Hello, I'm Hugo
Brand designer and art director in Lisbon. I help small makers get a brand as good as the things they make: identity, packaging, and print.
From the print shop to a studio of my own
I learned design in a print shop, not on a screen. Setting type by hand taught me that a detail is felt before it is seen. I still sketch every identity on paper before it goes near a computer.
Then came studios in Porto and London. I led packaging ranges, ran the print checks, and learned how a small brand earns its place on a crowded shelf.
Since 2021 I have worked on my own, from Lisbon. Potters, paper mills, tea merchants, and linen weavers: small teams who know their craft and want a brand that sounds like them.
I keep my client list short on purpose. I take on a few projects at a time, reply within a day, and stay until the last file is printed or live.
Where I've worked
Independent practice Brand designer and art director · Lisbon 2021 – Today
Identities, packaging, and print for small makers, from the first sketch to the press check.
Studio Ferrow Senior designer · Porto 2018 – 2021
Led packaging ranges for food and drink clients and ran the studio's print checks.
Quillmere Designer · London 2016 – 2018
Logo systems, type pairings, and launch campaigns for independent retail brands.
Tessel Print Works Junior designer · Lisbon 2015 – 2016
Set type by hand, mixed inks, and learned how paper changes a design.
- Years in practice
- 11
- Projects shipped
- 140+
- Average rating from 86 reviews
- 4.9
- To answer a new enquiry
- 24h
Five ways to work together
Brand identity
A mark, a type system, and a colour palette that hold up from a price tag to a shop sign.
From €9,200 per project
See the details- Logo and wordmark
- Colour palette
- Type system
- Stationery and labels
- Brand guidelines (PDF)
- Editable source files
Web design
Calm, fast websites that show the work clearly and make the next step obvious.
From €7,600 per project
See the details- Site map and page outlines
- Phone and desktop designs
- Component library
- Clickable prototype
- Build or developer hand-off
- Recorded editing walkthrough
Art direction
A clear look for campaigns and product pictures, planned frame by frame before the shoot.
From €1,400 per day
See the details- Moodboard and written direction
- Shot list and schedule
- Set and prop sourcing
- Direction on set
- Final selection and grading notes
Packaging
Labels, boxes, and bags that read from across a shop and still feel considered at home.
From €6,200 per range
See the details- Label and surface system
- Dielines and structure notes
- Full-size mock-ups
- Print-ready artwork
- Proof checks and printer hand-off
Photography commissions
Still life, product, and architecture photographs, shot to a written list and a calm, warm grade.
From €1,800 per shoot day
See the details- Shot list and pre-shoot plan
- Studio or location shoot days
- Edited, colour-graded images
- Web and print sizes
- Licence for your own brand channels
In their words, not mine.
5.0 out of 5
Hugo spent a morning in the kiln room before he drew anything. The labels read like our glaze notebook, and our stockists noticed straight away.
Joel Ashcombe Founder, Marrow Kiln5.0 out of 5
He sent a shot list written as sentences, so everyone on set knew what each frame was for. We never reshot a single frame.
Ruairi Kell Co-founder, Saltmoor 4.8 out of 5
Clear scope, fixed price, and a weekly call that never ran over. The proofs arrived when he said they would, every time.
Matthias Oberle Managing director, Werrin Paper5.0 out of 5
Most designers send files and disappear. Hugo came to the press, pulled a test print himself, and adjusted the type on the spot.
Lior Mattes Co-owner, Corvane Press 5.0 out of 5
He kept every small colour decision on one shared sheet, so nothing was decided twice. Our shop staff now explain the fan without notes.
Dario Wrenfield Head of colour, Ravel & Hue4.9 out of 5
We asked for nicer gift bags and ended up with a tidier stockroom. Everything ships flat now, and the bags still look good on the counter.
Ezra Pellow Owner, Pellow & Co.