OUR STORY

Ours, because I’m many. I’m my family, my ancestors, my friends, my collaborators, my mentors, and the collective.

I grew up in the Venezuelan Andes. My life there was easy, the weather was perfect, the people beautiful. I studied architecture and graduated from Universidad de los Andes at 20. At that point, I realized I wanted a challenge and I decided to go as far away as I could, so I chose the University of Melbourne, Australia. I stayed for a year and a half.

I felt at home in academia, so back home I started working at Venezuela’s Universidad Central, where I was part of the first iteration of the Caracas Urban Think Tank. But just as we were getting some traction, a failed coup and the temporary closure of the university led me to San Francisco, where my brother Marco was living.

The city, deflated by the burst of the first dot-com bubble, was artistic and danceable and it suited me. I wasn’t thinking about my career or the future, I was liberated! From academia, from expectations, from my family, from my gender identity, from driving a car. I was a young immigrant artist in a place where that was a good thing.

I found my first job in the city in the company of my old friends: books! William Stout, a world-renowed architectural bookstore, served as my continued education — enabling me to spend my time reading while paying the bills.

In 2012, my good friend George gave me the opportunity to be part of his amazing studio, and so McCalman Co was my entry point to the design community. I jumped into type studies, photoshoots, screen layouts, etc., and eventually found my expression in mapping systems and implementing them for a variety of projects and clients.

In 2014 I took an important détournement (in the literal sense that the Situationists meant it) and founded The Absurdist: an art collective using digital media to express collective existential issues. In 2016 we had a solo show at StorefrontLab: Machines for Absurd Living.

In 2015, I was invited to be part of the 4th floor at 1211 Folsom Street, which was home to Public Architecture and other design practices. That’s when I founded SuperWorks, which can be called an iterative practice. I have worn many skins under the name, and some of them have been painful to peel off, but I’m a big fan of conflict because no matter what, it always means growth, adaptation, and resilience.

As I embarked on creating a company where everyone (including myself) could be their best creative selves — while maintaining the autonomy and responsibility of being self-managed — I learned I wasn’t alone in my search for a way of working that didn’t conform to the hierarchical norms of corporate America. Concepts and practical applications emerged to show me the roadmap forward. It hasn’t been a linear trajectory, but the aim remains to live and work according to the principles of autonomy, creativity, and responsibility to the collective good.

Six years into SuperWorks, I noticed a pattern: there were some projects that were successful while others failed. Where was the common thread? My answer: strategy. So I initiated another educational journey (GSB Stanford: Design Thinking, From Insights to Viability) to learn the methodology behind sorting out an idea, testing assumptions, disregarding biases, prototyping to gain insights, and then make it happen — perhaps not in the way that was envisioned at first, but in a way that’ll be successful. A follow-up course of study allowed me to map complex systems and understand where the points of leverage may be (Ideo U: Human-Centered Systems Thinking) allowing me to deliver innovative and impactful solutions for people and organizations interested in turning the balance in favor of a more equitable future.

I live amongst oaks, madrones, and manzanita trees on a hillside north of San Francisco, in the unceded ancestral lands of the Coast Miwok people.

Gracias por leer, y hasta pronto.

Forever Grateful for Beautiful Collaborators

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Forever Grateful for Beautiful Collaborators 〰️

“I'm passionate about creating custom and design-oriented website frontends that integrate with modern applications and frameworks. My skills in design and animation techniques match my appreciation for simplicity. I enjoy collaborating with like-minded makers to co-create innovative ideas, and I'm dedicated to making a positive impact through the digital lens.”

Nico Brühlmann • Front End Web Developer / Creative Drifter

"I’m a designer, artist, and craftsperson. I love studying the systems of our world to find meaningful solutions to complex problems. I’m passionate about working with people, from user testing to prototype iterations to collaborating with teammates and stakeholders. I also enjoy crocheting and designing amigurumi!"

Stella Sun • Interaction Designer

“We each have the ability to co-create a healthier, more equitable future for our world. As a designer, curiosity and compassion are the tools I use to create that change. My commitment to equality, wellness, and community inform my process. The foundation of my design process is a collaborative approach which includes research, ideation, and prototyping. I love creating equitable, user-centered products and services that help people address real problems. My favorite projects focus on healthcare, wellness, transportation, and civic design.”

Omar Ansari • UX Designer & Researcher

"I help people see their own stories, often by talking them about what they do — and how and why they do it."

Erin Klenow • Writer / Content Strategist

“I am a graphic designer, maker, and dog enthusiast. I love creating visually compelling identities and producing conceptually based systems. A strong proponent of bold color and interesting typefaces, currently living and working in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. ”

Grace Lee • Graphic Designer