Lucas Fields is an urban loving independent graphic designer who hails from Brazil. He has worked with companies and individuals around the globe, and has a keen eye for clean, minimalistic design. With plans to move to the U.S. and dig deeper into the world or minimalism, Lucas doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.

What was the turning point in your life when you decided to become a designer?
I’ve always been interested in art, since I was a kid. After high school, I enrolled in a design course, at that time I had no idea what I would learn, I just wanted to start something related to art. When we started the classes about brand identity design, I began to search about famous logos like Nike, for instance: who designed this logo? Why was it so simple, yet beautiful? At that point I already knew what I would do for a living. I went to university, and here I am.

You’ve been working independently since 2014, how did you come to make that choice?
I wanted to start making some money, and also help my parents with my courses and university. I was already learning a lot about brand identity, so I started to design for Design Marketplaces, which is something I am grateful for but wouldn’t recommend for the ones who are starting a career. Fortunately, it helped me develop a nice portfolio and gradually started to bring me clients through my website and platforms like Dribbble, Instagram and Behance.

Royal Star,

Where are you from? And what can you tell us about the place?I’m Brazilian, from a city called Mogi das Cruzes, next to São Paulo, one of the largest cities in the world and it’s multicultural, which is something good for creative minds. It’s a very artistic city in terms of museums, street art, photography, and music. I would say it’s a bit similar to NYC, where I visited last year, fast paced life, long traffic jams, a city that never sleeps, but it’s something that I love, I’m a very urban guy.

What does your day consist of?
Usually I wake up early, and always try to have a healthy breakfast, then I get myself a cup of coffee and start to check websites like Dribbble, Pinterest, Behance and Instagram, It’s always a good idea to have some inspiration and motivation instead of heading straight to work. Then I check all my social platforms, how I am doing on Instagram, Dribbble etc. After that, I answer all my emails and messages. Around 9am is when I actually start working on my projects. Have lunch around 12pm, then I go back to work until 6pm. Stop for a snack and go to the gym. I try to avoid working at night, but I usually end up working 1 or 2 more hours.

What was the first logo you ever designed?
My first logo ever was for a Travel Agency. Obviously, it’s not on my portfolio, but it made the client happy and I still work with them. I was just beginning and had really bad skills, but that’s something I will always remember, a great experience and my first payment.

Are you a Mac or a PC?
Certainly Mac, I’m one of those guys obsessed with Apple products. As you can see, I’m a minimalist, less is more and that’s why Apple products match perfectly with my lifestyle.

Which software do you use frequently?
Pencil and paper are the tools I use most, but talking about software it would be 60% Illustrator, 30% Photoshop and 10% InDesign.

Celilo Builders

What is your favourite style of logo design? and why?
Minimalist for sure. ‘Less is more’ is my motto, I love negative space. I always try to make it as simple as possible. Sometimes it’s too simple that seems easy to get the result I need, but to make something simple is very difficult, if you know what I mean. The most successful logos are the simplest, the easiest to remember, you can even sketch them on paper in a minute, and that’s my focus for every single project.

What is your daily inspiration when you design?
My inspiration comes from places and moods, not only from other designs and designers. For instance, when I designed an identity for a streetwear store, my research was about their competitors, but not only their identities, but also their store’s design, the mood they were trying to communicate. Inspiration can be everywhere, we just need to open our minds.

What do you reckon is the best logo you’ve designed?
The one I like most is Rotavi App design. I love the final result, the simplicity, the shapes. It’s something unique, this kind of design is what I’m always trying to achieve. It’s also easy to play with the mark, for instance, with motion graphics.

Tell us about your process in creating a logo.
When I receive my design questionnaire with all answers I need, I read it and highlight the main information. Then I start with the research; I try to understand and collect all the information as possible about the client, their industry and competitors, it usually takes a few days.

After that I create the project Mood Board and reference, where I collect visual information, as I mentioned before, places, moods, art and designs. When I have everything I will need for the project, I’m ready for the next step; sketching/conceptualising. This is my favourite step, but also the longest one. I explore ideas for days, maybe weeks, this is the part where I let my creativity flow.

When I have a few good concepts, I pick the best ones, refine them on paper and then I go to Illustrator to digitise them. Usually I use grid systems (something people are always asking me, and I am considering creating a tutorial about that) and finally I prepare the presentation.

The next step depends on the project, usually I receive client feedback, work on adjustments, and start working on the typeface, colours and other materials.

But the first steps I mentioned are always the same: Project Questionnaire, Research, Mood Board/References and Sketching/Conceptualising.

What are your top 5 favourite logos? (from all the logos ever created by mankind)
As I mentioned before, Nike’s logo is one of the best ever. In my opinion it’s so unique, strong and it will never change. So, I would say:

• Nike
• NBC
• Target
• Sun Microsystems
• HSBC

What’s the best part of what you do?
Although it’s a serious industry, I would say it’s always fun to work with creativity. It’s a dynamic work, you are always learning, not only about design, but everything. As an independent designer, I would like to mention the commodity of a home office, São Paulo is chaos sometimes, so it’s a blessing to wake up in the same place where I work. But really the best part of being a designer is moment you realise your work is being appreciated from people around the globe.

What else do you do apart from design?
I’m really excited to start learning photography, this is something I love, my mom is a photographer as well. Also this is a project for the future, something like a hobby, but I want to photograph cities around the world. I love street photos, minimalism too (obviously).

One thing you always carry with you?
My GraphGear 500 and Field Notes (thanks Aaron Draplin). You never know when a great concept will cross your mind, right?

But also my phone, since I’m into photography now, I am always prepared to photograph something, even with my phone.

The beauty of minimalism

What’s lined up for Lucas Fields in the future?
I’m planning to move to the U.S. next year. I want to be a reference in terms of minimal design for other designers. I know there is a lot of work until I get there, I’m just starting. One thing is for sure, I will never settle down, I want to learn more and more every single day.

Who is the most inspiring person to you?
I would say Steve Jobs, the way he used to think, his obsession with quality and attention to detail is very inspirational. We have to give the best of ourselves. “Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things.”

What is your message of inspiration for budding logo designers?Never stop learning, I mean NEVER. I know it’s difficult sometimes, but always keep focus. Search for inspiration, if you want to be one of the best, you have to learn from them. Why are they successful? What do they do that makes them the best? But remember, reference is different from copying, never copy another person’s idea. And lastly, a lot of people ask me how they can learn design, and my message is; when possible, invest in yourself, nowadays we have great platforms such as Skillshare, Lynda.com, we can learn from guys like Aaron Draplin, George Bokhua, DKNG Studios and Mackey Saturday.

You can checkout Lucas’ portfolio at www.fieldsid.com and also follow him on instagram @_lucasfields