Barcelona's Alex Trochut is not your typical graphic designer. His work evokes a certain sense awe—the striking geometry of his lines, the beautiful shapes and contours of his illustrated typography. A graduate of ELISAVA Escola Superior de Disseny in Barcelona, Trochut honed his expressive graphic design working at studios like Toormix and Vasava before striking out on his own as an independent. Today, Trochut's services attract the attention of clients like Nike, Universal Records, and British Airways. His work has also graced the covers of magazines like Beautiful/Decay, and been featured at conferences like Australia's Semi-Permanent. I recently caught up with Mr. Trochut. Here's how our conversation played out. -Matthew Newton
Everybody has a different story about how they became involved with graphic design. Can you tell me yours?
I always liked to draw and became a design student without knowing much about it. I was deeply hooked from day one—I was very lucky I guess.
What hooked you?
I guess it was the fact that in school I studied so many things I had to study—not because I really wanted to—that when I got to design school I discovered a whole new world of exciting things that I didn't know I would like so much. So I guess it was the unexpected and sudden motivation I had during those first years that hooked me.
Do you have any influences that have shaped your style?
Sure, so many it’s hard to name them all—but a lot of the work [was] done in the past in graphic design, before the computer became a tool for designers. All the designers from that period that chose the visual side of design more than neutrality: Milton Glaser, Herb Lubalin, Rick Griffin, Jim Philips. All kinds of pictorial archived images from all periods: art nouveau, art decò, victorian art, calligraphy of all kinds. The inspirng work of Non Format, Si Scott, Marian Bantjes, John Langdon, and many many others I'm forgetting. And the new [artists emerging].
You seem to have a focus on client work. Is personal work something you have plans of pursuing?
Right now it doesn't seem so. I'm happy being a designer and solving projects through needs. I guess I learn more like this than just working under my own directions. I'm not closed to any option, but right not I don't have any particular personal content I want to show. I believe it has to be something thoughtful and reflexive, and I don't have the time right now to do it as it deserves.
Many designers approach projects from the vantage point of a problem solver. How do you view a new project?
For me it is important that there's room for both things. I like to work on projects that require solving a need and a client/concept’s demand. I don't see myself as an artist that faces reality only through his eyes, but that doesn't mean I don't want to express myself and find new visual results by the client needs. Actually I think many times these "limitations" make me more active to look for more visual solutions.
Your experiments in typography are very original. What attracts you to typography?
I like to play with flexible abstract shape and typography is the perfect material to do so—change the structure in unlimited ways and still keep a level of meaning behind the visual side.
What do you look for in shapes that make them visually attractive?
I usually look for geometry, fluidity, and organic shapes.
How have you refined your design processes over time?
It has been important for me to look for a learning experience in every project when possible, trying to change your techniques, methodologies, and habits, which is not always posible. But trying has at least provided me some nice surprises allowing me to [take] steps in my own creative evolution.
How would you describe your creative evolution so far?
I worked for two years at a branding and communication design studio called Toormix, where the design methodology and process was very rational and neutral, which was good for me to understand the "swiss" side of design. After that I spent two years at Vasava—which was quite the opposite [experience]—and where I learned so many ways and possibilities to express myself and to use illustration as a powerful tool for a designer to communicate. After these two important periods, my evolution has been based on finding little experiences in some projects that allow me to come to the next project with more ingredients to do the cooking. And right now is all about discovering [you] need ingredients to create new dishes!
What is it you hope to achieve through design?
A fun and evolving learning process that allows you to comunicate and
express yourself.
Related links: www.alextrochut.com www.vasava.es www.toormix.com
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