Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam Vicarel.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I run Vicarel Studios, a boutique design studio specializing in art direction, graphic design, and lettering here in Denver, Colorado. Most of our work is traditional graphic design, logo and identity design, painting murals, and unique digital content creation. For the most part, our work is used to elevate branding systems, packaging design, and marketing & advertising campaigns. Personally, I spent the majority of my life in Ohio, and I ultimately received my BFA in Visual Communication Design from the University of Dayton in 2011. Directly out of school I worked as an in-house designer for 2.5 years at a local promotional products company. Feeling uninspired and complacent, I then traveled for a year, and ultimately landed in Denver, Colorado where I started Vicarel Studios in 2015. Here, I began a freelance career focusing on reinvigorating the oftentimes sterile (and boring–delete) world of corporate design with the implementation of artistry and handcraft in my work. A regular outdoorsman, I spend much of his time traveling, hiking and climbing, an opportunity afforded by the inspiring mountains with which I am happily surrounded.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’m pretty sure any entrepreneur who says they haven’t hit any resistance or struggles is lying… personally, I moved to Denver and started my business after a stint abroad where I was living my life out of backpacking. Because of that, I was accustomed to living both frugally, and by the seat of my pants. The feelings of unpredictability are rife when traveling abroad, and finding comfort in this fickle day-to-day afforded me both perspective and repose amidst the trials and tribulations of starting a new business in a new city. Connecting with the ‘right’ businesses was difficult for me at first, but through unrelenting and shameless self-promotion on social media and determined, intentional networking, I ‘caught my break’ and began to find consistent business creating work that mends the worlds of art and design. The first two years of my business were hardly profitable, and I cut things like feta cheese and avocados (delicious, un-needed food items) out of my diet so that I could save a dollar anywhere possible. I approached much of my life through this frugal lens, and this enabled me to get by until I was able to land more consistent and sustainable projects and business partners.
Vicarel Studios – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Our sweet spot is designing with an artful eye—knowing the basic principles of design, and ostracizing them at times in order to create unique and compelling work that can’t really be replicated by a computer. Much of our work heavily leverages illustration and hand lettering, which is the art form of ‘drawing’ words/letters as opposed to ‘writing’ words/letters. This enables everything we create—from our logos and brand systems to our murals and digital work—to stand out amongst the noise.
In my personal work, I’m known for fusing my passions of travel and the arts through combining hand-drawn typography, photographs, and storytelling to create a compelling, visceral experience for my viewers. As someone who prioritizes the purchasing of experiences as opposed to tangible ‘things’, I strive to get out and travel frequently, capture those experiences, and to open the door for my viewers to indulge in moments that they are otherwise unlikely to experience.
Recently, we’ve had the opportunity to implement a heavy hand lettering presence throughout the majority of the So Delicious brand. So Delicious is one of the main players in the frozen dessert space, and to have such a heavy impact on their new aesthetic is a huge win for Vicarel Studios!
My studio is different from other design studios in that we are a small studio that offers the design acumen of a large shop. We’re nimble, fast working and can grow with the scale of any project. (Not only that, but we look at all design projects through the lens of a fine artist, and vice versa. This affords us the opportunity for a unique aesthetic and impactful results for our clients.–delete) We can design your brand, help market your services, and design and paint a huge ass mural on the side of your building to showcase your capabilities—full service!
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
My proudest moment is under NDA. My second proudest moment is the aforementioned So Delicious accomplishment. My third proudest (strangest?) moment is teaching a painting class to the Real Housewives of Dallas in Season 3 Episode 8. This moment was brief, it was a non sequitur, and it won’t necessarily open any doors for me from the perspective of my career; however, to have fallen in love with the art of hand lettering five years ago, to have then pursued hand lettering relentlessly, and to have those pursuits lead me to an opportunity to be on reality tv a few years later is a pretty remarkable feat. And for that, I’m quite proud.
Contact Info:
- Website: vicarelstudios.com
- Email: avicarel@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/adamvicarel/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vicarelstudios
Image Credit:
Joe Friend Photography (Vicarel working photo)
Getting in touch: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
