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Poppy ThaxterThe Designers: Mucho’s Pedro Destefani on landing a fully-paid scholarship and moving to Barcelona
Our interview series The Designers delves deep into the world’s leading design studios through a series of in-depth conversations with the individuals that make them tick. For the thirty-sixth instalment, we spoke with Mucho’s Pedro Destefani, a Brazilian graphic designer based in Barcelona. In our chat, he recounts several major new milestones – pursuing design education, leaving his home country, and landing a job abroad — all for the first time! As he talks about these new experiences, Destefani also recalls the lessons and opportunities they brought. And above all, he shares his personal insights, and how he has grown as both a creative and a person.
PT Hi Pedro! How are you?
PD I'm excited for this year. I have a few specific goals in mind, most of them focused on my professional development. Hope everything goes well. Thanks for asking, Poppy.
PT You mentioned that you won an international competition, which granted you a full scholarship at Elisava. Could you provide more details about the competition brief and your winning entry?
PD That’s right. It was such a special opportunity for me…Elisava has been offering scholarships in recent years. However, few are 100% funded. When I applied, it was a challenge because there were over 800 participants vying for four full scholarships, each targeting a specific creative field. The requirements were clear and had little bureaucracy – a portfolio, work experience, and the curriculum of each participant. And of course, the way these are presented was also important. Fortunately, in my case, I was able to compile a portfolio showcasing my personal works and projects from my design career in São Paulo.
PT Congratulations! Elisava is a fascinating institution. Could you share your experience studying there and making the transition from living in São Paulo to Barcelona?
PD Yes, it’s fascinating. This opportunity allowed me to experience life abroad for the first time. In fact, I had never left Brazil before. It was 2020, so the preparation was a bit tense, especially considering the high number of Covid cases in Europe at that time, making it uncertain whether I could enter Spain. I also had to make financial preparations (cost of living, airfare, etc.) and learn Spanish in just a few months.
It was a difficult decision to leave ps.2 design (an architecture and design firm founded by Fabio Prata and Flávia Nalon) in Brazil, but Elisava opened the doors for me to Barcelona, providing new knowledge and connections. Delving into the power of visual language during the master’s program, I realised how enriching the experience truly was.
I recommend any investment in education.
PT For those who are curious, would you recommend pursuing a master’s degree in design?
PD Doing the master’s program was my first academic encounter with design. Until then, I had only experience working in this field. I recommend any investment in education. I believe it’s always a chance to evolve and explore new perspectives, whether it’s a course with a more practical or theoretical focus.
PT After completing your master’s degree, what led you to stay in Barcelona and eventually work at Mucho?
PD I had the opportunity to work part-time at Cordova Canillas while I was completing my master’s degree. Upon graduation, I joined Mucho, and I’ve been here since then. I made this decision for two reasons – for both my personal and professional growth in Europe, and because Mucho’s focus on brands greatly appeals to me. I saw an opportunity to contribute and, of course, to learn.
PT What have you learned so far from your time at Mucho?
PD I believe that what I have learned the most is to have a global perspective on branding, especially with purpose. Here, we undertake projects of different styles, challenges, forms, and content, thereby being immersed in this stimulates me a lot. Moreover, I have worked with different brands and industries, and Mucho Founder and Designer Tilman Solé has led most of the projects I participate in, so I have learned a great deal from him.
PT And from a creative standpoint, what sets their work apart?
PD Besides being an international team with excellent professionals, all the projects are executed with beauty and precision. We always try to avoid the conventional or trends, seeking new ideas and results.
I’m delving into typography, so I use Glyphs almost every day.
PT What does your workspace look like? (Attach an image of your desk set-up, computer screen background, or both)
PD Well, in fact, it may not be very interesting, I’m a bit of a maniac for order and organisation. So, to work comfortably and be able to concentrate, I need my desk and all the folders to be tidy.
PT Aside from the obvious, like the Adobe suite, what tools and software do you use on a daily basis?
PD Nowadays, I’m delving into typography, so I use Glyphs almost every day. It’s quite functional for vectorization and typographic fundamentals. And of course, along with that, paper, pencil, and ruler. However, I believe in tools that go beyond software. For instance, I took the course ‘Diagram as design strategy: theory and practice,’ organised by the architect and urbanist Marina de Lacerda. I think the course name says it all.
PT On a personal level, how do you feel you have grown and changed throughout your career so far?
PD I think that working for different agencies in São Paulo and going to another country alone has helped me grow a lot – new cultures, people, and, above all, getting to know myself better and being more confident. I believe that beyond my professional career, I am taking away a significant personal learning experience.
PT Do you think you were always destined to pursue a creative career?
PD In a way, yes. But I wouldn’t say I was ‘destined.’ When I studied and worked in social communication, I already had some practices that involved being creative in some way or the other. However, at the same time, I had a lot of interest in sociology, anthropology, history, philosophy, or architecture. These were much more theoretical and less creative subjects, but for a while, they made me seriously consider whether I would continue as a visual communicator. Still, these topics still influence me today, both as a person and as a designer.
PT What types of projects resonate with you the most?
PD Brands or individuals linked to the cultural and artistic world in general motivate me a lot – music, fashion, art, architecture, etc. Especially how these projects allow graphic design to manifest itself more expressively. The sports and hospitality industries also attract me. But I’m also open to other industries. I believe that each project has its value and a challenge.
In black and white everything is revealed.
PT Your portfolio has a lot of black and white outcomes, why is this?
PD I have reflected several times on this with my friend Arturo (who is a postgraduate student at ISIA U). From a design perspective, my historical influences – ranging from the Swiss School to the New Wave – reinforce the crucial role of black and white in creating contrast. This contrast is vital for the conception of form. Despite recognizing colours as useful tools capable of integrating efficient and hierarchical systems, I believe, more than ever, that black and white represents the essence of graphic design. In it, everything is revealed, without hiding anything, complete illumination.
PT What are your goals and aspirations for the next few years?
PD I see many paths, and am interested in meeting and collaborating with new minds. Currently, I have been focusing on typeface design, and I’m enjoying it a lot. I would like to continue practising the subject and apply it to new brands, editorials, and related projects, whether that be in my job or future freelance work. That’s my hope!
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