[CLIP] They Founded a Studio. Three Months Later, Covid Hit | Felipe Rocha & Leo Porto (PORTO ROCHA)

Felipe Rocha (0:00)

A lot of people, like, they say, like, hey, but it felt like this logo is so familiar, it feels like it's always there. And for me, that's my favorite type of design. When the creation, when the designer, it feels invisible because it makes so much sense.

Leo Porto (0:12)

Our growth was always a consequence of us focusing on work and our people. We're not planning to grow, but growth is a consequence of doing great work.

Adrien Garcia (0:21)

What do you do exactly ?

Felipe Rocha (0:24)

I like to say that the work that we do doesn't really create culture, but in a way, it's a dialogue with everything that is going on out there.

Leo Porto (0:32)

We see designers as strategic thinkers and vice versa. I think strategists should also be able to contribute with their vision of how that gets translated into design.

Adrien Garcia (0:42)

A case study starting from the beginning when somebody is entering the room and ask you, can you walk with me on my brand identity ? Can you tell me everything ?

Felipe Rocha (0:50)

The one thing that guided the work, what's the one thing that Nike has that no one else can claim ? It's their legacy. And the one thing that I love the most about this work is that this solution is so obvious, so simple. It's pretty much like just taking the Nike logo and replacing Nike with brand.

Leo Porto (1:10)

And then Covid happens three months later.

Adrien Garcia (1:12)

Could you be able to have a system from A to Z designed by AI ?

Leo Porto (1:16)

AI is replacing the base of the pyramid when it comes to designers who are starting out.

Adrien Garcia (1:21)

What are the different phases you are going through between the brief and the solution you came with ?

Leo Porto (1:25)

I 100% believe that if you put a bunch of people that think the same in a room, nothing interesting is going to come out of there.

Adrien Garcia (1:35)

So coming back on your pathway, can you tell me about the genesis of Porto Rocha ? What you've done before and when did you decide to join your force to build this thing ?

Felipe Rocha (1:48)

You want to start ?

Leo Porto (1:49)

Yeah, I can start. Can I grab some of your coffee ? Is that your water ?

Adrien Garcia (1:53)

Yeah.

Leo Porto (1:53)

Okay, great. Sorry, one second.

Adrien Garcia (1:56)

Yeah, go ahead. All right.

Leo Porto (1:58)

So, well, Felipe and I, we've been designers for as long as I can remember. Since I was a little kid, we were both originally from Brazil.

Adrien Garcia (2:06)

Yeah.

Leo Porto (2:07)

I moved to New York when I was 18 to pursue advertising and then switched to graphic design. But back then, I already had freelance clients that I was finding online to have that additional income and it was going great. Eventually, I graduated, started working at a design studio called Collins, which is where I learned a lot about these robust systems, building for large brands.

At the same time, Felipe was just moving into New York.

Felipe Rocha (2:37)

Yeah, I have.

Leo Porto (2:39)

You tell her you're excited that I will tell how we met.

Felipe Rocha (2:41)

No, I have a similar background because I'm also from Brazil.

Adrien Garcia (2:45)

But same city ?

Felipe Rocha (2:46)

Same city, also from São Paulo, but complementary in a way.

Adrien Garcia (2:50)

But did you know each other before ?

Felipe Rocha (2:51)

We were Twitter friends.

Leo Porto (2:53)

Yeah, we were Twitter friends.

Felipe Rocha (2:55)

But we met in real life. We met here in New York.

Adrien Garcia (3:00)

Why were you attracted by New York ?

Felipe Rocha (3:03)

In my case, it was, honestly, I never had a dream to live in New York.

Before moving to New York, I lived one year in Italy and I worked for, I don't know if you're familiar with Fabrica. Fabrica, yeah. Fabrica used to be this Benetton Creative Center in Trevisio. And I was accepted there to be part of their resident.

Adrien Garcia (3:28)

And this is big.

Felipe Rocha (3:29)

Program. And that was like big in the days. Yeah. And I was lucky enough to be, to work for Callers Magazine when I was 21

And-

Adrien Garcia (3:39)

How old are you now ? How old are you both ?

Felipe Rocha (3:41)

Right now, I'm 35

Leo Porto (3:43)

33

Felipe Rocha (3:46)

But yeah, that's pretty much like how I started my career. I worked in editorial design for Callers Magazine, but that was before even I graduated in São Paulo.