Independent brand experience studio Bukwild welcomes Matt Carvalho as VP of the Studio. A creative scholar and manager of uncommon skill, Carvalho brings not only his deep design expertise but his commitment to building more efficient, forward-thinking processes and systems.
With more than 12 years of experience in the design industry, Carvalho has had the opportunity to create products and visual systems for some of the largest brands in the world. Before Bukwild, he served as the Digital Director at San Francisco branding and design agency Character, where he led the concepting and design of countless innovative interactive brand experiences. Guided by deep knowledge and passion for design, typography, motion, interaction and technology, he ensured that Character's design team always approached projects with a distinctly user-focused point-of-view.
Since then, his interest in brand-building and entrepreneurship only expanded, leading Carvalho and partners to launch Aesop wines, a bespoke, story-driven wine brand based in Napa, California. In building his own business, his application of design thinking and empathy helped him understand both the true power of facilitating his audience’s desire for authentic experiences, and how tapping into that desire can lead to brand growth.
At Bukwild, he will manage varied aspects of the agency’s work and services, collaborating with the team to build new, more efficient design processes that inform every aspect of their offering, from internal employee onboarding to more client-facing visual output.
As Carvalho returns to the agency, he admits that it remains much as he left it. “There’s an honesty and spirit at Bukwild that can’t be duplicated or faked. It’s the same character and energy that has persisted from my earliest days at the agency,” he explains. “Even with a different set of faces and haircuts, it’s remained central to what this team is all about. The more we’re able to bring a little bit more of that to the surface, the easier it will be to communicate to clients what makes our work so different.”
He also brings an excitement to meet the demands of the constant evolution and democratization of digital. “Contemporary digital tools have unlocked the world’s ability to express ideas quickly. The next step is to tap into the opportunities that creates for Bukwild,” he says. “We have the ability to create things from scratch and bring new products into the universe. But how do we apply a process to make that happen in the best way and to the benefit of everyone? I’m eager to figure it out.”
As the latest addition to the agency family, Carvalho continues to strengthen an already powerful leadership team. “Matt is a force,” says Bukwild CEO Ryan Vanni. “I am absolutely over the moon to have him back at Bukwild. His creative direction and impeccable taste, combined with his empowering and positive energy are nothing short of contagious. I’m proud to put the studio in his hands.”
About Bukwild
Bukwild is an independent brand experience studio that helps brands, startups and innovation teams uncover and communicate their compelling value.
