Member in the Spotlight: Helen Fernando

Introducing our Spotlight of the week: Helen Fernando, Creative Art Director at TBWA\NEBOKO. After studying graphic design, Helen continued her studies at Willem de Kooning Art Academy. She started her career at Ogilvy Amsterdam and then joined the pirates at TBWA\NEBOKO last year. So far, her work has been recognised by ADCN, ESPRIX, SAN and Cannes Lions. Through our series of personal and professional questions, we get to know Helen a bit better and find out which artists are filling her many playlists, who her current design crush is on, and what’s the first thing she does when starting a new project.

As the Club for Creativity, we’d like to ask you to get creative and draw a self-portrait.

PERSONAL

What is your favourite website and why?

I love to get lost on websites like designspiration while KEXP or Tiny Desk is playing in the background.

What music could we find on your favourite playlist?

I enjoy a broad range of music, from reggae to alternative indie and old classics. I’m always on the hunt for new music. I can spend hours searching for new tunes and filing them in my many playlists. I’m currently listening to Khruangbin, Little Dragon, L'Impératrice, Arlo Parks and Nilüfer Yanya.

What object could you never part with?

My phone! It gives me access to inspiration, music and it’s a great tool to scribble ideas that pop up at the strangest moments.

What is your most recent ‘find’?

I recently watched Beyoncé’s visual album Black is King and I was blown away. Every video still is a piece of art. If you haven’t seen it yet, go watch it! Be prepared though because you won’t be able to sit still. At least I couldn’t!

Who is your current art/design crush?

I absolutely adore the characters from studio Cabeza Patata, London based photographer Will Sanders (image below) and gif collage artist George Wheeler.

What is your favourite piece of art and why?

I was really impressed by the seesaw installation on the US-Mexico border. It was designed by architecture studio Rael San Fratello to create a physical connection between communities on either side of the wall. The installation was in place for only 40 minutes before it was removed. But it showed the world that play can be an act of resistance.

Who is your style icon?

When I grow up, I want to be like Iris Apfel.

PROFESSIONAL

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

I was very lucky to meet people who gave me this great advice: ‘embrace being different. It allows you to have unique insights which lead you to have different ideas’. So always be yourself, no one’s better at being you... than you. And that’s your weapon.

What top tips do you have to help people get creatively inspired?

Dare to be different, have quirky hobbies, observe people, go for a long hike in the woods, have lots of side projects. For example, I create analogue collages, illustrations and I carve wooden spoons.

What’s the first thing you do when you start a project?

I immediately attack the scary blank paper by doodling all the ideas that come to mind after a briefing session. When I’ve cleared my head, there’s room to dive deeper.

Which phase of the creative process excites you most and why?

I love the feeling of not knowing where a briefing will take you and that exciting moment of ‘OMG, we’re on to something!’ I absolutely love the hunt for new ideas! It’s a magical process.

How do you learn in the best/most effective way?

By being open minded and playful. Never lose your inner child and don’t wait for the perfect circumstances. I push myself to just start somewhere and learn along the way.

What makes a great or hero client?

I admire clients who dare to be different and disruptive.

Out of the campaigns/projects you’ve worked on, which makes you the most proud?

I loved working on the ‘Ford Handicab’ campaign, a social experiment to highlight the idea of equal mobility for everyone. Another project I’m proud of is ‘Philips Dutch Masterjuices’, a stunt where we took the ingredients from famous still life paintings and turned them into healthy juices. These are two great examples of amazing collaborations and brave clients.

If you could pick one recent campaign/project that makes you think, ‘I wish I’d done that’, what would it be and why?

Ideas with a social relevance grab my attention and The Tampon Book is a great example. An extraordinary idea with a mind-blowing insight and beautiful execution. It doesn’t just address a problem; it changed the law. That’s the power of creativity! If you’re curious about what else inspires me, you can find out more here.

Through our Members in the Spotlight feature, we aim to get to know both professionally and personally the unique qualities of our ADCN Members. If you would like to join ADCN, the Club for Creativity, you can find out more here.