An Interview with George

What led you into design?

I started modifying cars in Photoshop around the age of 12 and one thing led to another. I was always exposed to art as a kid and what started out as a childish hobby grew into something more meaningful as I got more exposure to design. 

A key moment I remember really well was discovering the short film series Like Knows Like and being completely inspired by the interview with Jessica Walsh. I think from that day on, I was set to be a graphic designer.

What does a typical day look like?

I tend to start the day around 8am with a coffee and by checking my emails and Notion to reflect on what’s important for the day. After that, I like to take a shower while building a mental plan for the day.

By 9, I’m in front of my computer and feel ready to get straight into some projects. If I have any strategy or deep thinking work to do, I’ll tend to prioritise this for the morning whilst my mind is fresh.

Around 1, I’ll either have lunch at home or meet a friend close by for a bite to eat and a coffee, it just depends on what the day holds and who is around.

After that, I’ll get back to my desk and start working on whatever is next. In the afternoons, I like that my mind wanders a little more and I think this is the time when the best creative ideas show themselves. 

Evenings are for personal projects, social media editing, movies with my partner Drake or to head out to meet friends in the city or at the beach.

What’s your work station setup?

I work on a 16” MacBook Pro and also regularly use an iPad Pro for illustrations or meeting notes. I like to keep inspiring objects and artwork nearby, like my Studio Arhoj glass blob or my poster from Bilbao Design Week ’25 that was designed by my friends over at Studio Vedia. 

Where do you go to get inspired?

If I’m online, I tend to browse BrandNew, Pinterest or Savee. For type inspiration, I love to visit my WhatsApp chat with Courtney Burchell (Editorial Designer at Monocle), as she’s always sending amazing websites, so I’m always looking at fresh sources of inspiration.

If I’m looking for inspiration offline, I like visiting friends’ studios or going for a walk heading with a coffee to see what I stumble across. Recently, I discovered a bookshop near my house that has some great zines and design books.

Where do you live and how does it influence the way you work?

I recently moved from London to Bilbao and whilst I was initially nervous about moving from one of the design capitals of the world to a smaller city in the north of Spain, I’ve actually found being here is more inspiring. Here, the design community is tighter and being a freelancer, I’m tending to find I get to work with other designers more and feel more supported.

I’m still working with businesses in London and whilst 95% of the time I work from home in Bilbao, I do enjoy a trip back for a week or two if a project needs it. It’s always productive working face to face with people and it also gives me the opportunity to catch up with my family.

What have you recently seen that made you think “this is great design”?

In the main train station in Bilbao, I recently saw the new campaign for Castilla-La Mancha to promote itself as a tourism destination. The area is normally seen as a place to pass through on a journey somewhere else, so the campaign focuses on the word “PARA” (Stop). The ad creative features horizontal motion blurs (symbolising movement from a car or train) with locations from the region frozen still in the middle. I think it’s a beautiful concept and it made me think about a trip there… and that’s the whole purpose, right? 

What pieces of work are you most proud of?

I love the work I did recently for Alderfinch, an architecture practice in Bristol. Whilst working on the logo, I realised that by slanting the A to have a 45 degree angle on one side, and merging it with the F, I could create a graphic shape that looked like a modern building with a cantilever. Stacked in brand patterns it creates a graphic that represents stairs. It was a simple solution, but I think it helped the whole identity come alive.

Final question, what’s a project you secretly want to design one day, just for the fun of it?

I think, like most designers, working on some sort of pleasure or intimacy related brand would be a fun brief because there’s room to be a bit more playful, bold and cheeky. But honestly, I’d love to rebrand a city council. There’s something romantic about designing something that’s woven into the fabric of everyday life. I’d love to see my logo on a council bin… ideally with a graffiti tag partially obscuring it.