"DESIGNERS ARE MEANT TO BE LOVED, NOT TO BE UNDERSTOOD."
Fabien Barral
An
insatiably
curious
designer
I'm a multidisciplinary designer, originally from Europe, now based in Auckland City, New Zealand.
My passion lies in understanding the intricate design of life, and I approach every project with a curious and inquisitive mind.
My journey into design has been anything but conventional. After finishing high school during uncertain times, I initially explored international business studies before realizing my true calling was in design. I pursued formal education in Graphic and Industrial Design while also teaching myself essential tools and techniques.
That self-driven approach quickly led to my first professional role at Apa Nova Bucharest, where I worked with a small creative team and developed early experience in brand communication.
I then joined Realitatea TV, where I contributed to launching Romania’s first 24-hour news channel. My focus was on establishing and maintaining the channel’s visual identity and developing compelling promo graphics that helped shape the station’s public image.
This foundational phase of my career gave me the confidence to tackle larger projects and work with broader creative teams. It also helped me form a deep respect for communication clarity, especially when designing at scale or under tight deadlines.
After gaining confidence and refining my visual style, I joined Skepsis Advertising, one of Romania’s top BTL agencies. There, I collaborated with global clients including Coca-Cola, Orange, ING, GSK, LG Mobile, and Exim Bank. I contributed to high-profile campaigns like Coca-Cola’s Harry Potter X-mas, Orange’s international expo presence, and ING’s 10-year anniversary — all of which deepened my understanding of large-scale creative execution and cross-brand storytelling.
In search of a new challenge, I relocated to New Zealand and began working at The Brand Factory, a boutique creative agency with a diverse client base across New Zealand and Australia. My work included branding and marketing design for companies such as Auckland Fish Market, MoleMap, Oxfam, GSK, Wilson Parking, and Venerdi. It was a highly collaborative environment where I enjoyed the freedom to experiment and push creative boundaries.
When the economy shifted, I took a leap of faith and founded my own studio — Web Creative Store.
One of the most exciting projects during this time was designing the interface for “Lyrical” a karaoke app for iOS developed by U.S.-based Peerpoint LLC. The app saw over 250k downloads in its first week — a rewarding milestone that showed the power of thoughtful user interface design and a streamlined product experience.
My most significant tenure in New Zealand was at Auckland Transport, where I worked for eight years as part of an award-winning internal design team. One highlight was the 2014 Annual Report, which earned Gold at the Australian Reporting Awards and also received a national "Pride in Print" Award. My work spanned digital and print, and I played a key role in transitioning the studio into a modern, multidisciplinary creative team.
I also led the design collaboration with Belgium’s Televic Rail to help establish a city-wide passenger information system. This project required cross-cultural coordination, system thinking, and a strong focus on the user journey — a perfect challenge for someone passionate about visual clarity and human-centered design.
More recently, I joined the University of Auckland’s Faculty of Engineering, where I led the creative for their largest event of 2022: Mānawa Mai Open Day. I also refreshed the visual direction for internal communications, designing banners, posters, and digital materials for events and campaigns.
Throughout my career, I’ve embraced change, led design thinking with integrity, and adapted to evolving technologies.
I’m excited to continue evolving as a designer and contributing to meaningful, future-facing work.
Outside of work, I find joy
in immersing myself in nature,
practicing yoga and meditation or
playing taiko drums. Occasionally,
I indulge in the art of haiku.
Designing with a smile, because when you
love what you do, everything shines.
In both my personal and professional life, I aim to bring a sense of lightness, fun, and playfulness to the people around me.
Whether I’m collaborating on a project or tackling a design challenge, this positive energy drives me to approach problems with creativity and openness. I think that when we foster an environment filled with laughter and good vibes, we unlock our full potential and create a space where our best work can flourish.
It’s a philosophy that I live by: when we’re happy and inspired, we naturally produce our finest work, and that joy reflects in everything we create.
Friends and colleagues often tell me that one of my greatest strengths is my sense of humor, which I seamlessly incorporate into my work.
I believe that design is not just about aesthetics, but about creating experiences that resonate emotionally with people.
A design that can evoke a smile, spark joy, or lift someone’s mood is a success in my book.
Laughter, to me, is one of life’s simplest and most powerful gifts, and I genuinely believe that it can shift perspectives and break down barriers.
CURRICULUM
VITAE
Curious about
my journey?
Have a look at my CV
and feel free to share it
with anyone who would
love to know more.
VIDEO
COVER LETTER
Ready
for a glimpse?
Watch my VCL and
pass it on to anyone
who might be intrigued
or interested.
*Please email me for the password.
Recognition & Awards.
"Sic Transit Gloria Mundi". It's not
about the awards,
except when it absolutely is.
In business, we say the customer comes first. The reality today is that stakeholders come first.
Most large companies answer to investors: The bank. Their board. The customer has become the user, a number on the wall.
But there is an exception:
The independent, self-funded business.*
The company built on little more than a vision.
This business might not be the first result in your Google search. It's not the company sponsoring your favorite podcast. Rather, it is the recommendation shared between friends. It is the CEO prepping for a pitch one moment and doing customer support the next. This is the growing business that, not long ago, was one person’s pipe dream.
Of all the ways to start a company – applying for a business loan, crowdfunding, seeking venture capital – this was not the safe bet.
Bootstrapping your business puts your future at risk. You and your team work, sometimes one month to the next, on the faith that this will one day pay off. Sometimes, it doesn’t.
To launch a self-funded business is a success on its own. To stay in business? That's a point of pride.
By supporting an independent business, you support a company that answers to its customers. Your request won't go into an automated workflow. Your feedback will likely turn into a feature. The numbers are important to a self-funded business, but so are the names.
I support independent companies to make business personal. Because I want to see our community thrive. Because I want diversity and innovation. Because I believe in an idea.
*I support bootstrapped businesses because they are human, like the rest of us.
Ngā mihi.
Creatively yours,
Senior Designer
University of Auckland 2022-23
Senior Designer
Auckland Transport 2014-22
Founding partner + Design
WebCreativeStore AKL 2013-15
Senior Designer
TheBrandFactory AKL 2007-12
...
University of Auckland
Auckland Transport
Best Foods
Kohu Road
Auckland Fish Market
GSK
MoleMap Australia
Venerdi
ING Group
Omniasig
Exim Bank
Orange
Coca-Cola
Holtcim
LG
TVR
Realitatea TV
Prima TV
Alpha TV
Etno TV
Veolia Romania
Valplast
Experiments page is a compilation of personal and freelance work.
Coming soon.
Work archive on Behance. Older projects.
Primarily a personal blog.
Calin is available world wide. If you'd like to get in touch about a project or just say hello, please reach out via Email.
You can check also his LinkedIn profile for more interesting things as well as more testimonials from people he worked with.
