The folks at Pupila are pura vida. They're a creative powerhouse based in Costa Rica. Excellent design crafters, wondeful human beings and fun friends to grab branded craft beer with. In this session of State Talks we're tapping into a tiny part of the vibes they've got to offer.

What's your elevator pitch?

First world design at third world prices.

What are your sources of inspiration?

[Marcelo] It could be something really boring, but I think nature is really cool inspiration. [Alfredo] Yeah, he's always grabbing bugs and that kind of shit. [Marcelo] I collect bugs and I eat them. 

How does your team stay updated on the latest trends, learning tools, and tech?

We have an incentive in the office so people can go to festivals or anything they want and actually do anything they want. That doesn't have to be a design conference. If you love music or you love food or arts, you get to go and experience that firsthand.  They have to make a presentation on why they should be allowed to go to the place.

How do you know when a client needs a full rebrand or just minor updates?

We don't have an answer right away. It it all comes out after the research part, where we interview not only the people who are involved in the company, but also clients and, you know, just people. They will give us the clue on whether it is necessary to do a complete rebrand or just minor adjustments. All of those components, external and internal ones, and what people think. That's what really makes a decision. We don't.

What do you think about the new Kia logo?

[Marcelo] It's awesome. I do love the brand. I actually bought a Kia at the same time that they rebranded. They had to send the car to Costa Rica and I hoped that the car would come with the new logo. But it was the same old shit.

How do you incorporate humor in your work?

I think it's through the process. There's always laughter at the office, most of the times it's a fun environment. So humor is always there in the office. Not every output we do has humor in it, because in the end the work is not about us, it's about the client. But in some self-initiated projects there's a lot of humor. Actually, in a lot of them.

We did this project called Bola, in which we invited designers all over the world to design a football/soccer ball for the last World Cup. We partenered with a nonprofit that produces those balls in Kenya, as a social project. They hand-painted and hand-stitched the balls. It was pretty serious. But the actual slogan was "Too many designers, too few balls". Which may or may not have, you know, a little joke in there.

What advice would you give someone creating a logo for their first time?

[Marcelo] Hire someone. [Alfredo] There's always a first time. Our first brands were really shitty, especially because I did them. Just get to learn. If branding is your passion, just start with something, make it clever or make it bold. And learn how to write code because you'll make way more money there than in design.