Interview with the Mercè's Poster Designer

Catalina Estrada is a Columbian designer that has been living in Barcelona since 1999. She has worked with brands including Paul Smith, Camper and LIndt, among others and was invited to design the posters for the Mercè festival this year.  We asked her a few questions about the poster, and about design in general: 
 
 
 
Where did your inspiration for the Mercè's 2011 poster come from?
From some of the traditional characters and elements of the Mercè festival. 
 
 
What did you want to communicate with the Mercè's 2011 poster?
The most important thing for me was that the poster communicated joy and the festival's energy, that is was a poster that was easy to read and that grabbed the public's attention with vibrant and contrasting colours, it's composition and visual structure
 
 
How would you define your artistic style?
It's a little difficult to define your own style, but I would say that I focus a lot on colour, composition and details. 
 
 
What do you think about design in Barcelona?
Barcelona is a city with a strong tradition of design, which is very inspiring when looking back at its history. But it's also inspiring to see everything that is happening right now and to think about what the future holds.
 
 
How do you think design improves our daily lives?
Well, design is a very broad term.... in regards to graphics, of course the image is what attracts us. Depending on the graphic presentation of a concept we understand it one way or another. In short, it is one of the ways we involve ourselves in the world that surrounds us. Whatever world that we imagine we have to associate an aesthetic, a graphic. Design makes life better when it is done responsibly, respectfully and intelligently.