The fields of design and art direction are broad in scope and far-reaching in application, requiring a sincere dedication to the craft to find one’s true professional calling. Hailing from Brazil, designer and maker Leo Ehrlich possesses not only the necessary devotion, but has managed to wield his expertise to make a meaningful and successful impact in the business world, while leaving plenty of space to find creative fulfillment. In co-founding Clube FII, Leo and his partner have offered a service for REIT investors that helps hundreds of thousands of subscribers build on their portfolios, further educate themselves, and make shrewd, up-to-date decisions in a dynamic market. A sharp turn away, Quotes on Posters™ is a bold journey towards inspiration in the form of curated quotes finding their place on aesthetic and cleverly designed posters, offered in a variety of formats, with the hopes of offering a bit of meaningful guidance to viewers. A daily exercise, Leo has managed to offer himself some peace in the pursuit of sharing these posters with a global audience, while constantly evolving on his creative process. Along the way, Leo continues to cast a wide net in search of collaborations that match his inventive spirit, and we’re genuinely eager to follow his story.
We took some time to speak with Leo Ehrlich on his natural gravitation to the fields of design and art direction, his partnership in co-founding the widely successful Clube FII, his ambitious quest to inspire both himself and others every day through Quotes on Posters™, and what’s ahead for this talented designer and entrepreneur.
Could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I’m Brazilian, born in the beautiful city of Rio de Janeiro in 1985. Since then, I’ve lived in Brazil, Mexico, Dubai, and now in Istanbul, where I work remotely. I love traveling and getting to see and experience different cultures. I’ve been to more than 40 countries and would like to visit all of them.
Professionally I am a designer and maker, working in the field of digital product design, doing apps and platforms for startups and big companies.
What led you to the fields of design and art direction?
When I was a child I was obsessed with video games and used to spend a lot of my childhood playing them. I also spent a lot of time playing drums. My father always took me to museums and concerts, so I had a lot of contact with art and creativity from an earlier age. What eventually led me to design, was installing Photoshop and Flash on my computer and building websites and design projects for my mother, my father, friends, and bands that I’ve played with. Then I studied visual communication and started my career working with advertising agencies.
Why did you decide to establish Clube FII? Why did you choose that name?
In 2015, Rodrigo Cardoso, a friend of mine who is a developer and a REITs investor, created one software for his personal use to help track and manage his investments. So he came up with the idea of transforming his initial software into a digital product and platform that could be used by many other investors and could be the go-to place for people in Brazil who invest in REITs to exchange information and track their portfolios. He needed a partner to lead the creative and design direction along with the product design. I decided to accept the challenge and started this company with him.
The name “Clube” means “Club” and “FII” is the abbreviation for REITs in the Portuguese language. So it’s a club for people who invest in REITs.
Could you tell us a bit about the services you provide?
The website provides daily information for more than 200,000 subscribed users through forums, online courses, articles, interviews, and a set of advanced tools for investors to learn, build, track their portfolios and reach their financial goals.
Could you tell us a bit about your individual role?
My role as a founder and design director consists of leading the entire creative and design direction in the disciplines of design systems, user experience, product design, collaterals, branding, advertising, motion, video, and social media.
How does ATÖLYE fit into what you’re doing?
ATÖLYE is a community of designers, artists, developers, and entrepreneurs and for me as a designer, it’s a place where I can learn and share from the community and also meet like-minded people to collaborate with.
Could you also share a bit about your work on Quotes on Posters™?
Quotes on Posters™ is my search for trying to become a better person. I always struggled with mental health issues of low self-esteem, negative thinking, anxiety, addictions, lack of emotional intelligence, fear, ego, and depression.
The idea behind this project came when I was meditating in Bali. I was not happy with the direction my life was taking and was searching for ways to do something more meaningful for myself and also for others. Then I had the insight that wherever I saw the image of a motivational quote online, it was most of the time a generic design with mountains or lions in the background or just some black random typography on white. Not something inspiring and that I would like to have on my wall.
The main goal of the project is to curate the best quotes in the world, have fun designing a poster a day and bring inspiration to as many people as possible through as many formats available. It’s an ongoing daily practice of developing my creative and thinking skills to become a better designer and person.
What are some of your goals for the near future? Anything on the horizon you’re especially excited about?
I’m looking to work on a big and impactful project, by joining a great product or a promising startup contributing to or creating a design culture for the organization. If I’m lucky enough, I can find the ideal partner to start a new company with. I have a bunch of ideas for great digital products and I’m also open to joining other people’s ideas.
Any places in Istanbul/Turkey you’d like to recommend for foreigners to check out?
I love the Bosphorus and all the little neighborhoods around it, like Emirgan, Yeniköy, Bebek. Having a Turkish breakfast by the Bosphorus is one of the little charms of Istanbul. I also enjoy exploring the trails at Belgrade Forest during a weekday because it’s not so crowded, and also the new park Kent Ormanı is huge and very beautiful. Try to find the Malov Aqueduct there. Apart from that, Beyoğlu, Nişantaşı, Kadıköy, and Balat are always nice to explore for cafes, restaurants, galleries, and shops.
To keep up with Leo Ehrlich and his work, be sure to check out his portfolio, as well as the official Instagram for Quotes on Posters™.
ATÖLYE Spotlight is our series on the inspiring community members of Istanbul’s most creative space.
All images courtesy of the interviewee.
