I was born in Cuba, a place that has undoubtedly shaped the way I approach design. Growing up with limited access to certain resources taught me to value simplicity, to find creative solutions with what was available, and to do a lot with very little. I think that mindset still defines my work today.
I currently live in Barcelona, a city that has allowed me to grow as a designer and connect with an international creative community.
I studied the Master’s in Visual Design at Elisava.
I’m currently a designer at Folch, a multidisciplinary studio where I move between different design areas, with a main focus on visual identities and brand storytelling.
In parallel, I run my independent practice under the name REY Graphic, where I explore more experimental personal projects as well as commissioned work, mostly centered on identity design.
My background started in the arts — I studied Fine Arts and graduated with a focus on painting. Although I’ve always been passionate about art, over time I realized I was increasingly drawn to design. I was more excited about crafting exhibition layouts, catalogs, and posters than making the artworks themselves.
That interest led me to pursue a five-year degree in Visual Design at ISDi, the only design university in Cuba, where I began to define my path in graphic design. During my final years of study, I started freelancing, designing visual identities for film festivals and cultural events. My first professional project was creating the identity for the 3rd European Film Festival in Cuba, a public bid I won with my friend Emilio Cruañas while we were still in our fourth year of university. From there, other projects followed—one thing led to another.
After graduating, I developed the rebranding for the Cuban National Center for Concert Music and, for the second consecutive year, designed the identity for the British Culture Week in Cuba. At the same time, I taught design at the university and worked as a designer for the Detrás del Muro (dedelmu) sociocultural project—a collateral initiative to the Havana Biennial that brought international artists to the city’s iconic Malecón. I worked on the project’s rebranding and several communication campaigns.
Looking to continue growing, I moved to Barcelona to pursue a Master’s in Visual Design at Elisava, where I deepened my conceptual and strategic approach to design. After finishing the program, I joined the studio Pràctica (now Principi and SMLXL) and later moved on to Folch, where I currently work.
Recently, two projects I developed while studying at Elisava have been recognized with international design awards, including ADG Laus (Gold and Bronze), ADC*E Awards (Silver), LAD Awards (Gold), and ADC Young Ones (Bronze), among others.
Design is the perfect union between form and content. It’s not just how something looks, but what it communicates, the emotion it evokes, and the impact it creates. For me, design should be both iconic and functional.
I have many influences, but if I had to name one, it would be Jony Ive. His ability to distill forms to their purest essence, his obsessive attention to detail, and his commitment to functionality without sacrificing beauty are all qualities I deeply relate to. His work proves that design can be timeless, iconic, and deeply intuitive.
It was a rewarding experience in many ways. It gave me new perspectives on design and aligned my thinking with today’s international design landscape. The teaching quality was excellent, and the master’s program offered not just knowledge, but also a valuable network of professional contacts for the future.
It’s true that the pace is fast and intense, but if you make the most of it, you leave with a strong, competitive portfolio. Ultimately, being a student is one of the few moments where you have full creative freedom to take a project in whatever direction you want—something that rarely happens in the working world.
What marked me the most was the ability to manage multiple disciplines and projects at once. The master’s program pushes you to work across different design areas in parallel—from branding to typography, interface, editorial, campaigns, motion, and environmental design—all at once. It’s a fast-paced environment that forces you to be agile, but also highly organized and strategic.
Be true to yourself. Don’t follow trends just because they’re popular or do what others expect of you. Do what truly excites you and believe in your path. Somehow, the dots will connect.
One of the things I love most is when people make something I’ve designed their own—especially when it becomes a tangible object they can hold in their hands. It’s not just about bringing ideas into the physical world, but about integrating them into people’s daily lives. Maybe that’s the next step… who knows? 😉