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About

I am Jorge

and my career as a designer and art director was the consequence of a need to express myself.

Although I studied Physics at University, I always had an interest, since a very young age, in a lot of forms of creativity; I painted and illustrated, filmed amateur videos with friends, made terrible music, took thousands of pictures, made my own websites… My brain was constantly creating and experimenting. It could have been anything, but design worked out first. And it definitely felt the right step in my working career.

My first years as a junior designer were full of excitement and learning experiences. Working on smaller teams gave me the opportunity to be around in every single step of the creative process, from the first brainstorming to development and artwork. I was supported by great creative directors and senior members, who teach me about the industry but who gave me enough freedom to develop as a designer and experiment with art direction.

Madrid

During those 6 years I had the chance to work in a wide range of projects: branding, editorial, digital, events, signage, packaging… I had the chance to pitch for global campaigns, present my work to clients and growing as a conceptual thinker. That flexibility allowed me to see design as a tool to express an idea in the best format, instead of specialising on one side of the industry. I didn’t want to categorise myself into print, digital or branding. I felt a creative mind had to be able to adapt and evolve. I had the chance to work for important clients, from the public sector to hospitality, like BNP Paribas, the Spanish Ministry of Environment, Marqués de Riscal -one of the biggest producers of Rioja wine-, or Disney.

New York

After those years working in different agencies I felt the need to give design some time off. Photography had always been the way I explored my creativity from a personal point of view and it was the perfect time to work for myself, without briefs and limitations. I moved to New York City at the end of 2011 and I had the opportunity to learn from some of the best professionals in the field, who awaken that curiosity, and who nurtured and teach me how to create a body of work that resonated and was true to myself. Those months were, more than anything, crucial to my career as a designer. I learned that I needed to imprint my own personality into it, and see design as something more than the result on a computer or a printed object.

London

Moving to London gave me that motivation to reconnect with my career. Inspiration was coming from every corner and the possibilities felt endless. Soon after moving I started working for a content marketing agency, Redhouse Lane, in a lot of internal campaigns, but mostly on editorial work. Thanks to that opportunity I won -along with my team- Best Internal Magazine at the International Content Marketing Awards in 2015 for the work done for EDF Energy. During those first 3 years in London I worked for Coca Cola, the Home Office, Anglo American, Laing O’Rouke or AQA. A new country, and a new language, in every sense of the word. An unvaluable experience not just from a design perspective but building relationships with clients too, that gave me the confidence to present my own ideas visually and verbally. For the first time, design was not a job. It was a career.

Until July 2019 (and before moving to the freelance world) I worked as a Senior Designer for the integrated marketing agency Article Ten, which was the definite step to build my design personality, move my career into the art direction, work closer with clients and support other junior members of my team. I specialised in branding within my team, leading the creative process and controlling the sign-off of integrated campaigns for clients such Save the Children and Microsoft. Joining forces with other departments of the agency, from video to digital, took me to work in exciting projects like the illustration of an InfoSec video game, events that included Virtual Reality and 3D print or even the whole rebrand of the agency, that I led from the design side. Jaguar Land Rover, Boots, financial company JHC, Atkins or Getty Images are some of the clients I’ve worked for. My proudest moment was working on the development and art direction of the 100 Year Anniversary campaign for Save the Children, including print, online and video pieces.

Going freelance

After a few years weighing that possibility, I finally took the decision of creating my own limited company, JRG CREATIVE, and going freelance at the end of the summer in 2019. Being in control of my own project has been an incredibly rewarding experience, as I’ve been able to work for a great variety of clients, in new an exciting project and with different creative people. Rebrand in corporate identity projects, photography and video art direction, annual reports, UI design in websites, emails, apps and eLearning documents, interactive pdfs… There’s something new every day. Supporting the talented teams in agencies like Wolff Olins, Merchant Cantos, Cherry Thinking or Krow, allowed me to continue my creative development while enjoying a new adventure that feels as personal as professional.

Outro

My time out of work is filled with a lot of travelling -or thinking where am I going to fly next-, but you’ll probably see me here around music venues or any of the amazing theatres in London, watching a great play, the latest contemporary ballet or at a gig. I’m a Young Patron of the National Theatre and current member of the Tate and Barbican, where I love spending my time during the weekends. And, as my Spanish roots dictate, food is my absolute passion, so don’t be surprise if I can’t stop talking about it.

Do you have a project and you’re looking for a freelance designer? Big or small, I’m always open to new and exciting work, so don’t hesitate to get in contact! You can also take a look at my CV here.