Estudio Pánico by Camila Cardeñosa
Pánico is a multidisciplinary design studio located in Quito Ecuador, founded by Paulina Jarrín and her husband Marcelo Calderón. The first time I saw their work was in February 2020 during the LAD (Latin American Design) Awards Ceremony in Lima, Perú. The studio won a gold award in illustration, two silver awards in packaging and editorial design, and many new fans, including me!
Since then I have followed their work and every time they show a new project, it blows me away, which meant Paulina was on the top of my list, when I started thinking about this series of interviews. I was very curious to learn more about the beginning of Pánico and the path the studio has taken to become a well-respected and notable studio in the Latin American design scene.
When I invited her to participate, Paulina told me that she’s in charge of the conceptualisation behind all the studio projects and within her team she relies on the talent of three women: Ivi Monteys a graphic designer, Valeria Torres an illustrator, and Made Garcìa, the production manager. The vision and collaborative work they produce together greatly enriches Pánico’s studio practice. This is the reason why I decided to invite the entire team to share their thoughts.
I chatted with them last year and it was such a lovely talk, I ended up learning a lot and picked up several tips for the future. One of my favourite tips is about self-confidence – being confident in your individual creative process, persevering towards what you want to achieve and trusting in your own instincts and abilities. All four women agree that if they had the chance to go back to the beginning of their careers, they would try to enjoy the moment and make the most of their learning path.
When Paulina and Marcelo started Pánico, one of their dreams was to make the studio a space where all team members have the opportunity to share ideas, find their strengths and therefore be able to create a “simple powerful and straightforward” graphic solution. After observing the level of mutual respect and positivity within the group of women, I believe they’ve achieved this. They also recognise that sexism is still prevalent in the world and firmly believe in the power of women supporting each other.
The work of the studio will surely continue to win fans in the future, and it is exciting to know that behind this work is a team led by Paulina and her husband, where female voices have a leading role.
Learn more about the women behind Pánico they have, in my opinion, many words of advice for all of us who are in the creative world.
Paulina Jarrín – co-founder of Pánico
When did you realize you had an interest in design and wanted to work in the design field?
It happened recently; I think it was about 2 years ago. I always used to feel that my strength was writing strong content, more than creating the image itself. But after working for so long with Marcelo (Graphic Director of Pánicoand my husband), I started perceiving all the concepts that a colour, a symbol, or a typography could communicate. We have been together for so long that our interests have been simultaneously mixing and modifying until today. Now I strongly believe that the impact the content gets is due to the way we show it visually. It’s not only about the words, but also giving importance to every communicative element that we use.
Tell me about your career until now. What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
I studied journalism and I really enjoy writing and telling stories. But I definitely don’t like the way that mass media is handled in my country. I’m a deserter of my guild, not for having lost my interest in my profession, but for leaving the mass media world.
Marcelo and I have been together for more than 16 years. He started in Advertising, and I started in Journalism. Together, we’ve created a communication structure that allows us to believe in what we do. Pánico is a life plan for us, in which we try to show our ideas about communication to whoever believes that they need a clear identity and content creation.
We first attempted to create Pánico in 2013. We had a partner that also was a great friend, but unfortunately, we didn’t make it through the initial year, and were forced to look for other jobs so that we could support our families. The idea really stuck with us though. And so we tried again in 2015, this time with another partner, who left us after a while. Even though we’ve faced some bumps along the way, we’re still here trying to change the idea that communication requires big agencies and lots of filters to function. We believe in direct and close contact with our clients, that way we can capture the real essence of what they want to express. We always say we believe in what’s simple, direct and powerful. We have adopted those three concepts as our motto. Today Pánico is growing and that makes us really happy, even though it represents new challenges. Starting to collaborate with more people, learning from new professionals and sharing our experience is something that we are really enjoying.
We always say we believe in what’s simple, direct and powerful. We have adopted those three concepts as our motto.
How do you find working with your husband?
We are more than professional partners. Our professional story is very anecdotal and our love story even more. Working with him is definitely fun, in the deepest sense of the word. He is always so involved in his designs that his passion to take care of every single detail becomes contagious, because the simplicity of our work is inversely proportional to the effort and time that we dedicate to it.
Our family dynamic is very close, and we have two sons that give us feedback on our work all the time. We ask each other for feedback a lot. I think it’s truly difficult to separate what we do in Pánico, with our relationship dynamic. We are a team and that is our priority.
Your work is a constant collaboration with the design team. What do you enjoy the most about this work ethos?
I definitely like to see how different visions can create such a strong concept. I really like learning about the different approaches of each designer at Pánico, and makes sure that all the projects have a touch of their personality.
How has being a woman impacted your career?
It’s hard to know, I’m a mother of two boys and my time is a constant race. However, I cannot define whether this has been positive or negative for my career. But it has definitely been the best on a personal level. Our family dynamic is a great boost for me and Marcelo.
On the other hand, I believe that although globally our society has a long way to go in terms of gender equality, in my working environment and family life, I feel free and safe.
If you could go back and start your career again, what advice would you give yourself?
Do not feel pressure. I felt a lot when I started. I was already the mother of my first child when I began my professional studies, and far from enjoying the journey, I was in too much rush to finish them. I felt a lot of pressure to show myself that I had not, “restricted my future” by being a mother at such an early age, and thus my college years were invaded by doubts and insecurities. Fortunately, the doubts dissolved over time, so I would really advise myself to have more confidence, and enjoy that path that was more about learning than getting academic achievements.
Which female creatives inspire you most?
I really like the creative work that I have seen from Liza Enebeis, as Creative Director at Studio Dumbar. I also find Alina Rybacka’s work really inspiring. In photography, there are so many women who have impressed me with their work and I’m going to name three with very different approaches: Shirim Neshat, Sally Mann and Elizaveta Porodina.
Can you recommend three current women designers or illustrators whose work you find inspiring.
- Ecuadorian illustrator María José Mesías @pepailustradora
- Argentine Studio By Beyond, led by two really talented women @by.beyond
- Argentine illustrator Agustina Guerrero @agustinaguerrero
Valeria Torres – Designer & Illustrator
You work in a studio with several people working in different disciplines. How do you think this enriches the projects you create?
Well beyond enriching the project outcomes, I think that we lift each other through sharing our thoughts during the creative process. Gathering different ideas and perspectives, allows us to work on projects from a very genuine place. It is a path to which we all contribute from our experience and, during the process we learn from each other and that for me is very important. Additionally, the results always end up being a surprise.
What is your creative process and where do you get inspiration?
Personally, I don’t have an established creative process, one day I work in one way, the next day in a different way, and so on. It all depends on the mood I’m in. I am inspired by many things, from human connections to painting. Currently I’m very inspired by one of my favourite artists, Miranda Makaroff, she has a vibrant and colourful visual aesthetic.
Many people in the creative industry suffer from imposter syndrome and they greatly doubt their abilities. Have you experienced this? How do you handle it?
Yes, of course I have. It is awful. What helps me is to talk about it, with a friend or with my boyfriend. Getting those insecure thoughts out is the first step for me in overcoming it. The good news is that there will be a day when I will feel very proud of what I am doing.
What advice would you give to women who are currently thinking about starting a creative career?
Do it and do not let anyone tell you what to do. There are many jealous people in this world and often you will face criticism. Trust yourself, you are a creative person, just look for ways to awaken it.
Which female creatives inspires you most?
As I mentioned before, Miranda Makaroff inspires me a lot, apart from the fact that her art is incredible, her personality and the way she thinks lines up a lot with me.
- @p.o.l.i_lunar (ilustracion) Ecuador
- @wetglu (diseño gráfico) Ecuador
- @sofiatormenta (artista visual-perfomer) Argentina
Ivi Monteys – Graphic & Web Designer –Barcelona
You are working in a studio with several people in different disciplines. How do you think this enriches the projects you are working on?
I’m new at the studio (it’s been a couple of months since I started), and so far, I have only worked with Marcelo, the founder and Art Director of Pánico. Since it is all remote, we usually do 2 or 3 Zoom meetings per week and give each other updates on our projects and the next steps to follow. Marcelo told me once that Pánico likes to collaborate with multiple people coming from different backgrounds, and I think that the projects reflect the combination of creative people with their own style while following the studio´s motto.
What is your creative process and where do you find inspiration?
After getting the brief, I usually start by researching other projects similar to the one I will be working on. From there I gather visual references including, typography, images, colour palettes, among other things. Then I create a few mood boards to get a kind of sense about the look and feel of the project, in order to have a better understanding of where the project is heading. I then refine the mood boards and organise them in a way that can be presented to the client. After they approve the look and feel, I start exploring the visuals, following the rules we have already established.
Since I’m new at the studio and also in the design field, I can get blocked and overwhelmed quite easily. The lack of real-world experience sometimes makes me hesitant about my ideas and focus too much on the small details. That’s why it’s so important to be able to count on Marcelo’s advice during our weekly calls and I’m looking forward to being able to learn from Pánico’s other team members as well.
Many people in the creative industry suffer from imposter syndrome and they greatly doubt their abilities. Have you experienced this and how do you handle it?
Since I’m still a design student and don’t have a lot of real experience, I definitely deliberate about my work a lot. However, I’m also aware that I’ve worked hard to get to where I am now. I have a long way ahead of me to learn, discover new skills and explore my own style. That’s why I focus on learning and having fun with every project I’m involved in and try to remember that comparing myself to others is not a productive way of thinking. I love what I do – I’ve made the right decisions to get where I am and now it’s all starting to pay off.
In moments of doubt, I usually think about where I’ll be in five years from now. I recognise that what matters now is to continue focusing on creating good work and getting inspired by awesome designers and studios, such as Pánico.
What advice would you give to women who are currently thinking about starting a creative career?
I would say that, even if it sounds cheesy, the most important part is to believe in yourself. If you enjoy getting inspired by other people’s work, creative problem solving and find yourself analysing what’s working and what’s not in your surrounding visual environment, I think that you will feel very comfortable in a creative career.
Nevertheless, you need to know that everyone starts small, and comparing yourself to established well-known designers will not do you any good. Start learning the basics, practice and constantly research other people’s way of working. It can be intimidating at first, but once you start feeling comfortable with what you’ve learnt, go out there and ask to be part of projects you would like to be part of. The rest will come with time and experience.
Which female creatives inspire you most?
- Nancy Kouta: nancykouta.me
- Caterina Bianchini: studionari.co.uk
- Sophy Hollington: sophyhollington.com
Made García – Photography Production
You are working in a studio with several people in different disciplines. How do you think this enriches the projects you are working on?
Each project represents a different challenge where each creative element is important. As we are a diverse team, each project is approached in a different way depending on the person from the team who knows more about the project is in charge of it. At the end the different approaches enrich the creative process and helps everything to flow. At the end we have amazing results.
What is your creative process and where do you find inspiration?
The photography production stage is about analysing each client brief to see how we can approach it and show it in a way that expresses the project or idea most effectively. From there, we research and hire a photographer fits with what we want to do and then we begin the production process until we get the final piece.
The team I work with inspires me. Additionally, I enjoy discussing ideas about how to approach a new project or envisioning how the final result will turn out. Inspiration also comes from the artists we work closely with, by watching the love they put into their work. In general, people inspire me.
Many people in the creative industry suffer from imposter syndrome and they greatly doubt their abilities. Have you experienced this? How do you handle it?
It happens to me a lot. I think that when you first start working professionally, perhaps you don’t judge yourself as much. It’s when you gain more experience, that for me, more doubts appear with each step you take, and this is when you should develop your practice further. My solution is to investigate new skills, ask more questions and continually educate yourself. I also get support from my work team, which is important as they give me the encouragement and confidence that I am doing things well.
What advice would you give to women who are currently thinking about starting a creative career?
Don’t be afraid to give your opinion and keep trying until you find your place.
What female designer, artist, photographer, creative inspires you?
- Lucila Blumencweig is an amazing photographer based in Buenos Aires: lucilablumencweig.com @lucilablumencweigphoto
- And from Ecuador, Jenny Ruiz. She is the person with whom I started my production work: jennyruiz.com
- Coni Dietrich an Argentine photographer and Art Director. She’s a mother, I think that’s why I identify with her a lot: conidietrich.com.ar @conidietrich
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Article by Camila Cardeñosa
Camila Cardeñosa is one of our DesignbyWomen collaborators who has curated and written a series of inspirational features showcasing Spanish speaking female designers based in Latin America and Europe.