The “Craft beer and design” series is back at C R A F T E D, and this time we do it with a guest we very much have looked forward to: David González de Pablos, founder of Hop Wear.

The great work that David and his team have developed for years for the craft beer industry has made them -deservedly- one of the benchmarks in Spain.

Graduated in Fine Arts from the Complutense University of Madrid, and passionate about beer, David was able to identify, thanks to his closeness to the beer scene, that beyond the set of artistic disciplines that he was taught in the classrooms, there was a young industry, full of passion and challenges, in need of creative answers.

His knowledge and love for beer, along with his skills for artistic creation, led him to found a bespoke project: a design studio in which he combines the artistic with the visual, the useful, and the artisan.

I can assure you that the breweries and specialized venues that work with Hop Wear know exactly what they are doing. Because David, in addition to being a great guy he is also an excellent professional capable of giving your brand an identity, designing a label for you, customizing your tap handles with 3D printing, or painting a mural on the wall of your bar or brewery. He is, without a doubt, one of us. Thanks a lot, David!

Ø: You are the founder of Hop Wear, a project that you define on your website as a "Graphic Design Studio for Brewers". But the truth is that  over the years you have grown and become much more; a kind of 360º traveling companion for breweries on a creative level. Could you explain to us how the project began, how it has evolved, and how would you define Hop Wear today?

David: Thank you very much for the 360º travel companion, I had never thought of it like that, but I love the concept!

I think Hop Wear was always there, it just took me a while to realize it. Since I was little I have drawn, I don't remember a vacation without my sheets and my pencil case, or a school notebook without a single drawing where I shouldn’t have been drawing... On the other hand, in my house there was always talk of beer, both my father and my grandfather worked in Mahou, which meant that there was always a bond and a special affection for beer, and not only for its consumption.

After a couple of years as a home brewer, in 2015, I saw the need to learn how to make beer from experts, and I signed up for the Beer Specialist course at the University of Alicante. It was during these face-to-face workshops that I began to realize that there was a world of possible improvements and changes (graphically and aesthetically) within a field that was still in its infancy.

Finally, in 2016, I was lucky enough to present the project to all my classmates and teachers at the Domus brewery, in the last workshop of the course. There, we presented three models of t-shirts with my designs and they were very well received. Some of those classmates are now close friends as well as clients.

For me, the greatest evolution in these six years is having gone from attending festivals and beer shops with our t-shirts, to having our own stand at InnBrew where we are recognized and positioned as professionals who help and contribute to the beer industry, both graphically and creatively.

Ø: One of the keys to your success, recognition and affection within the field is that you are part of the craft beer family. In fact, in your case, in addition to having a degree in Fine Arts, you also have done specialized studies in the beer field. What do you think the fact of knowing the product, the scene and the people who are part of it contributes when doing your job?

David: Without a doubt, I think it is one of our best values, being part of the industry.

When I started Hop Wear I combined a half day at the Labirratorium with the project. From there I went to La Tienda De La Cerveza, until almost three years later, I decided to focus only on Hop Wear. All that I knew from before helped me understand the scene from within and many of its players.

Thanks to this I have been able to open many doors, find recognition among the brewers who visited La Tienda to present their beers, and continue to have the support of customers I have met before and who continue to buy clothes from us today, for example at a festival like BeerMad.

Ø: Regarding your creative process when designing, what inspires you when you face a new project? Do you follow a particular type of routine? Do the style and/or ingredients of each beer influence in any way? Do you prefer that the client is very clear about what they want, or that they leave you free reigns to create and propose ideas?

David: The process is usually similar for almost all projects, regardless of the type of assignment: labels, branding, mural painting, web, etc. First, we ask the brewer to tell us about their beers, their brewing processes, their styles, and above all, their music-, cinematographic-, or cultural tastes and preferences in general.

With all this information, we can already get an idea of ​​the visual universe in which he would like to move in, and it is from that moment that we start looking for visual references and drawing sketches.

The sketches are always by hand, because before I used to invest a lot of effort in digitalizing them, but over the years I realized that pencil strokes work much better than a more advanced version of the idea, because in addition to saving time, they transmit everything we need.

The truth is that when they tell me “I love your work, you have complete freedom to create”, it scares me, since it almost never coincides with what the client has in mind, and then we have to start from scratch.

In fact, at Hop Wear, we precisely have our own collection of prints, t-shirts and barrels, and with these we cover that need for complete freedom when creating and flowing with our own style.

Ø: In your opinion, what qualities and/or skills do you think a graphic designer should have who is interested in working in the craft beer industry?

David: I think understanding beer is basic. We always claim that we speak the same language as our clients. They feel comfortable because they do not need to explain their work, their processes, or the final product to us, and this saves both parties time and effort.

On the other hand, I think that having the ability to adapt to clients' tastes and work with different styles allows you to offer more diversity, and that's how we normally work.

Although it is very difficult not to have a small trace of the Hop Wear style, we always try to give our clients a wide range of possibilities in terms of styles and graphic lines, because in the end, the idea is that each brewery has its own identity, and that it is not simply our style adapted to one brand or another. As an example, you only have to compare our label for La Ruta with the new labels that we have released for Virtus.

Ø: If you had to choose a piece of work from your portfolio, or a beer project that you are most proud of, what would it be and why?

David: It's hard considering everything we've done… But if I have to choose, I'd go with Galotia Brewing.

They were really the first to trust me with a complete project, which included branding and label design. From there, arose a friendship that we continue to maintain five years later.

In addition, they continue squeezing in the logo on each label and although we work together less now, I know that the lizards gave them a lot of opportunities for creativity when they started. We were lucky enough to go to Vecindario (Gran Canaria) to paint the façade and the taproom of their brewery, and once there, the idea arose of covering the fermenters with vinyls with cool numbers based on bones.

Ø: Do you prefer to face the creative process alone or in a team?

David: As a team, a good collective brainstorm will always contribute much more than what your head is capable of achieving individually. Often it is not possible due to delivery times, work schedules, etc., but for me working with Joanna and Alberto is key, and having their support, their ideas and their way of seeing things, makes the process much more complete and enriching.

Ø: What brands and/or graphic designers from the world of craft beer do you admire?

David: Against the Grain was my first crush, in fact I think the 75cl bottle of Kentucky Ryed Chiquen is one of the few that has survived several moves. I also love Super Freunde, for me, it's as if someone had let us work freely to create a brand, hehehe.

But if we look closer to home, I love the work that Martutxa Casares does for Althaia, since I find it super elegant as well as free and sophisticated. And a counterpoint would be Cyclic, due to its simplicity, or the first label that Roger Cisa made for Kusfollin.

Ø: Finally, can or bottle?

David: At Hop Wear we have made designs for many more bottles than cans, but the can has more surface to work on and whenever can orders come in it is a joy, because the “canvas” is larger.

If we talk about consumption, I prefer a pint in the tap room of a brewery, and if that’s not possible, then some cans, because they give more room to take them anywhere full, and bring them back empty after a day on the countryside!