Verónica Vicente Ruiz

Specialized in Packaging Design.

Verónica Vicente Ruiz

About Verónica Vicente Ruiz

Verónica Vicente Ruiz is a graphic designer specialized in the food industry, specifically in rebranding and packaging. She mentors professional graphic designers and is an associate professor at Cesine University Center. She graduated in BB.AA. from the University of the Basque Country and with a master's degree in MBA & specialization in marketing. Winner of a bronze PENTAWARDS, International Packaging Design Award in the category of sustainable food packaging, winner of an ANUARIA National Design Award, selection for best product logo, and winner of three ARCAPACK National Packaging Design Awards, two selections better food packaging and better "ecofriendly" packaging, reduction of materials, recyclable, sustainable production, respect for the environment. Art director and founder of Veralidad studio, before creating her own studio, Verónica was co-founder of Que tono de verde. Verónica is responsible and professional. Very organized and practical. Loyal to my clients. She is very optimistic and that makes her see the good things in others, but at the same time she is realistic, she does not see unicorns or everything in pink. She never lies, she believes that lying discredits whoever does it. Verónica is an affectionate and empathetic person, for whom it is very easy to put myself in the shoes of others. She has so many ideas, her mind is constantly flowing. Until recently she thought that she was not very creative, but it is not true, she is very creative, she uses creative thinking in her day to day and has a creative personality that makes it easy for her to process and reformulate information to apply different solutions. She loves her work, she is not an automaton, she gets involved, contributes ideas and always tries to provide the best for her client, even if she doesn't like it. Thanks to the fact that she is very organized, she has the ability to carry out several projects at the same time and in turn feed each project with ideas or solutions from the other works. She has been working in design and creativity since high school, which has helped her understand and internalize the world in which she moves. She is very curious, in this profession she is essential not only to continue improving, but also to carry out projects. It's nothing gossipy, there are no ulterior motives, if she asks about you it's because there's real interest in it. She is a good and honest person. She is very cheerful, smiles and makes others feel comfortable, she goes out alone and so she is comfortable too. If she is rare, and she carries it as a flag.

  • Winner of the A' Design Award.
  • Specialized in Packaging Design.
  • Original Design.
  • Creative, Diligent and Innovative.
  • All Designs
  • Packaging
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Interview with Verónica Vicente Ruiz

Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
I didn't fit into the educational system and I didn't dare to do higher studies because the teachers told me I wasn't worth studying, so I fell into a graphic design course, after that was when I found what I liked to do, and I went for it. all of them, I started high school in Arts and then Fine Arts, I found what I liked and was passionate about. When I finished my studies I returned to the world of design already formed. Since then my life has been linked to the world of art and creativity.
Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
Verality studio is a freelance and independent design studio that works to help companies in the food industry to create and redesign honest brands with efficiency, responsibility and organization to help them stand out from the competition with their company values and ethics as their flag and strategy. Communication.
What is "design" for you?
Design for me is creation, strategy, capturing some whys in a visual way, communicating to the observer.
What kinds of works do you like designing most?
What I like to do the most is rebranding, that challenge to transform something that already exists and give it another life, other values and communicate more. I adore minimalism, the beauty of practicality, less is more. It is not necessary to fill a space to communicate well, but to do it correctly to the extent that it is needed.
What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
Puff... I have special affection for some, but in the end I can't choose, they are my own creations and each one has both emotional and artistic connotations for the client... I couldn't choose... But if I have to stay with something, I would say... my brand image... it is me and I have represented what I am and that is what I want to communicate.
What was the first thing you designed for a company?
A design for a bricklayer, an uncle of my husband... I had never worked as a designer yet, I had finished my degree in Fine Arts and I was taking a course... I created an infinite cube for the symbol and the brand image that he wanted to put on some business cards and on the lettering of his van.
What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
Illustrator, where I handle myself best and what I like the most is the world in vector.
When do you feel the most creative?
I am one of those who believe that inspiration must find you working. I do not believe in moments of inspiration that come by divine order. I deeply believe in work and in thinking and developing ideas, that's when I feel most creative.
Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
What I like the most in the initial part, the research and development of the idea, let's say the art direction. I love to investigate and get new ideas from unknown places. Although later I have to develop that initial idea, that is the part that I like the most and where I feel most comfortable.
What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
Pff, it varies. There are moments of incredible lucidity and joy and there are moments of real disappointment and anger. As for emotions, I believe that every designer or creative lives on a continuous roller coaster and I am no less.
What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
This part is already different, when you see that the design is finished, you already have the final arts and it's in production, the emotion that assails me the most is usually pride and joy, to be able to see the finished work, to think that I have achieved, that That little challenge has paid off.
What makes a design successful?
To be honest, I don't have the slightest idea... I should say that I have to be very creative and abide by the standards that the consumer demands, but I'm afraid that a successful job in the world of sales may not be so successful in the world of sales. world of designers, and vice versa... a design is liked very much in the professional world, but it doesn't work in sales...
When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
For me, for a design to be considered good, I must see quality and originality. Regardless of whether it follows fashions or not. Personally, I prefer and consider timeless works better, but depending on the sector, fashion rules.
From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
As I am dedicated to food, it is a very important turning point in the sector right now. And although I would say that you have to abide by these new standards, especially because of the responsibility that it entails for the sector, I must admit that no matter how much I or any designer tries to convince a client about this responsibility, if the numbers do not add up, the client will not. take into account. Food is a very very competitive and absolutely super fast sector in which it is very important not to get stuck.
How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
I believe that in my sector it is very important, anyone can sell a quality food product, the problem comes when there is such brutal competition in my sector. There are several sections of the sector that in the last decade have put a lot of batteries into the question of design and I hope and hope that more sections of the sector begin to see design as something "necessary" for their product.
When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
My last exhibition of graphic work has been in the city of Santander, in a collective exhibition on graphic design. I would love for this exhibition to be distributed to other European cities to publicize the work of graphic designers, often very unknown to the majority of society.
Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
My inspiration comes from the previous research and the brief that the client fills out for the project, as well as the research of the competition and the moodboard that the client fills in as well. I work under a guideline for a client and I get feedback on what the client is looking for, or wants for their project.
How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
I think my style is more minimalist than anything else. I must say that it is the style with which I feel most comfortable and I began to design under this style because it is the one that most attracts my attention in all the creative aspects of my life. Out of inertia I look at minimalist architecture, I adore minimal logos and as a consequence of my personal tastes I design under this style that I adore.
Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
I am Spanish. I do believe that the culture of my country influences my artistic influences, my designs, but I must say that I come from the world of art and what has influenced me the most artistically has been the history of universal art, I always keep in mind international artists when i think. The cons are more of the employment factor, there is little design culture in the area where I live, getting clients is sometimes difficult because they don't understand design.
How do you work with companies?
I am a B2B designer, and I have my own work system in which my client connects to my system, so it is much easier for me to create for them and they follow a system that they understand and understand.
What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
When a company is looking at several designers, I tell them that not only is the price important, but also being comfortable working is also very important. It must be taken into account that what we designers do is communicate those values or that idea that the client has, if we are not in line with it it is very difficult to work. Another of the issues that I usually suggest is that they always compare the value of the material that the designer gives them.
Can you talk a little about your design process?
Puff, I am super organized and that has made me find a system that helps me a lot, especially with possible creative blocks. When a client hires my services, the first thing is the paperwork part, pure and simple administration, if this part is not complete I do not start creating, then I continue with a brief and a moodboard on Pinterest (a wonderful tool to know what the client likes ), when I have all the information it is time for my own research and the creative phase. I finish with the client's feedback and later with the final payment and the delivery of material, always everything in the same order. I have my own email templates to follow this order along with a work schedule that my client always knows when we are on his project.
What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
I have an Arco lamp by Archille Castiglioni, which is the apple of my eye, and the chairs at my kitchen table are Tolix chairs by Xavier Pauchard. Yes, I'm not a product designer, but I adore design in all its aspects. It is what it takes to have a creative personality.
Can you describe a day in your life?
I am the mother of two small children, so first of all I take them to school, then I go back home to work (I am freelance), I take advantage of their school hours to be able to work in silence. As a good freelance I answer emails, work in my own business and serve my clients.
Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
I am a professor of creativity and art direction at a university in Santander, Cantabria, Spain, the university is for creative studies, CESINE, there I have rediscovered the illusion of the first years in our profession when you are not yet burned by toxic clients, I have rediscovered that motivation to continue improving and learning. Young designers know a lot about design for young people but little about companies with years of history and few of those resources that experience gives you... I have spoken to several of my students about the "fellowship" between designers, about how important it is in our profession to surround yourself with good fellow designers, we are not competition, we are colleagues and we can help each other.
From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
The positive aspects of working in a profession that you like, a profession that fulfills you as a creative person. A profession in which you are continually learning to improve, you cannot get stuck in society, changes are constant in our world. The only negative aspects of our profession are some clients who do not understand or want to understand that you are a professional, not a person who draws pictures.
What is your "golden rule" in design?
For me "less is more", I adore minimalism, so I always try to eliminate everything that is left over in a design, if it does not contribute anything to the design or the client, it must be eliminated
What skills are most important for a designer?
I believe that the most important skill for a designer is to have aesthetic taste, that is what you have earned a lot, you will know how to combine colors, you will know how to compose with pleasure... the most technical rules come with years of learning.
Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
I'm an illustrator, I don't usually sketch on paper, and I come from the world of Fine Arts and I always need to have all the elements to start creating. I only draw on paper when I have to illustrate, I am not capable of doing it digitally, I am still paper and pencil, my teaching was classicist, so there I am. In my toolbox there is never a lack of different typefaces, I really like to play with the psychological connotations of typefaces, as well as colors, which is why I end up creating quite extensive color palettes for my clients.
Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
For me, the time I spend designing is like gold, it's what I appreciate the most about my job, being a freelance I also have to be the accountant, the administrator, the public relations, the commercial and the community manager... so I dedicate part of my time to my business and every time I have to get more comfortable with my creative process, I do it because it is the task that I am best at and the most satisfaction I get. So my main time is divided into business, client and design blocks.
How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
Well, if I'm honest, it depends, it always depends on the client, the feedback he gives me, if he has respected the times I set... But what I can tell you is that within my workflow, which lasts a month or so, I have about 10 days reserved solely for my creative process, because although I always try to get inspiration to catch me working, there are times when it doesn't come out the first time. That you have in mind and I have a margin so that my clients do not get angry.
What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
Unfortunately many times they ask me "and... what does a graphic designer do?", which is basically that they have no idea what we do. Our profession is still very unknown, even for companies or SMEs, and many of them do not appreciate or do not understand what design can bring to their companies.
What was your most important job experience?
Being autonomous in my own business is the most enriching experience as a professional. In agencies and design studios you learn a lot, but you always lack some part of the process, or you don't talk to the client directly or you don't know what things cost... Being my own boss has helped me not only to understand my profession in all its aspects, it has also helped me to function better in the world and, above all, to understand my own process to better meet the needs of my clients.
Who are some of your clients?
I work mainly for SMEs and small businesses. Some of them are just starting out and I see them growing. It's a part of my profession that I love, accompanying other freelancers like me while they advance with their business.
What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
As I've told you before, I love minimalism, so it's the one I enjoy the most, plus it's the design that comes out alone, I always lean towards this style of design, it's like my weakness and my unicorn.
What are your future plans? What is next for you?
My plans for the future... keep growing as a professional and keep getting good clients. To improve, to continue learning,... that my business continues to grow... the limit is in the stars and I want to continue trying to reach them. The next step for me is to get my own space, a container in my garden, a space just for Veralidad studio, to continue being a freelance but with a small
Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
As I have told you, I am a freelancer, so I develop my own projects, what if I do a little differently from other freelancers is that I do not subcontract providers, but I speak to my clients about them (usually other freelancers) and we all work under the same client, so I avoid many problems and develop only the part of the work that I like.
Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
Puff, several... but I have a confidentiality agreement with my clients so I can't talk about them...
How can people contact you?
You can hire me by sending an e-mail to info@veralidadstudio.es or by filling out the form on my website www.veralidadstudio.es immediately afterwards I send you an email to make an appointment via video call, there we will face each other and start talking.
Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
Yes, the world of creativity is an exciting, wonderful and super-gratifying world for the people who dedicate ourselves to it, but many times it is clouded by people from outside this world, a little empathy for the professions of others would come in very handy. In general, everyone has a hard time working, everyone has had a hard time training in their profession, and every profession is worthy of praise. Creatives don't just make drawings, we apply a lot of knowledge that we learn over the years.

Designer of the Day Interview with Verónica Vicente Ruiz

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?
I am a graphic designer specialized in the food industry, specifically in rebranding and packaging. She mentors professional graphic designers and is an associate professor at Cesine University Center. She graduated in BB.AA. from the University of the Basque Country and with a master's degree in MBA & specialization in marketing. Winner of a bronze PENTAWARDS, International Packaging Design Award in the category of sustainable food packaging, winner of an Iron in A'Design Award competition in the Packaging Design category, winner of a National Design Award ANUARIA selection for best logo of product and winner of three ARCAPACK National Packaging Design Awards, two selections for best food packaging and best "ecofriendly" packaging, reduction of materials, recyclable, sustainable production, respect for the environment. Art director and founder of Veralidad studio, before creating her own studio, Verónica was co-founder of Que tono de verde.
How did you become a designer?
It is a story that comes from my adolescence... while I was studying compulsory education, my teachers told me that I was not worth studying, so when it was time to do high school I was not able, and I listened to what they said and I went to do Administrative studies, when I finished these studies I had several months off and since I didn't want to be without doing anything, my sister who was studying fashion design at that time told me that there was a graphic design course why not look at it. And I looked at it. And I enrolled. And I studied it... and I fell in love... with this profession. Discovering design was when I was encouraged to study for an art degree, already focusing on creativity, with wonderful teachers, it was my first contact with creative people. When I finished and realized that I was not bad at it, on the contrary, I was encouraged to take the entrance exams for the prestigious University of Fine Arts of Salamanca, I passed with flying colors and entered the university. Five years later, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, I returned to the world of design, I began to work in studios and design agencies in my autonomous community, but I quickly realized that in agencies and studios I was not going to be able to develop the work that I liked them and I was missing parts of my profession that I needed to deal with, like talking to the client. This is how my first studio with my sister believes that she also turned to the world of graphic design and now I have my studio where I have wonderful clients and my own creative process adapted to my needs and without losing sight of the client's needs.
What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?
My priority when designing is always the same: to visually convey what the client wants to communicate in their brand or in their packaging, which is why I give a brief and a moodboard to the client that they must fill out. This is one of the main aspects of my design process, and it is what helps me define an appropriate strategy for each client. This strategy is what defines the idea or concept of design and is the key when designing. As for my technique, it is purely digital, I don't do sketches by hand and something I need before starting to design, properly speaking, is to have all the elements to develop the project, hence in my workflow before starting to design the client You must also send me all the material for the development of the work. When presenting the first proposals, I include texts to the visual forms so that the client better understands the concept and the reasons for my decisions regarding their strategy or design. I have my workflow very defined so it is divided into three steps: management, production, delivery. This is how I keep a constant in all the projects and I activate each step as I progress in the project, in such a way that I know when I have to create or just send emails with feedback.
Which emotions do you feel when designing?
The most exciting phase of the project is always the time for pure and hard design, the first moments after the previous investigation is when everything flows in my head, I have more information and I am more inspired, it is my moment of creative lucidity and it is when I have I have to start designing because the muses have knocked on my door and want to come out in droves. And what I feel when designing is peace, sometimes mixed with euphoria (especially when I see that everything fits). What I like the most when I am designing is the feeling that the job has been well done, that what I have designed is exactly what the client is telling me in the brief, which is exactly what I had in mind for that client. and that it is perfect.
What particular aspects of your background shaped you as a designer?
I have to admit that my training was classicist and that has influenced my way of seeing art and design, because I am always looking for the purity of the forms, which for me are in a minimalist style, it may be an inconsistency, but for me makes sense. One of those influences and skill is the treatment of color, I know how they are created, how they are composed and I apply it in my work and it helps me not only to create broader color palettes, but also to understand how to print and how to work in printers. Like the composition, I have internalized the basic principles so much that I apply them without realizing it, something that has made it easier for me to see composition mistakes at a glance. As a designer, my favorite style is minimalism, surely influenced by the history of art from my studies at the Bauhaus school, and especially by the artists of the Artistic Avant-garde era, which was a real discovery for me.
What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?
My idea for the future is that my business continues to grow, with better clients and myself as a designer. I don't have a route because like a good ant I go little by little and step by step. In the future, what I want is to make a name for myself in graphic design, it's not about being famous, but recognized as a good professional in my field. When I grow up I want to be a prolific and creative graphic designer with my own design studio where I will work with freelancers from different places. I want to be remembered as a good graphic design professional. Right now I would love to design a package for any traditional product from my area, those products that seem to come from tourists, but are the richest, made with a lot of tradition and know-how, I would love for a local business that sells one of these products to revolutionize its packaging. A thousand plans for the future regarding design is to continue growing as a designer, to continue learning, researching, innovating... the limit is in the stars...
What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?
What I would say to fellow designers who are just starting out is to gain experience, to work hard, not to give up, to keep going, because with hard work and perseverance marvelous projects come out. The warning I would give them is that they learn a lot, this profession never stops learning. To become someone in this profession, you have to work, work hard and not give up, because many people don't understand what we do and we have to fight against it every day. One of the things that I have never been told about in any conference or training is creative blocks, be careful with them, because they can embitter the most wonderful profession there is. Never forget to fill your creativity with experiences. The best advice I've ever had in this world is knowing how to set limits for clients, saying no, it's necessary, and even more so when clients think what to do with drawings.
You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?
Well, to tell the truth, I didn't think I was successful until a few weeks ago a fellow designer told me that she wants to get where I am, that she was GOD (it's a bit of an exaggeration). As I am a freelance and I am in my cave, I think that I do small things that here from the living room of my house nobody notices my little things, but it is not like that, people see what you work on, and I am not referring to making noise in social networks, I mean answering a question from a colleague on a Tuesday at three in the afternoon, I mean answering a Telegram from a group of designers to help a colleague... Days after this colleague's comment, another designer from the other side of the country told me something similar, that's when I believed it, that's when I realized that I was doing well, that I was reaping the fruits of all my work and my effort. My biggest piece of advice that I tell my students is that we are all creative, don't judge yourself badly, don't treat yourself badly, don't compare yourself to others. We each have some abilities and a way of doing things and of seeing our creativity.
What is your day to day look like?
The first thing I have to admit is that I am privileged, because I work in what I like and under my conditions, starting from there I have to say that my day-to-day happens like that of any other freelancer, I answer client emails, I review feedback and I correct and design new projects after researching. I am the mother of two small children, so first of all I take them to school, then I go back home to work (I am freelance), I take advantage of their school hours to be able to work in silence. As a good freelance I answer emails, work in my own business and serve my clients.
How do you keep up with latest design trends? To what extent do design trends matter?
I consume a lot of design online, be it design contests such as articles, interviews, etc... Although I admit that I don't have my own style and I don't follow trends when it comes to designing, but I focus more on the tastes and needs of each client. I don't usually reflect trends, especially because I like timeless designs that remain modern over time, maybe that's why I like the minimalist style so much because it allows this. As for inspiration, I always take it from the previous research that I do before starting to design, I am a designer who prefers that inspiration be caught sitting at the computer and that helps me when it comes to getting motivated.
How do you know if a product or project is well designed? How do you define good design?
For me, for a design to be considered good, I must see quality and originality. Regardless of whether it follows fashions or not. Personally, I prefer and consider timeless works better, but depending on the sector, fashion rules. To be honest, I don't have the slightest idea... I should say that I have to be very creative and abide by the standards that the consumer demands, but I'm afraid that a successful job in the world of sales may not be so successful in the world of sales. world of designers, and vice versa... a design is liked very much in the professional world, but it doesn't work in sales...
How do you decide if your design is ready?
A few years ago I would have answered this question differently, now if I know the answer and if I know when a design is ready, it is easy when that design brings together all the aspects that the client wants to communicate in it or the strategy that I have defined for the brand is reflected in that design at first glance. If I can a design is complete, the problem is that someone else can develop that design in a different way and he would change or improve it, but not its creator. My work ends when I believe that it is developed correctly, when nothing is left over or missing, and I never, ever improve work that has already been completed, I have finished with them and therefore they are finished. Whether the project becomes a success depends on many factors beyond my control, above all that the client is happy and the client keeps that design intact over time.
What is your biggest design work?
Óleo Olivia has been my unicorn, it has given me a lot of joy since starting with the design the first time, which for any designer is a source of pride, up to the different awards that it has won nationally (Spain and internationally). The apple of my eye because I have managed to reflect exactly what the client needed with a super well-defined design strategy.
Who is your favourite designer?
I must say that due to my training in Fine Arts there are certain artists who for me were the forerunners of graphic design, who are the ones I have as a reference. Artists like Alfons Mucha, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, Eugene Grasset etc... who, although they are totally contrary to my way of designing, I can't help but be inspired by their idea of texts as unity, compositions, etc... Of course the Bauhaus school, I love minimalist design, it was inevitable that I like the Bauhaus theory and style. And the artists of the 20th and 21st century that move me are Herbert Matter, Paula Cher, Saul Bass, Burno Munari,... Like Spanish designers whom I admire, Alberto Corazón, Cruz Novillo, Chema Madoz, Pepe Gimeno, Daniel Gil or Isidro Ferrer. And in other disciplines I love Charles and Ray Eames, Frank Lloyd Wright, Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe, Le Corbusier and the wonderful Zaha Hadid. As you can see, I can't keep just one, because as a good art history student, each and every one has something to tell and you can't buy or choose just one because they all have their own context.
Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?
I'm afraid my life isn't very inspiring for future designers, but I'll try to talk a little about it... I don't have a favorite city, I live in a rural environment and I love discovering new cities and cultures, so every time I travel I can't stop thinking that the last city I visit is my favorite city. If music is part of my creative process, and also depending on where I am in that process, I have different music lists that help me concentrate or motivate myself. More than my culture, what affects my projects and designs is my cultural knowledge, but not only of my culture but also of others, which I apply without realizing it. I live in a small town of 300 inhabitants and right now you can see through my window the rocks (lapisces) of the Cabárceno Park in Cantabria, Spain, a magical place for those who appreciate nature. I firmly believe that if a society has more access to culture, it can have a more open mind and be more empathetic and thus achieve a more advanced society. For more than twenty years my life has been linked to design and the world of art and creativity.
Would you tell us more about your work culture and business philosophy?
I hope that when asked if it is easy to work with me, my clients will answer yes, to date, in the feedback they give me I have had no complaints, I think it is because my work process guides them with my emails on how we are going to to carry out the work, in addition to giving them a work schedule so that they know at the moment that we are in the project. I don't subcontract suppliers, we all work under the same client, so we don't play the tricky phone and I can focus on my designs. What I usually do is provide my clients with co-workers that I am comfortable with, usually freelancers like myself that I try to help. The main challenge of my profession is the ignorance of clients, having to educate them in design and in my profession, the fact that they do not value design in their companies. I think that to be a good designer the main thing is to have aesthetic taste, someone who knows how to handle a design program is not a designer if they do not apply concepts such as composition, color theory, psychology theory, etc...
What are your philanthropic contributions to society as a designer, artist and architect?
I firmly believe that co-worker designers are not competition, which is why I share with my professional colleagues not only my prices (something very frowned upon in my sector) but also processes, internal documents, etc... that way we improve both. I believe it is important within the profession not to denigrate it or speculate on it, but to value it, that is what I try every day in my business. That is why in my business I have a part that is mentoring for professional designers, to help other colleagues. I teach at a university created by CESINE, where I share all my knowledge with my students and contribute my values to my profession to my community. Whenever I can, I attend design events and conferences, either online or in my city, and I even give one or two, always highlighting my profession.
What positive experiences you had when you attend the A’ Design Award?
The visibility that a professional design award gives has an impact that is making my business have other types of clients who are more aware of design. The benefits of participating in a design contest are visibility, customers and this brings money, simple and clear. In addition to giving you a cache and creating a name for you in the world. Not to mention that by receiving prizes of this level you can raise the costs of your services. For a designer it is important that her work is recognized, either because of the ego that from time to time comes in handy, that they remember you, that you have quality and that you should not continue comparing yourself with other professional colleagues. If you want to make a name for yourself in the business, one of the best ways to gain recognition is to win professional design contests. I feel very honored not only to be the Designer of the day but also the recognition of my work, which is the best reward for me.

Extended Interview with Verónica Vicente Ruiz

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?
I think that people with a creative personality are a bit lost in general studies, which always give little rigor to artistic subjects, that's why I was lost for a few years. Although I was lucky to find what I liked with a design course, that was what encouraged me to do all my training, starting with a Bachelor of Art and continuing with a Bachelor's degree, thanks to finding what moved me inside I achieved climb my grade point average. I come from the world of Fine Arts and although I took Graphic Design subjects, my training is purely as an artist, with two phases, one classicist and the other more modern, just like in the universities where I studied. I have a degree in Fine Arts from the University of the Basque Country and a master's degree in MBA & specialization in marketing.
How did you become a designer?
My creative and curious personality is what has made me lean towards this world, as well as the artistic concerns that I have always had. It all came with a graphic design course that I took between school years, I literally fell in love with the profession and that was that wonderful time when we made collages instead of using the computer like today. It was at that moment that I decided what I wanted to dedicate myself to, I would have been 17-18 years old when it all began for me. I found my passion and I clung to it, and like the good little ant that I am, I have gone little by little, overcoming challenges, first training, then studying and now with my own business.
What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?
It was totally my choice, I come from a family in which my father is a carrier (international driver) and my mother works in a factory, in my time it was not usual in the rural environment where I live for a mother to work, so I have had a very strong reference in my environment. This is where my tenacity and perseverance in achieving what I wanted has come from, and I must say that my parents never set limits when choosing both my studies and my professional career, on the contrary, although they do not understand very well what I do, They have always supported and encouraged me.
Which emotions do you feel when designing?
This question is easier... I adore food packaging, I've become a packaging geek, I love the part of communicating the company's values in those packages, the strategy to follow, etc... I've become a geek in my specialty... graphic designer specializing in food... I can't go shopping with my husband and children because I'm dazed looking at packaging.
What particular aspects of your background shaped you as a designer?
Puff, design legend... I think that adjective is going to cost me... I believe that the most important thing to succeed in your profession is perseverance and hard work, without them you will not get anywhere, and if you do get there it is not on your own merits, and I honestly prefer to have earned it.
What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?
I think that work, working on an idea, not staying with the first one that comes to mind, but for that you have to work well on the brief and the moodboard that the client gives you, be very clear about what you are looking for and work on it.
What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?
I look at the composition, the color range chosen, the idea or concept for that design, the originality of the idea and the development,... I think I look at many things, from the most technical part to the most creative . I believe that a good design must have both parts balanced, one cannot live without the other. For me, a design is really good when the whole thing is harmonious and fits together.
You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?
People do not understand that any element or thing that is manufactured by humans is made by a designer who applies a lot of knowledge, not only artistic, but also technical, innovative and even scientific to make that thing. Without design we could not exist and that is the value of good design. When something is not designed by a professional, what you get is BAD DESIGN, not the absence of design, which is why everyone should invest in design.
What is your day to day look like?
What would I design... a packaging for a super-powerful food company even if it's Coca Cola and I have to stick to the branding and have almost no creativity... But, on the other hand, my creative mind tells me an innovative, transgressive design for a business aware that by innovating in design it will have an exclusive market for it. Or maybe an NGO... puff, I can think of so many clients...
How do you keep up with latest design trends? To what extent do design trends matter?
My dream project is to finish the design book that I am writing and for which I hardly have time, I scratch as much as I can. A book to help other creatives to understand themselves, to understand why they had no place at school, to understand why their mind is always wondering...
How do you decide if your design is ready?
I must say that due to my training in Fine Arts there are certain artists who for me were the forerunners of graphic design, who are the ones I have as a reference. Artists like Alfons Mucha, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, Eugene Grasset etc... who, although they are totally contrary to my way of designing, I can't help but be inspired by their idea of texts as unity, compositions, etc... Of course the Bauhaus school, I love minimalist design, it was inevitable that I like the Bauhaus theory and style. And the artists of the 20th and 21st century that move me are Herbert Matter, Paula Cher, Saul Bass, Burno Munari,... Like Spanish designers whom I admire, Alberto Corazón, Cruz Novillo, Chema Madoz, Pepe Gimeno, Daniel Gil or Isidro Ferrer. And in other disciplines I love Charles and Ray Eames, Frank Lloyd Wright, Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe, Le Corbusier and the wonderful Zaha Hadid. As you can see, I can't keep just one, because as a good art history student, each and every one has something to tell and you can't buy or choose just one because they all have their own context.
What is your biggest design work?
I am a very, very fan of colleagues by profession, I would highlight Moruba and its MATSU design, it was so transgressive at the time, they endowed Spanish wine labels that lacked it with modernity, they were too anchored in the past. SOSO's work by Eduardo del Fraile is also one of my favorites, from the naming to the packaging, in its simplicity it is so complex that it amazes me. Cuac de Cabello x Mure also has me in love, the minimalism it gives off, so transgressive in the world of oil, so traditional. An exquisite job. I could spend hours talking about the work of other colleagues that I admire, I think it's better that I stop.
Who is your favourite designer?
My best work to date is Óleo Olivia, the branding of the brand and the packaging I created for it. All in accordance with the idea and values of the business, a strategy that matches one hundred percent with the company and that we have taken to all aspects of the design.
Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?
The trick is to work, not to give up, to continue discovering things, to continue training day by day...
Would you tell us more about your work culture and business philosophy?
I don't know, many times I think that if I hadn't studied what I studied I wouldn't have gotten anything. I sincerely believe that my path was this. I adore my profession, it fills me completely and that is much more than many people can say.
What are your philanthropic contributions to society as a designer, artist and architect?
Design for me is my way of seeing life, that is the best definition.
What positive experiences you had when you attend the A’ Design Award?
My greatest support my family. Starting with my parents giving me an education and now my husband supporting me in everything I do, including my crazy ideas that he doesn't understand, since he is not from the creative world.

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