HEAD OF VISUAL AND GRAPHIC DESIGN
G&A, WASHINGTON DC
Christian Cabrera is the Head of Visual and Graphic Design at design studio G&A – an interdisciplinary firm specializing in story-driven, community-centered experiences. His dedication to craft has fueled the team’s award-winning work across G&A’s portfolio of cultural, entertainment, and corporate clients.
Over a career steeped in design, Christian has championed a multidisciplinary approach, incorporating elements of art, graphics, materiality, and immersive media to shape experience. His creative curiosity served him well, sharpening his skillset as he worked everywhere from small bespoke design studios to global architectural firms like Gensler. But it was at G&A where he found a uniquely collaborative spirit, working together to build beloved experiences for the Chicago Architecture Center, Capitol Visitor Center and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Museum.
Christian believes the power of design lies in its broad reach, creating spaces that increase community-building, foster cultural understanding and elevate the human experience.
As we pivot into a post-pandemic era marked by societal challenge and change, are you optimistic about the future of Graphic Design to support and shape commerce, culture and causes? Why do you feel the way you do? Are you optimistic about the future of your own firm?
Like any discipline, we can be a force for good or for bad. I think the one thing we’re uniquely positioned to champion is the idea of clarity. There is so much noise in our environment: in the physical world, in the digital space, and even in our heads. The heart of what we do is to communicate: a feeling, a message, an ideal, so that people understand. If we can look at our work with the goal of minimizing the noise (or to amplify a thing that is really important), then we can be a positive force for culture and understanding.
We are seeing an increased focus on Package Design to advance the brand, tell the story, amplify the experience, forge an emotional connection. Do you agree with this observation and, if so, what advantages does packaging have over other graphic communications?
Packaging design is not a discipline we dive into too much as an experiential design firm. I spent my early years as a print designer so I definitely appreciate the creative approaches to creating something memorable. I think overall people want experiences that are designed to last. I also have mixed feelings about consumables in general, as a ‘throw-away’ piece feels antithetical to the intent of design. To that end, creating packaging or materials that can work as a keepsake, to extend the life of an object, should be top of mind. There is no such thing as sustainable swag.
