“It’s a little big city.” Ana Mirats, graphic designer and art director, talks about Barcelona – the city of Gaudí and the second largest city in Spain. This is where she after years of working for others, from home and in shared co-working spaces, decided to set up her own studio: a place where ideas become reality. The Blogazine did a stop in the capital of Catalonia to pay her a visit.
Ana Mirats is easygoing. “Come by whenever you want to! Just call before to see that I’m here!” is her answer when we get in contact to make an appointment. The attitude mirrors the ambience around her. Like her website, the studio breathes simplicity. Yet, the scent of creativity cannot be mistaken. “Looking at my profession, being located in Barcelona is a good choice, seen from both inside and outside of Spain. It’s an inspiring city and many good publications are born here.” Ana has worked as a graphic designer for 12 years, whereas six of them she also spent working with art direction. “I had been working for small studios for four years when I was offered a position in a Spanish multinational company dedicated to fashion. I stayed there for a few months in the same time as doing some freelance jobs, but I had always thought about working on my own and eventually I made it.”
While the part of being a graphic designer calls for the actual handwork, the role of an art director requires the ability to conceptualise the collective thoughts of a team and translate the desired ideas, moods and messages into visual material. To the subject of which part of her job she enjoys the most, she replies: “That’s a difficult question! I like everything! The part I enjoy the most though is the development of an idea, which happens all along the process – from that the initial idea takes shape until its final result.” While going through the printed material of Ana’s portfolio, we also pick her brain about the differences of working for print versus new media. “A lot has changed – the digital world has overwhelmed us very fast. This has resulted in both small and large companies following an increased pace that obviously affect us all. Nevertheless, I believe the work is the same, just translated to other media. The point here is to understand the new languages and know how to use them.”
In the universe of Ana Mirats, the dream job isn’t narrowed down to that one account. “Doing what I do now, in different cities around the world, for a long time, is the dream.” And if travelling around the world is the dream, where does she go to find inspiration? “Any place is OK, the importance lies in being open to new things. I travel, go to the cinema, listens to music. I love travelling abroad and to shop in second-hand bookstores. You can find unexpected wonders!”
