First I decided to study in any of the best universities of Rio, then I looked for the options they had. At PUC-Rio there was an Arts College with specialization in Visual Communications and Industrial Design.

In my college years I fell in love with my profession. I felt I was in the right place, doing the right thing. But there was a flaw in my course: we were not taught to deal with the market, to be enterpreneurs.

Then, after graduation, I started looking for a job in the only way I knew: in the jobs section of the newspaper. I couldn’t find any jobs and after a while I took an opportunity in tourism industry and there I stayed for 6 years. But I missed working in my area.

In 1994 the buzz about the internet started. In an exhibition I saw the L’ouvre’s website and got very curious about that technology. I went and bought books and magazines on HTML, internet and website design. In ‘95 I bought my very first Mac. On my own I learned to write HTML code, Photoshop, Dreamweaver and Flash.

In ‘98 I did an email marketing and got a position as an intern in an internet provider which developed websites to their clients. Then, I worked at the airport and two years later I got my first real job in another bigger internet provider. Six months later I found an opportunity in a digital agency where I stayed for 3 years.

Since then, I never stopped working as a designer. Currently I work at a promotional items company and do my freelance jobs.

The experience I got from those years in the tourism industry helped me improve the way I deal with my clients.

I developed new competences and focus on what I know best.

As a designer I express the side of me that is inspired by beauty and balance. In my career I find the strenght to look ahead at new paths, to change, to improve for the best!

Thoughts of education, career, profession did not cross my mind. I had no notion that actions then would affect my future.

One day I realized something inside of me. I learned that all I had to do was my best, even if in some moments all I could do was think, ponder on what I had done and where I wanted to go from there, no judgements, no anxieties. I open my mind to new paths that already lied ahead of me, but it took me sometime to notice them. Finally I understood actions turn into reactions. Lack of them turn into nothing. There’s no hocus-pocus about this. This was the moment my life truly started.

I still don’t know where this perception might lead me, but deep inside something tells me “to places you never dreamed of…” I’ve learnt to value the means not the end (if there’s actually one). I’ve realized that it is crucial to go on with what I’ve got, not with what I may or will get. Everyday it is a struggle. Some days are easier, others quite not, but this is life. I’ve traded dreams for goals, fantasies for planning and action, lots of action! And as an emotional being I developed a great love and passion for my work!

Rio de Janeiro and New York: I love these cities.
Places where I learn, get inspired, moved and much more!

In this blog of mine I want to share what I’ve been learning, fot these experiences have helped me become the professional I am: attentive, focused, proficient and capable. Always going for my own improvement!

If you are heading to Rio de Janeiro, a must-go event is the Rua do Lavradio Street Fair, that takes place on the first saturday of the month. The event started a couple of years ago when the antique shops in the area decided to display their products on the sidewalk. Nowadays it’s also possible to find representative pieces of modern brazilian design.

Wear ultra casual

A good suggestion on a sunny day is to arrive early, take a look at the street fair then browse through the shops.

After that, take a seat on any of the many restaurants in the area and have a pleasant lunch. Some are quiet, others will present samba and chorinho shows. Choose your environment. After the meal, chat with your friends. If you’re on own, keep seated while appreciating the surroundings.

Even if you plan ahead, there’s a big chance other things can happen. There’s always a street performance. In the middle of the street there’s a small stage where different shows happen along the day.

A place to find isnpirations, for sure

If you are professional in a creative industry such as design, architecture or the like, a stroll up and down Rua do Lavradio Street Fair is sure to guarantee lots of inspirations to any project. Or even an idea for a new work.

Look at the clothes!

Inspired by The Sartorialist, I shot some passers-by that called my attention. My friend Carla San acquired one small cool black bag with white dots.

At the end of the street I found a small store that displayed on the sidewalk a production that caught my eye. I’m not into the fashion business but the ensembles were of real good taste. One of the mannequins wore a 70s inspired look. I felt like Jackie O. was sitting right there!

Ejnjoy!

Being mainly an academic project, a solution was looked for where news, calendars of events and official reports could be published, besides a repository for the production accomplished by the group would be availale. There was also the need to have a channel of promotion of material produced and available for sale, such as CD’s and books.  The updatings should be made in the simplest way possible.

The Solution

In agreement with presented demands, it was noticed that Joomla would be the appropriate solution to the needs of the Group.

The main features that helped in the choice were:

• ability to change the content of that site easily and / or frequently from any computer connected to the internet;
• possibility of having more than one person to be able to edit the site;
• the components that come along with the default installation;
• a back and front end in Portuguese;

The aplication remained without increment of components, extensions or plugins, besides those that are installed by default.

In 2006, the site, originally in HTML, was redesigned for Joomla! In 2008 it was updated for version 1.5 on account of new technologies that were incorporated to the system.

Results

After its release, the expression “architecture of museums”, until then unknown to people, became a reference in the area. With a monthly average tax of visitats superior to 60% and the speed in content updatings, now the site is positioned in first place in the result of Google organic search.

Due to a demand to develop more interactivity with visitors, a redesign is underway.

Visit Grupo Arquimuseus at http://www.arquimuseus.fau.ufrj.br (in Portuguese).

Owner of an active and unquiet personality, he recently started blogging on design, style and much more!

His latest post portrays an unique profile of the comtemporary man. Based upon lots of research and observation, the article is a must-read for all those who work with and for a male audience, going way beyond of a brazilian stereotyped soccer-beer-woman trinity, and placing its bets that the way to gain access to this man is understanding his lifestyle.

I’m glad to be present at this moment in the life of my friend where he starts to perceive the possibilities into his studies and experiences.

It is important to say that this affects me positively, too, as I learn from him.

My birthday is due soon and I asked him to give me and some friends a presentation. Sounds great, eh?

Updates soon!!!

My goal was to visit museum, cultural centers and walk A LOT around the city and I did it. Last time I was there was in 1998 and only now I could return.

The city still recovers. Memories of 9/11 are in the air. Indeed it was a deep wound. To my surprise I heard the locals saying their government knew something big was bound to happen in NY, but did nothing to prevent it. There’s suspicious in the air. The regular Joe trusts their government very much and it was interesting to hear this coming out of their mouths. All around the city you see billboard warning people to denounce any suspicious activity. But I didn’t feel there0s a witch hunt.

The reason I’m commenting this is that I saw this “feeling” reflected on common everyday places, like restaurants and bars. On the outside joyful, vibrating colors. Inside, rooms with little light.

I visited the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, a reformed manor that holda a museum for historical and contemporary design. It’s a small place. Two hours are enough to see everything. I saw the following:

• Rococo (visit site)
• Campana Brothers’ Selections: Pieces of the permanent collection (visit site)
• Multiple Choices (visit site)

On the same day I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art where I had time to visit one exhibition: Super-heroes, Fashion and Fantasy.The place is beautiful and huge, several exhibitions going on at the same time. A whole day event! You can make a “donation” if you can’t or doesn’t want to pay the full ticket to get in, starting at US$ 1.00.

Going down 5th Ave. I reached the Apple Store, the fanciest show-room ever, in my opinion. You can find everything Mac-related there. The staff is kind and very well-informed. A huge table with iMac for kids called my attention. There are staff members there helping the toddlers work with the machines. Teaching tomorrow’s consumers today.

It was summertime and the area sizzled!Right outside the Apple Store singer Rihanna presented a pocket-show on the street, sponsored by a TV channel.

Then I went to was to be the cherry on the top of my sundae: the Museum of Arts & Design (MAD). For my complete and utter frustration it was closed due to it being moved somewhere else.!! I was so pissed that I gave up the MoMa that was accross the streeet.

On the next day I came back, though. Glad I dit it! MoMa is huge and packed. I chose what I wanted to see. I went straight to a design exhibition. The instalation of Olafur Eliasson called my attetion: in a corridor bathed in a special yellow light, we had the illusion all colors were suprressed and everything and everyone turned gray! Besides that I saw:

• Jazz Score
• George Lois: The Esquire Covers
• Just In: Recent Acquisitions from the Collection

In the afternoon I went to Chinatown with my girl friend and we walked down to Battery Park City, on the south tip of Manhattan. Along the way I saw saturday in NY, with bands performing in the middle of the street, interesting stores and more.

I stopped by Ground Zero, where the towers of WTC were. I was told two new towers with 140 floors each will be built there. Wait and see.

I walked a lot, always looking for inspirations for my projects.

Nova York is endless!