Creative Voices: André Sousa, Design Manager & Art Director
Join us for another conversation with an inspiring co-worker and leader from Wayfair’s creative ecosystem, as we explore the little details that go beyond copywriting and add to the daily work and culture of our team.
“Five years ago, I was spending some time in Bali when I got an email from Wayfair. They had come across my portfolio, really liked it and wanted me to come to Berlin for an interview,” says André, designer and now manager for Wayfair Europe’s major promotions and everyday campaigns design team. “To be honest, I didn’t know much about Berlin, but I knew I wanted to make a career change, and I was ready to move. Without overthinking it, I told myself: it’s the perfect moment. How lucky am I that someone is reaching out to me rather than the other way around! I didn’t have anything to lose, so I booked my flight.
“The day I had my first interview, they invited me to spend half a day working with the team to see if I would be a good cultural fit. The creative director loved the work that I had done and my way of interacting and connecting with the team, so he offered me the job that very same day. That was a Thursday; I came to the office on Friday to sign the contract, and by Monday, I had officially become a full-time graphic designer at Wayfair. Of course, our recruiting processes are far more structured and organised now.”
Moving abroad
André was born in Terceira Island (Azores), a volcanic island in the middle of the Atlantic and an autonomous region of Portugal. “All the places I’ve lived have taught me that every city is different in terms of how people react to things,” he explains. While living in the Azores, he worked as a tourist guide, interacting with different people from around the world. This helped him not only improve his English but also expand his vision of the world — and made him want to seek out more. “When you are born and raised in such a ‘small’ place, whether you like it or not, there is a pretty homogenous mentality. Getting in touch with other realities was fascinating, and it landed me a lot of opportunities.
“My first big move was to Aveiro, where I studied design for three years. After finishing my studies, I moved to Porto, where I landed a job in the fashion industry. After almost a year working there, it became evident that I wasn’t ready to settle down. I still wanted to go out and explore, to see the world.” With a true passion for surfing, skateboarding, nature, great design and big cities, André’s goal was to move to Australia. “It’s one of those places that seems to have the perfect set-up for me. But it is quite expensive, which is why I landed in Bali first, to apply for jobs in Australia while enjoying Indonesia on a budget.”
Variety is something André appreciates no matter where he is. Living in Berlin, André has learned to love the perks of every season and what the city has to offer. “My first memory of Berlin is a cold winter. I remember landing from Bali during the first snow of the year, wearing only a t-shirt and shorts.
“When I am in the Azores, I like to go out and spend hours lost in the wild, without coming across a single human soul. There is a lot of creative input to draw inspiration from; the textures, smells, sounds, colours. It’s all about the rawness. In Berlin, it is the complete opposite. I love the city’s pace; there are always so many people and things going on, and I enjoy being surrounded by so many different aesthetics and subcultures. One of the things that I love most about Berlin is how each neighbourhood makes you experience life differently.”
Building things from scratch
André started his career after completing a general degree in design. His education focused on product design, and he intended to follow that path in his career. “I wanted to pursue product design because growing up I always liked to build things from scratch. When I was in college I was involved in projects where I would build a coffee machine or even a bike, that was my thing! I wasn’t too interested in graphic design, to be honest, but once I jumped into the real world and had my first experiences with the industry (especially with music events and covers design), there was no doubt I wanted to be a graphic designer.”
His professional experience was the opposite of his education. He realised that product design wasn’t as exciting as graphic design, which allowed him to create his own language and visual aesthetic. He also realised that it was easy to push back against design school rules! “This is what captivated me the most about graphic design and pushed me to this transition; I had been following the rules — then it was like someone had suddenly ripped off a bandaid.”
His main creative influences link the subcultures from the early 80s to today. “From a very early age, I was interested in how provocative the music, surf and skate scene could be, and I always felt a part of that movement that was constantly pushing the needle and breaking down boundaries. The underground scene aesthetic, the stickers, the album covers, and the fanzines are great examples of how to grab attention with undaunted colours, bold typography and even collages. To me, it’s screaming to be picked up off a shelf.”
The same appetite for constant change and disruption characterises Wayfair and keeps André motivated and engaged. “The most enjoyable part of working at Wayfair is that things are always changing. Working as a major promotions designer might sound boring at first, as Christmas is always on the same day, we have Black Friday every year, and seasonal sales are standard. But the idea of improving these campaigns, continuously learning from the data, innovating and trying to push boundaries with our brand — this is an entirely different game,” he explains.
“It pushes everyone working on those campaigns to improve their skill sets. This constant search for innovation, the need to try new things and having a lot of heads on a project is what gets me excited and builds rounded individuals. When the business is growing, we all have a great opportunity to grow with the business. I am super excited that there are so many open doors for people to expand and grow in their careers.”
The role of a design lead
As one of its most experienced members, André thinks the creative team has come a long way. “Our initial mood boards were trend-heavy rather than data-heavy, which is no longer the case. Four years may not sound like a long time, but at Wayfair, a lot can happen in a matter of days,” he says. “The collaboration between copywriting and design is a good example. When I started, the copywriting team had their copy ready for our assets months in advance, which meant there could be no collaboration between the disciplines. Now, as it is common for the copy to be the star of the banner, we regularly collaborate between disciplines to find the perfect balance between copy and design.
“In the early days of the business, we were creating assets that looked good and felt right. We now have clear creative guidelines, data to back up our decisions, and defined customers we want to speak to. I don’t think many creatives have the opportunity to learn as much of the business as we do at Wayfair. This is a really good thing because this is knowledge that we can always take with us. It’s all about understanding and interpreting the data and being more analytical with our design choices. They don’t teach you this in design school — but you do learn it at Wayfair.”
Today, André manages a team of four designers and serves as the art director for all campaigns and major promotions in Europe. “It was never in my plans to become a design lead, it happened organically. What motivated me the most to accept the role was the excellent dynamic within the team. And the fact that I would be managing people I really cared about.”
When asked which is the most difficult part of leading a creative team, André doesn’t hesitate to answer that communication and learning how to give feedback is something he continues to put effort into. “Over time, I have learnt that in a professional, international environment, a culture of feedback is important. If we inject many different perspectives into a project, it just grows stronger. Especially at Wayfair, where the customers we speak to are so diverse, we can’t assume we all think as they do. We should celebrate diversity and try to include as many backgrounds and perspectives into what we do as possible.”
The major promotions and campaigns design team, as described by André, has the perfect mix between a strong set of skills, work-life balance and collaboration. “We complement one another. Most of us are in the early days of our careers, but importantly, we are all growing. Not only with the business but in our careers. It’s good to see that, in this way, no one can be stopped.”
