Name:
Nando Costa (Carlos Fernando Faria Costa)

Age: 23
Location: Chicago, USA

URL/s:
http://www.hungryfordesign.com

Tell us a little about your background... where you are from?
I was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and have lived there until a little over 2 years ago when I moved to Atlanta, GA.
I lived in GA for almost 8 months then moved to NYC to work at The WDDG. Lived for a year in NY then moved back to Atlanta, staying there for another 5 months I decided to come to Chicago to work at Digital Kitchen and that's where I am right now.

How did you start out as an artist and designer?
Since the age of 5 I have been constantly drawing. Initially just watercolor and pencil drawings. Then around 12 years of age I joined an oil painting class and studied that for a year. Got tired since the class was pretty strict then joined a more free drawing class at a really good Art School in Rio (Parque Lage). There I worked mostly sketching live models with charcoal and reproducing objects with pencil. Those 3 years of drawing school really set the path for what I wanted to do in life. The environment was great but college time was coming and since my brother was studying Graphic Design at the time, that seemed pretty interesting. I looked like it was the same deal as Art was, it only had some parameters you had to follow, technical issues, softwares to learn and etc. But nothing that time wouldn't fix. My other brother was a copywriter and that showed me a little of what Advertising was. So I joined the same Graphic Design course. Until then I had been, since the age of 15, doing art exhibits, about 25. Several of them side by side with my mom since she's a sculptor as well as my grandfather, painter and Set Designer. College was fun at first but on the 2nd period I was already working at a great Design Studio and learning so much more that I decided that School wasn't that important anymore. I quit and moved to the US in search of more experience and better chances of expressing myself. By that time I had only a little over 2 years of print experience and a few months of Flash 3 experience. Designing has been getting more and more important in my life as I move from a medium to the other and get to meet different talented individuals.

Tell us about Hungry For Design?
HFD started in back in Rio when I was waiting for my work visa to get approved and I realized that designing was really the right path for my professional life. I felt like was always eager to work on more and more projects. So I decided to create this site where graphic design students could learn more about Design History as well as perhaps Art history and Typography. It would definitely be a research tool. I think it was a reflection of me wanting to learn more as well. For several reasons it ended up being a personal site.

Where do you see it heading in the future?
To be honest I have no idea. Although I do have plans, they might change into something else. I am currently working on motion graphics projects at Digital Kitchen, really exciting place to be at. Although, I have recently been very interested on seeing more of my work on paper. Print projects have always fascinated me. Specially when lot's of time and energy are put into it and I might want to migrate towards that direction or perhaps just do more of it on my personal time. Europe also seems like a good option. Although, I have no prediction to when that might come true.

Over the last few months you have become well known for your video work, notably after the Trikala movie, have you been interested in video for a while or only recently?
Well Trikala was my first After Effects project even though I did use Flash for a lot of the pure graphics parts. Before that I was mainly using Flash to animate anything and it was by using flash that I got more interested in animation. Now at DK I am getting more into AE as well as getting interested in Flame and it's possibilities. Video is definitely something I want to be doing more rather than site design for example. But projects like that are super time consuming and working with the Advertising agencies is not the most fun thing. : )

Do you do all your own photography for your motion and still design?
Yeah. All the work I have done has been entirely designed by me. All concept is mine as well except for pieces that I collaborate with other Artists like for example Erik Natzke (http://www.natzke.com) has helped me with some actionscripting for navigation systems that display my artwork and Carlos Bela (http://www.goldenshower.gs), among other music artists, has helped me with music. So on moments like that I do share ideas and etc.

What programs do you prefer to use for video work and do you make your own sound or do you collaborate with sound people?
All I have been using for video is Flash and After Effects. Well for editing I have recently been using Final Cut Pro. As far as music, there is nothing better than collaborating with musicians. So far I have had the chance to work closely with Carlos Bela from http://www.goldenshower.gs, Bit Meddler from http://www.konstruktiv.net, D.O.S.C. http://www.diagram-of-suburban-chaos.com, as well as http://www.errorencountered.com and http://www.leafcutterjohn.com.uk. I wish I could make music as well but I listen to these guys music all the time so having a chance to have original music for my personal work is great.

Do you think your style of work appeals to the corporate world or do you have to tone it down when working for clients?
Well of course there are clients you can push and some you can't, but that's not that hard to figure out. Lately I have been approached by people that want my work for their brand just the way that I would do it for myself. Clients like Mick Jagger, Diesel, Sketchers, Issey Miyake, Die Gestalten Verlag as well as record companies and other clothing companies. It's very rewarding when there are no revisions. Hehehe.

You have worked with some great designers, such as the guys at WDDG, how has this affected your designs?
Ohh, working at The WDDG has definitely been one of the main reasons of any success that I have had after moving to the States and it's mainly because working aside, Matt Anderson, Nathan Flood, James Baker, Bob Ipolito and Dave Farher and being able to hang out with so many talented people in NYC has really opened my eyes to amazing possibilities as well as enhancing my technical abilities.
Being influenced by friends, sharing ideas and working in groups is for sure very important and makes your learning curve turn into an easy up hill path. Cheesy! haha

Who or what are your main inspirations?
My girlfriend, Designer as well. Friends and family for sure. But as far as Artists that I have never met. I could say that M.C. Escher really inspired me when I was more of a manual Artist. Josef Muller, Swiss and Japanese Graphic Designers in general are very inspiring. It's such a huge list because each person adds something to what you have learned that in the end it's like: "Everything and everybody inspires me!"

Do you have any projects coming up that you can tell us about?
I do. Ugh! So many. I hope I can get it all done. Well I am editing this book and DVD for Die Gestalten Publishing. It's going to be basically Designed pieces inspired by Brasil. It might be either because of the famous soccer players, the natural resources like the Amazon, the respected Architects like Oscar Niemeyer or Photographers like Sebastião Salgado. If it's for the food, the Carnival, the beaches or the people, it doesn't matter, there's always something that, in your mind, represents Brasil. And it's that image, either distorted or accurate, that is the image that we want in this book. The list of Designers is incredible. I am very honored to be leading this. The book will be coming out next Fall.

I am redesigning my site that will come out during OFFF where I will be speaking in March. Also redesigning http://www.diagram-of-suburban-chaos.com and http://www.leafcutterjohn.com.uk. I must thank these guys in some way for their amazing music, : )

What do you know about Australian design/designers?
Not a whole lot. The most I know is what I see on the web. It's about the same as asking about Brazilian Designers. What you know is what you are exposed to. Unfortunately not a lot of Australian Design reaches the screens nor the books. I might be wrong though. You guys are great as well as Luca and The Attik down there... But I am sure I will get more exposed to it as time goes.

Any final comments?
Just wanted to thank everyone that has helped me to learn more and to get to where I want to be. I don't regret anything, I just try to see the positive side of things. And thanks for the interview. Hope we get to meet sometime!

Thanks Nando!