Alumni Stories – Iván Bravo

Sant Boi de Llobregat, just outside Barcelona.

I studied a Degree in Design, specializing in Graphic Design.

In my own studio, right above my home.

I started as an intern while still studying, at a design studio run by a friend’s parents. I also worked for a while with designer Martín Azúa, balancing it with my own projects, and shortly after finishing my studies, I became a freelancer. There was no other option because I wanted to focus on illustration. Today, in my studio, I do illustration, animation, murals, installations for exhibitions, and some graphic design.

I think design is about trying to do things right. Making communication elements, objects, or spaces that meet needs, are economically and environmentally sustainable, function in the long run, and embody beauty, kindness, and values. Designing a disposable object, for example, could be seen as a terrible design by people in the future, who will be left dealing with tons of waste… from disposable objects.

I love people who create conceptual illustration. Also, artists who approach their work with a playful spirit. The list is long, but I could mention Steinberg, Christoph Niemann, Tim Lahan, Richard McGuire, Luci Gutiérrez, Javier Jaén, Miguel Porlán, and Riki Blanco.

I always say I had a great time. I think I was very lucky with the classmates I had. I learned a lot from them, and we worked on many projects outside the usual curriculum. The sense of creative freedom, especially in the last years, was enormous.

I started studying design convinced that I didn’t want to design anything that could harm a person: I preferred designing a poster over a chair because I thought a chair could break. It’s been 20 years since I finished studying, and over these years, I’ve overcome that fear. In addition to my work as an illustrator, I’ve occasionally created interactive or immersive installations for museums… and nothing bad happened, no one got hurt. I’ve also dared to do animations, murals, and even design some furniture. And I think this willingness to take on projects I’ve never done before is partly thanks to the curriculum I had: the first two years, we studied graphic, industrial, and interior design; the next two years, we specialized. It gave me a broad perspective on how to apply design methodologies to different projects.

Pay attention to what you do so you can get better at it. And be patient.

One of my goals is to illustrate a New Yorker cover.