Rodolpho Henrique: Creativity and Simplicity
The most important thing that makes design work stand out is creativity and simplicity.
Rodolpho Henrique is part of the Indigo Jury and Designer at Google (formerly Design Lead at McKinsey & Company), working at the intersection of product, brand, and technology. His profound expertise in UI/UX craft and passion for visual design, interaction details, prototyping, technology, and typography have led him to transform the design strategy for startups and prominent leaders worldwide.
“The most important thing that makes design work stand out is creativity and simplicity,” Henrique says. “It’s really difficult to achieve simplicity in digital products, and simple can be more complicated than complex. You have to ignore and remove all of the superficial things and just focus on the most important one to achieve simplicity, and that’s really difficult.”
With over a decade in the industry, Henrique believes in spreading around the information wealth by sharing knowledge and insights with the design community. “I write articles books, and give talks at different conferences, events, and workshops worldwide,” he says. “I find the idea of sharing my process, projects, successes, and failures with other people fascinating because everyone can learn from the steps I took to become a better designer and professional.” Henrique sees his leadership role in the design industry as one that helps push individuals to achieve the best work of their lives. “Cross-functional collaboration is also important since design is not just how things look and feel; design is how things work,” Henrique says.
Henrique draws inspiration and joy from seeing the work of up-and-coming designers and people with cultural backgrounds different from his. “Being on a design jury board, such as the Indigo Design Award, gives me a chance to constantly learn new styles, be open-minded, and see things from different perspectives,” he says. “I was recently invited to mentor design students from Asia and it was one of the most enjoyable experiences that I’ve had in my career. I learned so much from them, and what I learned reshaped many ideas and former concepts I had as a designer working in the tech industry.”
Henrique hails from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and has an unconventional path towards graphic design. “Growing up, I played in different punk rock bands and discovered a passion for helping local musicians and friends,” he says. “Since we lacked the funds to hire professionals, I took it upon myself to create their graphic design materials, album covers, and websites.” Henrique found this work fulfilling, and it fueled his desire to pursue graphic design in college. “I quickly became immersed in the field,” he says.
Henrique draws inspiration from many sources, including other creative fields. “I’m constantly inspired by people and how they solve problems in different disciplines,” he says. “I like to see how architects, engineers, and even musicians think. I’m fascinated by seeing how other people solve problems using their knowledge and expertise. There’s something unique about learning from people from different areas.”
Other jury members