Positive Design Brings Positive Impact
Jun 9, 2025
- By
Chiara Ferrari
sustainability 2030
Positive Design Brings Positive Impact
Jun 9, 2025
- By
Chiara Ferrari
Positive is a creative studio specialised in creative direction, visual identity, editorial and motion graphics, with a focus on designing with coherence through visually compelling and meticulous details. Committed to preserving the essence of a small graphic design studio, Positive is a team of three: Toni Vich, Maggy Villarroel & Joan Adrover; this structure allows them to collaborate closely with clients, suppliers, and partners, ensuring each project receives the personalised attention it deserves. The studio believes in graphic design as a tool to create real value and positive impact on people and their surroundings.
C.F.
Can you tell us about how the studio came together, and how you combine your expertise as a team?
P.D.

Our studio began in 2016, when Toni and Maggy decided to turn a long-time vision into reality. After working together at the design firm, Design by Atlas, we aspired to one day open our own studio in Mallorca, and that idea came to life and started as ‘The Positive Space.’ After years of creative collaboration, in 2023 we welcomed Joan to our team. From the start, it was clear that his approach aligned with ours, while also bringing fresh skills in areas like motion graphics, lettering and others that helped broaden the scope of our work. His addition marked an exciting evolution for the studio. With this new chapter came a rebranding for the studio, and we chose the name Positive—not just as a name, but as a guiding principle. For us, “positive” reflects an attitude and approach: positive thinking, positive design, positive relationships, and positive impact. We seek out collaborations and projects that resonate with this spirit, aiming to contribute meaningfully to people and their environment.

Can Pa Newspaper, Photo: Positive (Opening photo: Juan Gavilan)
Can Pa, Photo courtesy of Esment
C.F.
Would you talk about your process? How do you tailor your proposal to a client's brief, for example?
P.D.

Our creative process is flexible and adapts to the specific needs of each project. We usually begin by meeting with the client to understand their goals, challenges, and vision. From there, we prepare a tailored proposal, whether it’s refining their brand, developing a new concept, or bringing an existing idea to life. Once we’ve aligned on the direction, we move into a research and documentation phase, gathering information relevant to the project. This is followed by a collaborative brainstorming session, where we explore different ideas and define the creative concepts we want to pursue. From that point, we begin sketching initial directions, discussing them as a team, and working closely with our client. The entire team is typically involved at the start, but as the project progresses, one team member takes the lead in managing communication with the client and coordinating the next steps.

C.F.
What defines your approach as designers, what is your philosophy?
P.D.

Our design philosophy is rooted in concept-driven ideas, visual impact, and thoughtful execution. It is idea-driven and every project begins with a clear concept that guides our designs from start to finish. Our goal isn’t to follow aesthetic trends, but to create visual identities and experiences that feel timeless, relevant, and impactful both visually and in meaning. Simplicity, for us, isn’t always about keeping things minimal—it’s about being clear and purposeful, even if the graphic form is complex in its execution. We strip away anything that’s unnecessary so the core message really stands out. Everything we do is carefully designed.
We are passionate about what we do, which is why we are very meticulous with our work. Attention to detail is key for us, the smallest details often make the biggest impact. We want to deliver work that feels thoughtful and uniquely tailored to each client’s story.

Palma Dansa Posters, Photo: Positive
"We believe design has the potential to create a positive impact in Mallorca—socially, culturally, and economically. The creative community on the island is growing, with very talented individuals working across different disciplines."
Bird Socks, Photo: Positive
C.F.
I appreciate the variety of papers and formats you use, which are always so well-tailored to the scope of work. Could you talk about your approach in choice of paper and format, are these tools to provide a stronger personalization to your client briefs?
P.D.

Editorial and print design is something especially meaningful to us. Whenever we get the chance to work on a printed piece, we approach it with special care. Each element is considered: the format, paper, finishes, and tactile qualities all play a role in bringing the concept to life. We make these choices based on the project’s brief, goals, audience, etc. Sometimes it’s about creating something bold, other times, it’s about subtleness. All these tools help reinforce the narrative of the project.

Of course, budget always plays a big part, not every project allows for full creative freedom in production. We aim to find solutions that elevate the piece and reflect its purpose, through material selection, binding methods, or finishing touches. Ultimately, it’s about the experience: what the object communicates, how it feels in the hands, and the lasting impression it leaves.

C.F.
One of the best qualities of your work is your ability to manifest projects through different media and scales: from digital to print, to three-dimensional surfaces. Can you talk about the implications - who is involved in the process and the joys/obstacles in doing that?
P.D.

We think that being a multidisciplinary design studio is one of our biggest assets. We enjoy working across different media—it’s one of the most stimulating aspects of our work. Each project feels like a fresh start, a blank page. This type of work demands close collaboration within our team, and we each contribute different skills and strengths. Every format comes with its own obstacles: technical constraints, budget limits, timelines, or the challenge of translating something from one medium to another while keeping the concept strong. Seeing how a single idea can take shape in multiple dimensions and reach different audiences is incredibly rewarding. Some campaigns or printed pieces we work on end up in local spaces around Palma, while some digital projects often reach a wider audience.

C.F.
One of the best examples of your ability across media is the work you do for Esment, including the new bakery, Can Pa. Will you talk about the project - both in form and concept?
P.D.

Esment is probably our longest-standing client, we’ve been working with them for around eight years, and it’s a relationship we truly value. Not only because of the important work they do, but also because of the mutual trust and creative freedom we’ve built together. Esment is a clear example of how design can dignify both people and services, and being part of their evolution has been incredible.

The Can Pa project was exciting because of the many talented collaborators involved: the Esment and Camper teams, Jasper Morrison, Mario Eskenazi, Huguet, amongst others. That said, it also had its challenges. The logo had already been designed by Mario Eskenazi, in coordination with the Living Gomila brand and its overall typographic aesthetic. Our role was to create an identity system around that logo and apply it consistently across all brand materials. This included everything from store signage and product packaging to the printed catalog, website, creative direction, etc. It was a multi-dimensional project that allowed us to bring the brand to life across different media over the course of a year and a half. Seeing the bakery open today and its impact on the neighbourhood is a great reminder of how design can shape real spaces and communities.

C.F.
How do you think design can have a positive impact in Mallorca today?
P.D.

We believe design has the potential to create a positive impact in Mallorca—socially, culturally, and economically. The creative community on the island is growing, with very talented individuals working across different disciplines. We’ve also seen more events, collaborations, and platforms emerging in recent years, which is very promising. We think that there’s still room for stronger support, especially from public institutions and larger private entities. Too often, high-visibility projects are commissioned to studios in Barcelona, Madrid, or other design hubs, missing the opportunity to engage and showcase local talent. We think it’s essential that public-facing projects reflect the voice and creativity of the island. There are many studios here working for international clients, but we’d love to see more of them contributing locally.

C.F.
You are a team of three, wanting to stay small; how do you see your studio growing in the future?
P.D.

We've always envisioned Positive as a small, intentional studio. Staying small allows us to build close, long-lasting relationships with our clients—many of whom we've been working with since we started many years ago. This scale gives us the flexibility to stay deeply involved in every stage of a project and keep our process personal.

Rather than growing in size, we grow through collaboration. Depending on each project’s needs, we bring in our trusted collaborators from our network. This can sometimes be web developers, photographers, illustrators, copywriters, sound designers, etc. This approach enriches our work. Looking ahead, we see Positive continuing as a close-knit team, focused on meaningful projects, strong partnerships, and delivering thoughtful, high-quality design.

C.F.
Where do you find your inspiration?
P.D.

Inspiration can come from anywhere, and often from the most unexpected places. It’s not always directly related to the project at hand. We’re constantly influenced by things like books, street signs, travel, movie credits, record covers... and of course, the internet plays a big role too. We regularly explore and follow design blogs, online magazines, Instagram, Pinterest, and other platforms. However, when researching for a project, we try to leave online references for later in the process—starting instead with offline exploration.

C.F.
I am intrigued about “Fridays”–– a section on your website currently under construction. Can you tell us more…?
P.D.

“Fridays” is our space for self-initiated projects and creative explorations, an opportunity to step outside client work and experiment freely. These sessions might involve testing new techniques, playing with motion or type, creating illustrations or prints, or simply exploring ideas we’re curious about. Originally, we dedicated time on Fridays for the whole team to experiment, but as project demands grew, we’ve become more flexible and now, “Fridays” can happen on any day of the week. 😊 Many of these experiments have inspired real client work or developed into actual projects.

Positive Design

@positivedesign