Elevate Talks: Panco Sassano
Panco Sassano is a graphic designer, illustrator, typographer and great muralist originally from Mar de Plata, Argentina. We talked with him about his current and future plans, creative process and the relation between new technologies and graphic design.
Can you introduce yourself, please?
I am Francisco Javier Sassano. Marplatense, graphic designer, illustrator, muralist and maybe typographist.
How would you define what you do?
Ohh… I don’t really know anymore. I am not sure if I could define what I do. I do a bit of everything. I think a good way to summarize it would be to say that I try to solve problems or communicational situations with graphic, illustrated or creative answers. Something like that.
How’s a typical work day for you?
I drink some mate to get started. Then, in the mornings I focus on management work (mails, budgets, proposals, etc). My body wakes up first, my head takes a little more time. I get on with the creative part at mid-morning or noon. A listen to a lot of music and work hard on my production in the afternoon (or at least I try). Days end with walks that help me clear my mind.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
A boss haha. My mom always tells me that that was my answer when I was 4 or 5 years old. Then I believe I always knew deep inside I wanted to do something with a pencil and a piece of paper.
What are the best and worst things about graphic design?
The best thing is that in each and every project I get to learn something new about a certain business, activity or field depending on the client I am working for. I study a lot for each project I get into. I need to understand things in order to know how to handle or solve them.
The worst thing is that sometimes clients have different objectives than designers and the process can get a bit cumbersome. It isn’t that tough though. Over time you learn to detect those clients before you get tangled up in their projects.
What effect did new technologies had on your work?
They’ve helped be more efficient and save a lot of time. They also improved the quality of some jobs, specially final touches. I always saw technology as a tool but sometimes brushes and real paint win.
How do you feel experimenting with them?
When I try something new and I realize it can be useful or interesting to discover new things and broaden my horizons I absolutely love it. It’s addictive.
If you had to build a top 3 with your favorite projects, how would it be?
I’m very self-critical and when I look back I always see things that could be done better. I can name you the 3 projects in which I’ve learned the most: the illustrations system and signage that I made for Despegar.com headquarters, my first font “Horizontes Script” and, I hope, the project I am working on right now.
What inspires you?
Detecting problems to solve and the curiosity to see how far I can go. Feeling motivated with a project, either because of its magnitude, its complexity or its difficulty. Its exciting when new projects are challenging and make you doubt if you are really going to be able to pull it off.
You’ve been posting a lot about the project “With love from Argentina”, can you tell us what it is about?
Of course! At the end of last year Laura Varsky (an Argentine illustrator) invited me to be part of this new group of illustrators that she was putting together.
The first objective was to develop a series of patterns to present at this year’s Surtex (the largest patterns fair in the world) in New York. The initiative kicks off with this project but the idea is that, in the future, we’ll keep producing things under the collective “With love from Argentina”. It involves friends, colleagues and professionals that I really admire, such as Christian Montenegro, Leandro Castelao, Laura Varsky herself, Cristian Turdera, Yani & Guille, among others. It’s an honor for me to be working with them.
What are you working on right now?
As usual, I am with several things at the same time. I am working on a series of illustrations for a packaging system for a popular Argentinean beer. I’m also doing the branding for a line of wines from a winery in Mendoza.
On the other hand, I am developing the signage for the new offices of Endeavor Argentina. And I never stop making typographical fonts, now I am experimenting with “Color Fonts”.
How do you see yourself a year from now?
Travelling. As regards work, I expect doing something similar as now. Several different projects that allow me to continue experimenting and growing.
Bonus Track: Any recommendation?
Movie: Wings of Desire (I love its dialogues).
Serie: I have recently finished Fargo. Loved it.
Disco: I like many classics but let me try with a band I’ve discovered not so long ago: Khruangbin. Listen to “The universe smiles upon you”.
Instagram: @Nowness
Web: www.butdoesitfloat.com
Libro: “El arte del ocio” de Hermann Hesse.
