Tapping into the Collective Brain
Do you identify with any of these statements? 1) I have a long list of things to do. 2) I have too little time to do them. 3) I am desperately in need of a holiday.
If the answer is yes, you have a least one thing in common with the super-talented graphic designers at Atelier Martino&Jaña in Porto, Portugal, who responded with that list last week when asked about their “present state of mind.” It would seem that creatives the world over have at least one thing in common: more ambitious plans than there are hours in the day.
For AM&J those ambitions are carried out through a small-scale but highly collaborative approach to work. All five designers – João, Alejandra, Oscar, Filipe, and Álvaro – touch almost every client project, refining the work with each handoff. At the same time, AM&J opens its doors on a daily basis to students and friends who want to use the space as a resource. It’s the best of both worlds: The design team remains small and tightly-knit, but their practice is constantly informed by fresh insights from a rotating cast of creatives.
We chatted with the AM&J team – who, of course, answered our questions collectively – to find out about their uniquely social working style.
