Verónica Fuerte is the founder and creative director of Hey Studio in Barcelona — celebrated for its bold use of color, geometric forms, and clean visual storytelling. Her work has attracted collaborations with major clients such as Apple, Google, and The New York Times.
In this talk, Verónica opens up about her creative journey — from developing her distinctive style to cultivating an open, collaborative studio culture. She discusses how to nurture creativity in a digital world, the evolving role of design in the age of AI, and the importance of staying authentic amid constant change. Verónica also reflects on her experience as a woman leading an all-female team, balancing motherhood with her creative career, and what it truly means to build a timeless brand.
Let’s dive in!
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From Passion to Mission
Verónica founded Hey Studio in Barcelona after several years working in different design studios around the city. She had learned the ropes of agency life but felt constrained by the need to adapt to each studio’s style and direction. What she truly wanted was the freedom to create work that reflected her own creative instincts.
Even during her university years, Verónica had already sensed that she was drawn to a particular visual language — one that favored geometry, simplicity, and bold color. But while working for others, she often had to suppress this instinct to fit into each studio’s aesthetic. Launching Hey Studio became her way to fully embrace the visual world she had always loved.
“At the beginning, I did many projects just to survive. But I also started building my own portfolio through personal work. That’s where my true style started to take shape.”
In those early years, she accepted a wide variety of commissions — not all aligned with her vision — simply to stay afloat. But she dedicated her spare time to personal projects that allowed her to experiment, refine her sensibility, and express her true voice. That combination of practicality and persistence gradually gave rise to the distinct Hey Studio identity: work defined by clarity, structure, and emotional brightness, rooted in her passion for simplicity and color.
Building with Intention
Over nearly two decades, Hey Studio has refined its process to balance structure with creative freedom — a blend Verónica sees as essential for meaningful design. Each project begins with a deep discovery phase focused on truly understanding the client’s identity: their values, culture, and long-term vision. The team conducts thorough workshops filled with questions that help uncover what makes the brand authentic, timeless, and relevant. These sessions go beyond visuals; they’re about translating strategy into feeling and form.
“Designers are strategists too. We translate words into visuals. It’s our job to understand what really matters to the brand and make it visible.”
Once that clarity is achieved, the team moves into an open ideation phase — an intentional space for exploration where no idea is too wild. “Everything is good in the beginning,” Verónica says. “Sometimes a small sketch can inspire something bigger.” This creative freedom encourages her designers to challenge assumptions and cross-pollinate ideas before filtering and refining the most promising directions. The result is a body of work that feels cohesive yet full of life — design that connects strategy with emotion and vision with play.
The Open-Source Mindset
Another inspiring aspect of Hey Studio is its open-source approach. Instead of guarding their designs, they made their website template public, allowing other creatives to build upon it.
“A portfolio website should be clear and consistent, not over-decorated. Once we had a system that worked, we decided to share it. It’s amazing to see how others customize it in their own way.”
Designing for a Changing World
When asked about the future of design, Verónica reflects on how new technologies, especially AI, are transforming the creative landscape — not just in design but across every industry. She sees this as a defining moment in history that requires designers to rethink how they work and where they can bring the most value.
She believes that traditional work structures, such as the nine-to-five routine, are slowly fading away. In their place, new ways of collaboration and creation are emerging. For Verónica, this shift calls for curiosity, flexibility, and an openness to change. “We need to be prepared,” she says, comparing it to the sudden disruption of the pandemic — an event that forced everyone to adapt overnight.
“The future of work won’t look like it does today. Designers need to stay curious and flexible. AI will change how we work, but it can’t replace creativity, culture, and sensitivity.”
While she acknowledges that AI will reshape creative processes, she stresses that the essence of design — imagination, emotion, and human judgment — cannot be replicated by machines. For Verónica, timeless design doesn’t come from chasing trends but from staying true to the essence of the craft: creating with clarity, sensitivity, and purpose. A design becomes enduring when it connects deeply with human needs and expresses an authentic truth, beyond tools or technologies.
Creativity and Collaboration
Despite the growing comfort of remote work, Verónica believes that true creativity flourishes through human presence and spontaneous exchange. For her, design is not a solitary act but a dialogue — one that depends on proximity, shared energy, and unfiltered emotion. At Hey Studio, the team meets in person four days a week to spark this kind of connection and keep their creative momentum alive.
“When we are together, we are brighter. Creativity is human. Ideas grow when we share the same space.”
Verónica explains that in-person collaboration allows her team to read each other’s expressions, sketch side by side, and build on ideas in real time — something digital tools can’t fully replicate. While they can work remotely when needed, she sees physical presence as a vital ingredient for collective flow and deeper creative chemistry.
This belief in connection is at the heart of Hey Studio’s culture. As an all-female team, they prioritize empathy, openness, and mutual support. Verónica nurtures an environment where every voice matters and creative ownership is shared. “When we collaborate,” she says, “we don’t just design — we grow together.”
This ethos extends beyond the studio. Through the Women at Work podcast, Verónica and her co-host give voice to female creatives and leaders around the world, exploring how women navigate ambition, family, and identity in an evolving creative industry. For her, collaboration is not just about making better work — it’s about shaping a more balanced, inclusive, and human future for design.
On Motherhood and Balance
Running a studio while raising a daughter hasn’t been easy, and Verónica doesn’t sugarcoat the experience. When she founded Hey Studio, her daughter was very young, and she remembers how challenging those first years were — feeling alone in that stage of life while her friends were at different points in their journeys. Yet, despite the difficulties, she was determined to keep creating and building her studio.
“It was very hard at the beginning. But motherhood made me more organized, more focused. It helped me grow as a leader.”
She recalls that the early years taught her to manage her time carefully and to keep clear priorities. Balancing motherhood with running a studio forced her to become more efficient and structured in her work. Although it was demanding, she sees it as an experience that strengthened her — shaping both her discipline and her leadership. Verónica believes that sharing responsibilities at home and maintaining balance helped her continue pursuing her creative ambitions while caring for her daughter.
Finding Your Own Voice
When asked what advice she would give to young designers seeking their style, Verónica emphasizes patience and curiosity. For her, developing a creative voice is about following intuition and understanding the broader context of design.
“Follow your instinct. Learn what has been done before – study design history. The more you know, the more original you can be.”
She shares that knowing the history of design and what has come before allows creators to make more informed and authentic decisions. By being aware of past movements, styles, and ideas, designers can find their place within that lineage and bring something new to the table. For Verónica, the foundation of originality lies in knowledge — in being culturally aware and learning from what has already been done before stepping forward with new ideas.
She believes that designers should look closely at what inspires them and where they feel most excited to work, because those instincts often point to their authentic direction. This awareness helps them define what feels true to their voice. Ultimately, she sees culture and continuous learning as key to building a creative practice that remains relevant, resilient, and original.
The Power of Collaboration and Curiosity
Looking ahead, Verónica is most excited by projects that bring diverse disciplines together. She explains that some of her favorite projects have been those where different disciplines meet — when graphic design merges with product design, digital projects, or even unexpected creative fields. These collaborations allow her to see design from new perspectives and discover ideas she wouldn’t have reached alone.
“When I collaborate, I learn something new. That’s what keeps me inspired – discovering what’s possible when different minds come together.”
She highlights that collaboration brings fresh energy and innovation into every project. For Verónica, the joy of design lies in that exchange — the spark that happens when diverse talents contribute their expertise and curiosity. It’s this openness to learning and co-creation that keeps her work evolving and her creative practice alive.
