goal but just to get my name out there in the hope that maybe one day someone would see it and maybe be part of a real project.

Every day I sent emails and messages to labels and artists in the hope of a response. All my work on concepts was done to build up a portfolio so that if any of my contacts were curious about my work, they would have an idea of what I was capable of creating. The only person who got back to me was Gonçalo Afonso, with whom I would later work at Ana Moura's Casa Guilhermina. From day one he was the person who believed in me the most and I 100% wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for him. Through the work we did together, several doors were opened given the exposure of the projects I would end up being part of, an email to the right person and nothing was ever the same.

Do you remember your first major job? Of all the jobs you've done, which was the one that gave you the most pleasure?

The 80s/80s album was the first project that I remember feeling "now it's serious", incredibly one of my first real projects was to create the complete packaging for an album. In a way, it makes perfect sense that I was immediately thrown to the wolves like that because I feel like that was my true test of whether I'm in the right place or not.

All projects are special because each one has its own universe, but because of the impact it had and still has today, it has to be Ana Moura's "Casa Guilhermina". The development with Gonçalo and Pedro Mafama, working around such talented people and with such well-defined ideas is the moment in my career when a lot changed and even today people mention that record to me, it's a testament to our work and how well received the record was by the public. As well as the record, the campaign surrounding the record was something I'd never been part of before and that makes the experience unique and memorable.

Is there an artist, brand or organization you dream of working with? Apart from graphic design, can we imagine Flávio doing or launching something in another area?

In the beginning, it's normal to always dream of working with international artists and brands and I had that moment, but today the artists I most want to work with are those who want to work with me, regardless of size. At the end of the day, I want to help the artist develop their universe and their ideas in the most authentic way possible for their audience. My biggest dream, genuinely speaking, is that one day in the distant future, a young person interested in graphic design will discover my work in the Portuguese archives and be inspired by the work I've left behind, just as I was when I discovered Fátima, Ricardo and Deck97.

My greatest passion, above graphic design, has always been freestyle football. it's my favorite way of expressing my creativity and as a consequence of my training and professional career in design. I've had to stop because design takes up all my days (and nights), but in the future if you think Flávio is going to release clothes or t-shirts, you couldn't be more wrong, I hope you'll see me out there kicking the ball around and releasing clips on my social networks!

We can see from your IG feed that your look is very important to you. I can see that fashion is also something you're interested in. Do you follow or prefer any national brands? Which ones?

My first passion was fashion, still it is but only on a personal level, but it was possibly the awakening of my interest in visuals and ways of presenting feelings through images. The first form of self-expression I had is something I still care about today, as I've been fortunate enough to be part of some more specific projects in the field of fashion. As with design, I'm particularly interested in when yesterday is reinterpreted for today. Living abroad, it's very difficult to be 100% involved in an area that isn't even my own. I see people like Margarida, Inês Barreto or even someone like Raquel Guerreiro, who styles 75% of the projects in which I also take part, from the outside, and it's always fascinating to see people like them who turn fabrics into interpretations of feelings and concepts that I often have the privilege of being part of and contributing to in a certain way, and that's what makes it so special.

You've also recently been working with the Portuguese brand Pietá. How do you rate the end result and how do you see the national fashion scene?

Working with Margarida is always my favorite part of my job. When we first met, we were both a little unsure of the future and our position in the industry. Years later I have the privilege of participating in the collections developed by Margarida, which is amazing and proof that we have both found our place and the fact that we collaborate on original pieces is absolutely incredible. I loved the process and the way we came up with the concept and graphics used in the pieces, in our first adventure, for example, bringing in the "Three Little Shepherds" and incorporating them into original designs produced by Margarida herself (I think the concept of studying the past and reinterpreting such moments into something contemporary without forgetting their origins and original messages is becoming obvious). Seeing designs become real and people wearing pieces developed by me will always make me very happy and feeling that what I've been doing is somehow present in some people's lives, at the end of it all, is just what makes me sleep well.

Leave some positive words for our comunity :)

That people appreciate what I do and that maybe one day I can make a difference in someone's life, everything else is irrelevant.