Meet Ana Despres | Art Director, Graphic Designer, Traveler

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ana Despres and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ana, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I am originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, but I consider myself a chameleon-like professional from all over the world at the same time.

Argentina has a very unique background. To begin with, a large number of talented and renowned creatives in art, design, literature, film, and music were born in my country. Argentinians have managed to forge a distinctive identity and create tools to survive a highly fluctuating and weakened economy over many years. In some sense, this has made us stronger and more resilient, enabling us to keep creating and reinventing ourselves.

I believe that constantly moving between different cultures, languages, time zones, projects, and personalities has shaped who I am today: an Art Director, Graphic Designer, and, although the term might sound a bit outdated, a digital nomad since 2020.

At a certain point in my career, amid the pandemic, I felt the need to let go of the comfort that a stable job provided. While the world seemed to stand still, I had the urge to move, to embark on a new path, and embrace uncertainty. At that time, I was working for a prestigious firm specializing in Architecture and Real Estate. Venturing out to find new clients in other countries as a virtual freelancer was the first step in expanding my horizons. I juggled multiple ongoing projects and sought to grow as an Art Director while changing cities and perspectives.

My expertise was heavily digital; I use to direct a team of UX/UI designers and developers. However, I decided to make a 180-degree change. In the beginning, I had to become my own team and gradually specialize in different design typologies, primarily focusing on Graphic Identities and creating concepts from scratch, out of nothing.

My strong interest in the Architecture and Interior Design industry led me to work on projects in Buenos Aires, Paris, Barcelona, Monterrey, and New York. Well-known brands such as 60 White, Seldorf Architects, St. Regis Bahia Beach, Ocean Bleu Miami, Turnberry, Marriot, and many others entrusted me with their projects.

This growth caught the attention of a major Architecture and Real Estate company, which invited me to work in Brickell, Miami. They offered me the role of Creative Director for a beautiful Architecture and Real Estate project that will revolutionize the skyline of Brickell Avenue in the coming years. This opportunity has taken me from the United States to London, from London to Italy, and who knows where else in the future!

Never staying still is the key to getting to wherever you want to get. I travel to be inspired by other environments and by other professionals and people but that’s a side effect of my nomadic way of living and working. I travel for business purposes to connect with new projects and embrace challenges. A significant part of my personal growth is intertwined with my journey as a nomadic professional. I believe I thrive in chaotic situations and that it brings out the best in my work.

I have clients all around the world. Most likely because I’m the kind of creative that is always changing, evolving, mutating, learning from every project. My need to move, to seek change, and be inspired by something new all the time is beneficial for the brands I work with. My clients appreciate this aspect of my work because they find in my restless and professionally curious nature a potential for inspiration and creativity that ultimately reflects in their identities and projects.

Constantly being on the move has allowed me to discover different facets of my profession that perhaps I didn’t fully experience during my university education. As an Art Director, I not only lead a team but also participate in crucial decisions alongside film directors. I have even directed the art of an important film totally filmed in a green screen, shoot in London. I delve into developing digital pieces using AI and continuously upskill myself in this area. Additionally, I enjoy illustrating and directing illustrators who contribute to various projects.

For me, the key is to keep pushing forward and never stop exploring. There are too many exciting things happening in the world to stay still, don’t you think?

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My daily work heavily relies on the project aspect. As a designer, I solve problems graphically, but often, I find limited opportunities to express my personal art or creativity in brand identity projects. Feeling the need to explore a more abstract form of expression, I embarked on a new project of digital portraits using traditional oil painting techniques but applied on my tablet; often using constrained palettes like the Zorn palette to create colors as one would do analogously. I recently started a new Instagram account to showcase my work, and you can catch a sneak peek at https://www.instagram.com/aguaojugo/

Moreover, I am thrilled to be a part of an exciting project in Buenos Aires called “Proyecto 8.” It’s an interdisciplinary workshop focusing on creative processes, where five participants are brought together to discover and develop projects. The workshop encourages letting go of control, embracing silence, listening to others, and allowing creativity to flow, exploring the individual’s personal work. This journey is also a voyage inward for me, delving into my own creative realm.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Choosing just one city is impossible for me, so I would invite you on a dizzying and slightly chaotic journey. Just the way I like it.

We would start the day with breakfast at the counter of Remedy, a typical diner in the Lower East Side of New York, known for their delicious blueberry pancakes. For lunch, we would head to Rayuela, a small restaurant in “Barrio Rawson”, a nearly secret corner of Buenos Aires, just meters away from the famous writer Julio Cortazar’s former home. In the afternoon, we would grab a coffee at Barbican, my home/studio/inspirational haven whenever I’m in London. For dinner, we’d enjoy the sea breeze in Miami, and then return to close the night in Buenos Aires with a cocktail at Doppel, a traditional bar in San Telmo known for making the best Old Fashioned according to The New York Times.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to express my gratitude to my colleague and “partner in crime,” Sarah Garrido. She is the Brand Manager and Director on the projects I’m currently working on. She has given me the opportunity to travel and grow worldwide, and I admire her as a professional for her hard work and dedication. Above all, I value her support as a woman in this field. She truly appreciates the work of professionals like me, and her trust in my abilities has played a crucial role in shaping who I am today.

Website: https://anadespres.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anidespres/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anadespres/

Other: Personal project: https://www.instagram.com/aguaojugo/

Image Credits
Ytech, The Boundary, Twentyfive Studio