CREATIVE DIRECTOR
GOODBY SILVERSTEIN & PARTNERS, SAN FRANCISCO CA
Kazuo Kubo is a Brazilian Creative Director at Goodby Silverstein & Partners, an iconic agency in San Francisco. With over 20 years of experience, he has worked at leading agencies such as McCann NY, Hill Holliday, BETC, CP+B, TBWA, DDB, and JWT.
Kazuo has developed campaigns for renowned brands including Smirnoff, Budweiser, Stella Artois, Puma, Brahma, ESPN, BMW, Nissan, Gatorade, Citroën, and Peugeot, among others. He has earned recognition at major festivals, including Cannes Lions, D&AD, One Show, ADC, and Clio, amassing 14 Grand Prix awards.
Kazuo is also a teacher at Miami Ad School and co-author of the book Principle, written alongside his long-term creative partner, Lucas Ribeiro. Vault49 works with some of the world’s most recognizable brands. Counting PepsiCo, Diageo and EA Games amongst their clients, the agency’s work has been recognized by the likes of Cannes Lions, DBA Design Effectiveness, D&AD, Design Week Awards, Clio Awards, Dieline Awards, and Pentawards.
LOOKING FORWARD TO 2025, ARE YOU OPTIMISTIC ABOUT YOUR DESIGN PRACTICE/BUSINESS? MORE GENERALLY, ARE YOU OPTIMISTIC THAT GRAPHIC DESIGN WILL CONTINUE TO BE RECOGNIZED AS BRINGING VALUE TO THE TABLE IN COMMERCE AND CULTURE?
Looking ahead to 2025, I’m cautiously optimistic about design’s role in commerce and culture — partly because I have to be, and partly because I genuinely believe in the power of good craft.
In a world that’s increasingly automated and AI-driven, the human touch, the attention to detail, and the ability to tell a story through design are what set us apart. It’s the difference between something that merely looks good and something that feels good — something people connect with.
Design is like great cooking: AI can help you chop onions faster, but it’s the chef’s skill that transforms those ingredients into a meal you’ll never forget. As long as we keep pushing the craft forward, I think design will not only survive but thrive as a vital force in business and culture.
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR SOMEONE JUST STARTING A CAREER IN GRAPHIC DESIGN?
For someone starting in graphic design, my advice is simple: do stuff. Get your hands dirty. Make things — lots of things. Sketch, prototype, print, experiment with weird techniques, and finish your ideas, even if they’re not perfect. You need to make mistakes (and you will, trust me) because those mistakes are where you’ll learn the most.
Think of it like building a muscle. Every project— good or bad — adds to your strength as a designer. One day, you’ll look back at the disasters you created and laugh, realizing they were necessary steps to becoming great. So go make a mess — you’ll thank yourself later.
