Meet Felipe Mandiola — The Pioneer Of Graphic Design Services For The eSports Industry.
From grinding on online forums when he was 16 to working with professional eSports athletes in only the space of 2 years — Felipe Mandiola is one graphic designer to keep an eye out for in 2020.
I recently came across Felipe Mandiola, also known as “Icarus Mind” through Twitter, and I was so impressed by his designs that I had to give him an interview.
Felipe hails from Chile, and is a self-taught graphic designer specializing in bespoke logo design for eSports athletes worldwide.
At just 18 year’s old — Felipe has been hired and has created designs for some of the most famous & influential people in the eSports industry. From working with FaZe Mew, Scoped and UMG to just name a few; Felipe is slowly making himself known an industry that doesn’t take much notice to young freelancers. I can’t wait to see what Felipe has planned for the near future as his business and the eSports industry grow exponentially in 2020.
I also interviewed Felipe about his graphic design journey, here’s what we spoke about:
When did you start having a passion for Graphic Design?
“To be honest, I was born into it — but it truly was always “my thing.” — I always had a passion for graphic design for as long as I could remember. However, I first got introduced into the graphic design industry by my mother and my sister, as they both work in the digital media industry and needed help with certain projects. I went from helping out my mother and sister to creating something beautiful, and that for me is the best feeling in the world.”
How does it feel knowing that you’ve successfully broken into the eSports Industry with your skills and have worked with eSports athletes?
“It really makes me happy but mostly proud of what I have done to be in the position I am right now, I started from the bottom and worked my way up. In just a few years I went from watching videos of my favourite eSports athletes to being hired to work with them. It’s truly a surreal experience.”
Walk me through your portfolio. Which pieces are you most proud of, and why?
“The project I’m most proud of has to be “SuMuNs” as I believe it marked a pivotal point in my graphic design career. I felt like when I was designing for SuMuN I really did test the limits of my creativity as a designer and I also reminded myself of the importance of creating a remarkable brand that will last a lifetime for my client.
I’m also very proud of the logo I created for Scoped, as he’s moved onto to become a professional eSport athlete in the Fortnite industry and has amassed over 300,000 subscribers on YouTube. It’s crazy to think that I’m apart of his branding strategy on social media. It’s even more crazy to think that I allowed this to happen… Imagine if I never helped my mom and sister, where would I be now? Life’s full of opportunities — I’m just glad that I’ve taken all of mine.“
Where do you see yourself in 3 years from now?
“I see myself expanding my graphic design business mainly. I mainly want to move into different niches and work for more companies instead of mainly focusing on the eSports industry. However, that’s it for now.”
