MANUEL
gÁlvez
Senior Art Director with over 15 years of experience in design and visual communication, five of them in advertising agencies. My core focus is judgment: reading the problem, the audience, and a brand's objectives before defining any visual solution, and holding onto that judgment throughout the entire process, from concept to final execution.
I've led creative teams by setting guidelines and quality standards, and I devote a good part of my role to developing junior designers through mentorship and direct feedback, so they gain autonomy and build their own judgment.
Generative AI is part of my daily workflow in conceptual exploration, moodboards, and production, always as a tool in service of creative direction, never as a replacement for the designer's decisions.
Outside of design, I’m a huge video game fan, and games have influenced the way I think about design more than I probably realised. Their mechanics have sparked a growing interest in UX, how experiences guide users, how levels create a path for the consumer or player, and how UI communicates what matters and what doesn’t and how they do it.
I’m also fascinated by storytelling, which led me into writing short stories and a novel, as well as researching characters, worlds, and narrative structures.
My interest in 3D has taken me into organic modelling and character development, while films have been another major influence, connecting my interests in storytelling, art, and science. I’m naturally curious, so whenever I have the opportunity, I like to keep learning about science, technology, and how the world around us works.