Currently junior designer at one of Barcelona's top studios Forma & Co, we caught up Josep Duran Frigola to discuss some of his personal projects, from supermarket branding to basketball magazines.
Describe your approach.
When I have to start a new project, I first make lists of words and collect tonnes of images. Then, I sleep on it. By the time I actually start designing, I have quite an accurate idea of the end result. It usually relates to clean compositions, bright colours and geometric shapes.
Tell us about a project you’ve completed recently that you’re really proud of.
Nu was a challenging school project that I particularly enjoyed. I had to create a name, identity, editorial treatment and packaging for a supermarket that specialised in selling bulk products. Nu means naked in Catalan – it’s a clear reference to the way products are sold. Eliminating the unnecessary was the main concept for every part of the design, from the logo to all the other applications. The challenge here was to design with as few resources as possible, while keeping some humour, like that in the business cards or the manifesto.
What was the thinking behind the design for Rebound magazine?
Rebound is another school project where Victor Garcia (behance.net/victorgarciart) and I were asked to design a low-cost sports publication. We created a fanzine reviewing one historic NBA match in each issue. The name comes from the idea of being given a second chance to enjoy an historic match. We approach the design in an unusual way by using sprays, markers and other resources, especially on the infographics. The first issue we designed was about The Flu Game, a famous play-off season match where Michael Jordan played with the flu. Victor is currently continuing the project, maybe Kobe’s 81-point game is next?
Where do you see yourself in ten years?
At the moment I’m having a great time in Forma & Co, and I don’t like long-term planning. However, in one or two years I’d like to take another masters, maybe in typography and hopefully abroad.
What’s the most important thing on your desk?
Since I’m terrible at hand-crafted design, I’d say my computer.
behance.net/jdfrigola