Career

#BackToTheGraphics

Approach

Work

Approach & motivation

I approach Visual Design as a mix of the concepts bound to both technology (rationalization, systematization, standardization, parametrization) and art (intuitiveness, expressiveness, exploration, freedom). Borrowed ideas from frontend development and coding (componentization, automation, or consuming external data sources) not only benefit UI libraries in Design Systems, but can also be applied to Graphic Design and visual communication projects, as a way to optimize processes and remove repetitive tasks.

I approach Visual Design as a mix of the concepts bound to both technology (rationalization, systematization, standardization, parametrization) and art (intuitiveness, expressiveness, exploration, freedom). Borrowed ideas from frontend development and coding (componentization, automation, or consuming external data sources) not only benefit UI libraries in Design Systems, but can also be applied to Graphic Design and visual communication projects, as a way to optimize processes and remove repetitive tasks.

I approach Visual Design as a mix of the concepts bound to both technology (rationalization, systematization, standardization, parametrization) and art (intuitiveness, expressiveness, exploration, freedom). Borrowed ideas from frontend development and coding (componentization, automation, or consuming external data sources) not only benefit UI libraries in Design Systems, but can also be applied to Graphic Design and visual communication projects, as a way to optimize processes and remove repetitive tasks.

Visual design today is bound to the classical principles of graphic/editorial design (like composition, color, typography, and layout) but taking advantage of the possibilities offered by digital tools:

• New languages and ways of expression, new possibilities and resources provided by technology (creative coding, AI, etc.)

• Expanding the way that information is generated and consumed, moving from static solutions to dynamic and flexible ones, adding interactivity and motion, allowing for more rich narratives and storytelling.

• Connectivity and data-driven, nurturing designs with dynamic/real-time data (APIs, etc.) that turn them into flexible information containers.

All these improvements allow us to approach design in new ways and propose more flexible solutions based on systems, with inputs and outputs that transform the state of the system and produce new deliverables. To take advantage of all these, a hybrid profile is needed, such as what Rune Madsen calls a Meta Designer: "A new generation of designers for whom programming is a natural tool (...), whose creative process is often built on a very systematic approach to design. As visually as technically proficient, they see the technical process as an accelerator for creativity, as well as a way to liberate themselves (...) from traditional design software."

Visual design today is bound to the classical principles of graphic/editorial design (like composition, color, typography, and layout) but taking advantage of the possibilities offered by digital tools:

• New languages and ways of expression, new possibilities and resources provided by technology (creative coding, AI, etc.)

• Expanding the way that information is generated and consumed, moving from static solutions to dynamic and flexible ones, adding interactivity and motion, allowing for more rich narratives and storytelling.

• Connectivity and data-driven, nurturing designs with dynamic/real-time data (APIs, etc.) that turn them into flexible information containers.

All these improvements allow us to approach design in new ways and propose more flexible solutions based on systems, with inputs and outputs that transform the state of the system and produce new deliverables. To take advantage of all these, a hybrid profile is needed, such as what Rune Madsen calls a Meta Designer: "A new generation of designers for whom programming is a natural tool (...), whose creative process is often built on a very systematic approach to design. As visually as technically proficient, they see the technical process as an accelerator for creativity, as well as a way to liberate themselves (...) from traditional design software."

Visual design today is bound to the classical principles of graphic/editorial design (like composition, color, typography, and layout) but taking advantage of the possibilities offered by digital tools:

• New languages and ways of expression, new possibilities and resources provided by technology (creative coding, AI, etc.)

• Expanding the way that information is generated and consumed, moving from static solutions to dynamic and flexible ones, adding interactivity and motion, allowing for more rich narratives and storytelling.

• Connectivity and data-driven, nurturing designs with dynamic/real-time data (APIs, etc.) that turn them into flexible information containers.

All these improvements allow us to approach design in new ways and propose more flexible solutions based on systems, with inputs and outputs that transform the state of the system and produce new deliverables. To take advantage of all these, a hybrid profile is needed, such as what Rune Madsen calls a Meta Designer: "A new generation of designers for whom programming is a natural tool (...), whose creative process is often built on a very systematic approach to design. As visually as technically proficient, they see the technical process as an accelerator for creativity, as well as a way to liberate themselves (...) from traditional design software."

Having been on both sides of the process allows me to view design problems from both a visual and technical view, and provides me with the necessary vocabulary to collaborate both with designers and developers. In the end, it all comes down to the design and orchestration of visual elements in a functional and fluid system, establishing hierarchy, and maintaining a consistent visual language.

I love visual identities conceived as a framework or toolbox of visual resources born from an initial concept or story, the way you develop the system and use it to compose different pieces of communication, and how components interact with each other. This systemic/composable approach is brilliantly explained by Martin Lorenz in his CAA method (component, asset, application). Visual identities from big agencies like Dixon Baxi, Output, or Koto inspire me because of their excellent and polished finish and the exquisite level of detail in the applications for different contexts, formats, and products.

But at the same time, I love when these projects keep a touch of boldness or expressiveness. I've always felt attracted by a touch of rebelliousness. On one side, I feel comfortable following the rules and sticking to some kind of organization, but on the other side, I also need to break these rules to feel alive. It's like an internal duality between rationalism and order, and the need to step outside the system and bring my freedom back without going to extremes, neither one sense nor the other. Because of that, almost always I end up feeling in no man's land.

ABOUT

I'm Ricardo Lodroño, a visual designer from Valencia (Spain) whose professional career has led him progressively (and somewhat unconsciously) to move away from the creative path. Now I'm involved on a self-taught journey to going #BackToTheGraphics through design, systems, and coding.

CONTACT

LinkedIn

Instagram

ABOUT

I'm Ricardo Lodroño, a visual designer from Valencia (Spain) whose professional career has led him progressively (and somewhat unconsciously) to move away from the creative path. Now I'm involved on a self-taught journey to going #BackToTheGraphics through design, systems, and coding.

CONTACT

LinkedIn

Instagram