Mark your calendars for Saturday 30 May 2026! The Now26 conference is happening in the beautiful city of Paris. It’s going to be an epic event, with a mix of inspiring speakers covering a wide range of topics like graphic design, web design, motion design, publishing, visual identity, communication, and type design. If you haven’t already, don’t miss out on the best rates by registering now!

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We would like to invite you to explore the profiles of our esteemed guests. Discover the captivating interview of Filipe Carvalho.

Biography Filipe Carvalho is an Emmy Award-winning creative director and director working across entertainment, gaming, and advertising. Known for his cinematic, multidisciplinary approach, he blends design, architecture, and photography to create distinctive visual worlds.He has collaborated with Taylor Sheridan, Stanley Donwood, and Thom Yorke on projects including Counterpart and The Walking Dead.

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Interview

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What’s the first thing you do when you start your day?

Filipe Carvalho The only way to start my day is with a double dose of coffee. And I mean real coffee, italian espresso.

I regret to say that I don’t actually have any hobbies. I’m fortunate to consider what I do as not just a profession, but also my hobby. It just fulfils me immensely. Having said that, I sometimes wonder if tennis would be fun.

At my desk, the first thing I do is check email. Then check the news, usually the NYT and The Guardian. Then I’ll probably find something to listen to on Spotify, nowadays it’ll likely be classical music, soundtracks or jazz. I have an office at home. I used to have a small office at a large studio, when I was partnering with them for specific projects, but haven’t done that in a few years. New York Times, Guardian and The Economist are my usual go tos. Check them online everyday. It’s important to keep up with the world at large, not just as a citizen, but also as a designer. You can’t live in a bubble. I don’t really follow what’s happening in design as much these days, as I found that following trends does not help. I do keep up with whats happening with AI specifically though. I don’t really use it, but I find it important to know what it can do (and not do).

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“I sometimes do feel that I’m repeating myself, and to fight that I always go into anything that’s not design related.”

– Filipe Carvalho

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What do you think of IA as well as social media?

Filipe Carvalho I barely use AI, mostly just some of the features in Photoshop. I still haven’t seen any real impact with clients or work. I’m not saying its not happening, it just hasn’t happened with me. As much as I hate social media, and how it plays a huge role in what the world has become, I’ve always used it to show my work. Working remotely from overseas means I have to use everything I can to bridge that gap as much as possible.

Do you ever feel “too comfortable” in your creative process?

Filipe Carvalho That’s an important question. I sometimes do feel that I’m repeating myself, and to fight that I always go into anything that’s not design related. It can be architecture, fashion, foreign affairs, art installations. Even just going for a walk. Your brain knows when it’s being kept on a leash.

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“Understand the tone of the piece your working in, and just be honest in how you approach it.”

– Filipe Carvalho

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Are you a Sans or a Serif guy?

Filipe Carvalho Experience has taught me that less is more. When you’re trying too hard, it looks like you’re trying too hard. Understand the tone of the piece your working in, and just be honest in how you approach it. A whisper is most of the time louder than a scream.

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What is the movie or series that you worked on, which you would recommend the most?

Filipe Carvalho I loved Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey. I thought it was great. My favorite title sequence is Grand Prix (Saul Bass), and most recently I loved American Gods.

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“It’s important to keep up with the world at large, not just as a citizen, but also as a designer. You can’t live in a bubble.”

– Filipe Carvalho

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What was the most challenging work for a client you have ever done?

Filipe Carvalho There’s been a few over the years, but a recent one was the prologue sequence for Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning. It was very hard and intense, with a fast turnaround, and it ultimately didn’t get used. That can happen sometimes. It’s a tough industry.

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Do you remember when you decided to pursue your career in design?

Filipe Carvalho I knew early on I wanted to do something close to films. And I loved graphic design. So when I found out about motion design, and especially title sequences, I knew what I wanted to do. I didn’t have any formal design education, so I just studied what the great ones were doing. I looked up to them, and tried to understand what was behind the work. People like Kyle Cooper, Saul Bass, Danny Yount, Karin Fong, Peter Frankfurt, Erik Spiekermann, Michael Bierut, Paula Scher, Zaha Hadid, Frank Gehry, and many others.

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What other speaker wouldn’t you want to miss at Now26?

Filipe Carvalho I love Astrid Stavro’s work, looking forward to that.

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Thank you very much Filipe!

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– Interview by Malo Haffreingue

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