Pilar Valdivia

Graphic Designer

Chile

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Hello :) My name is Pili Valdivia and I'm a graphic designer. I've always founded it hard to talk about myself (I should work on that), so I asked some people to describe me instead. My best friend said I'm a "lucky dreamer", my boss wrote I'm a "rare mix of business understanding, creative talent and an exquisite graphic execution" (cute), and my mom said I'm a pain in the neck :) I laugh over stupid jokes (so if you want to feel funny, I'm an easy target). I love jam sessions and drinking sangría and I'm truly obssesed with design and creativity. When I graduated high school I wanted to be an economist... but I also wanted to be a musician, a designer, a writer, the President of Chile (for real) and so on. So I got into Business School and after one year studying integrals, 􀃕nancial accounting and economics, I was missing some romanticism. So I decided to study both simultaneously: Business and Design. Formally, I'm a fresh graduaded designer (BA Graphic Design), but I also studied business for 4 years (BA Business and Economics) and I just 􀃕nished a Music Production Diploma. Still, I always introduce myself as a designer because, for me that's truly who I am. See me as a tool box, with lots of di􀃠erent skills and knowledge to tackle di􀃠erent problems and create. The same way we design brands, we can design places, experiences, characters and even some aspects of our lifes. I seek a wide variety of knowledge because I'm craving to understand the world we live in more profoundly.

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You should select me because

Wow... this is a hard one...When I was in college I worked my ass off. I was studying two things at the same time, I played tennis in the university team, I was elected as the President of the Design Student Council, played lots of music and had a pretty prolific social life. I've given it all, in every single thing I've done. It's just the way I'm wired, I can't go half. Then, I went to Melbourne for an exchange program and I realized I was not seeing the big picture, I've done nothing yet and I have so much to learn, but I also know I have so much to give. And I was hidden here, missing out on the real party. WGI is my ticket in.It's hard for me to say that I'm THE best candidate, because I'm sure there are so many talented young people out there, maybe as motivated as I am. But I can promise you this: If you choose me I will not let you down. I will work my ass off (so it'll be non existing) as I've done until now. I make the most out of it and I will share that knowledge with everybody that I meet on my way, through my words, but also through my work. My experience will become the experience of many.

1. Why are you interested in wgi?

It would be crazy not to be! It's an unbelievable opportunity. I've never seen anything like it. I mean... is this even real? I see the WGI as an amazing initiative, which ought to be followed by others of the same kind. The gap between students and companies in the creative industry should be closed through internships, but the truth is that most of the time we don't really know how the real world works. I feel like the WGI is aiming to change that. Also, WGI being global is amazing! If you feel that you are lacking opportunities like this in the US, Europe or Australia, you should just come to South America. It's incredibly hard to pave a path to the international creative world. I think it has to do with language and cultural barriers but also with a poor local creative environment due to a lack of diversity. I see WGI as a creative human cannonball, and I really want to spread my wings! :)

2. What are you looking to gain from an experience such as WGI?

For me, WGI is all about gaining "world", if that makes any sense. Living at the end of the planet can be fulfilling, in so many ways, but it can also narrow your perspective on things and I've tried to avoid this by seeking educational opportunities beyond my borders. So I'm looking to build an international network and to learn from the very best! I want to submerge myself into diversity, open mindness and a more daring understanding of creativity. I'm looking forward to meet cool smart people, learn new methodologies and find out more about myself and my own perspective on design too. And maybe also a job? :)

3. What would be your goals after completing WGI if you were selected?

In the short term I would love to get a job somewhere exciting. Working with people that are willing to push the limits of the creative industry forward and that are looking to define and redefine what design means. People daring to ask questions and defy the stablished. My long term goals are more abstract. I look around me and I see something that looks like prosperity... but I raise my sight a little bit further and I see poverty (like... real poverty), depression, pollution, discrimination and loneliness. I know we are all just seeking for happiness and I believe in the power of design to change peoples' life, to inspire them, to tell them stories of progress, of love and of inclusion. So I feel a responsability to put my talent, my skills and my knowledge at the service of others and at the service of real urgent problems.

4. How did you hear about wgi?

I saw WGI's identity on "The Brand Identity" on Instagram. I was instantly drawn to the brand aesthetics so I checked it out. Then I read: "THIS INTERNSHIP AIN'T FOR EVERYONE" and I doubted for a second... " FOR EXAMPLE, SPIDERS" and I'm like "Great! First requirement fulfilled... Let's go for this"

5. Share an example of a time you were most motivated and a time you were most demotivated.

Most motivated: When I got a job at my favorite branding agency, one of the (if not the) best here. I was still studying so it was hard to manage my time and energy, but I knew I was going to learn a lot. The team is just amazing! It's been an absolute blast. Most demotivated: At a moment, I saw myself designing logos and websites on a non-stop loop. I want to explore creativity with a much wider approach. How can we innovate in the way that we innovate? How can we transform or improve a certain business for people's happiness and not just for profit? Can a brand be purely auditive and have no visuals? Should we always create something beautiful or can we aim for ugliness? How sound serves design? how design serves politics? I don't know...To see myself rolling on a loop with no time for reflection or experimentation, honestly demotivated me.

6. In your opinion, what creates a great culture at a company?

I would say the people, for sure! Positive people can be at a crappy place and turn it into something exciting. Positivity is contagious! Then again, a company culture that facilitate employees happiness will help those positive souls, to stay positive. I think that if the values of the company are meaningful and they are communicated properly, then the employees stop seeing the company as a money-maker machine and start seeing it as a team, with people working towards the same goals. Also, I see diversity as something all company should aim for. Different cultures and different points of view create real conversations, that lead to innovation and progress (and it also makes it funnier to go to work).

7. What brands and companies do you admire and why?

In the design industry I admire Sagmeister&Walsh, for their methodology and lateral thinking, and for their capacity of defying the conventions of aesthetics consistently over the years. Made-Thought for making clear the bond between making and thinking. I admire Pentagram for their trajectory and their versatility. The Design Kids for being a great source of inspiration and information, and a huge help for young designers like me. Out of the design industry I really admire a chilean start-up called Karun. They recicle the plastic fishing nets and turn them into really cool sunglasses. They stand for circular economy, fair payment, they clean the oceans, recicle plastic and involve the local community in the process. Just brilliant!

8. What do you do to stay sharp and improve your craft?

I think design is as practical as it is intellectual. So I read a lot (recently did the challenge "A book a week" for almost six months), I'm a TED fan, I read the newspaper and I'm an active follower of It's Nice That and The Design Kids. All of these inspire me to get wiser in my skills. When it comes to my practical skills, I practice, I freelance A LOT and then I look for feedback and try to stay as humble as possible. Feedback for me, is the only way to improve. Without it, we could be making garbage over an over again without even knowing. Also, I've done a bunch of online courses, I go to workshops, museums, and I'm constantly producing auto commissioned work. Right now, I'm very interested in sound design, so I'm planning an urban intervention: I'm 3D printing modules with headphone inputs and putting them in the streets, so people can hear the voice of chilean poets (Neruda, Mistral and Parra) reciting their poems. I believe the world is missing some poetry (literally and metaphorically) and I think finding these curious boxes in the streets and listening to what they have to say, can be very inspiring. It's like audioffiti :) Oh! And I try to learn a completely new skill every year (this year I'm learning to play drums, I thought it was going to be easy, but it's not at all). Maybe I'll get the chance to show you (drumrolls).

9. What’s your favorite quote?

"La suerte es amiga de la acción". Meaning something like: "Luck is the action's friend". It's impossible to win the lottery without buying a ticket.

10. If you could solve one problem in the world what would it be?