With SND 45 in the books, board member Martina Ibáñez-Baldor set out to ask this year’s winners about their portfolios and tips for the rest of us. Adolfo Arranz, Senior graphics editor at Reuters, was named the World’s Best Designer in the SND 45 digital competition. Adolfo was selected by a panel of 17 judges as the World’s Best Designer for his art direction/illustration portfolio.
What is your current job title, and how long have you been in that role?
I’m a Senior graphics editor. I’ve been in this role for just two years, since June 1st, 2022.
What do you love about designing for digital?
I love the freedom and versatility that digital brings when planning design. I am fascinated by the possibilities of innovating with different technical, aesthetic, and narrative approaches, using both digital and analogue tools, and how these can complement each other harmoniously. Particular emphasis for me is the way of approaching the narrative, which can be super immersive, and the opportunity to play and connect with the reader.
Coming from the print world, where I have developed most of my career, I see significant similarities and connections between traditional print and digital design.
Which of these projects was the most challenging?
All projects, in one way or another, are a challenge, some because they are breaking news and have to be resolved quickly, others because the story to be developed is more complex and requires giving the idea many thoughts. Perhaps the two projects I remember offered me the most significant challenge were the series “The Bat Lands” and “Searching for Life in the Rubble.” The first is because several complex episodes combine illustration, animation, and design. The second was the need to publish the project shortly after the terrible earthquake in Turkey. My wrist definitely needed a rest after two days of drawing! One fun thing about drawing with the iPad is that it counted the brush strokes I made for the illustrations. For this breaking news piece it took 133,641 brush strokes to create the series of illustrations.
What do you feel is the most important part of your design process?
The most essential part of my work process is collecting information and building the story. Inspiration and design normally come after all this arduous compilation and after comparing information. The other very important part for me is undoubtedly creating preliminary sketches for the design, composition, and layout. It helps me focus better and explain the idea to other colleagues and editors. I am a strong defender of the preliminary sketch.
What is your favorite piece in your portfolio from this year?
My favorite project is the breaking news about the earthquake in Turkey, “Searching for life in the rubble.” It demanded a lot from me, and I liked how it turned out overall. Another one that I also feel quite satisfied with is “Inside the Tunnels of Gaza.” They somehow have a similar aesthetic connection.
What advice would you give to designers who are looking to improve their portfolios?
I think the best thing is to improve yourself in your day-to-day work, little by little, be demanding with yourself, be precise in your information, and be consistent and coherent with your design. I believe having passion and excessive interest in each project is something that will help develop your work.
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