MACHAS

PUF!

Jonathan Calugi and graphic designer Federico Landini are basically the Starsky & Hutch of the design world. One is laid-back, quite charmer, a bit messy, the other one precise, reserved and punctual. Instead of sharing a Gran Torino, they share a brand new studio in the bucolic Tuscany setting of Pistoia. They make such a well-oiled duo that they run & host the brilliant “Shape Your Head” workshop which has been featured all over Europe and recently they also joined forces to create the visual identity for PUF!. What’s PUF!? We asked the guys.

Jonathan: “PUF! is an event that goes against all the money-making strategies! It was started by people from Pistoia with the intent of stirring things up and to initiate discussion in a city (and country) that is very lethargic.”

How did this idea start?
Federico: “It all started from a very simple idea of our two friends Alessio and Vincenzo: “Plant a seed and something will grow”.  You can say that’s the motto of the festival. The people from Tuscany are deeply connected to their territory and, as Pistoia is worldwide renewed for its ornamental plants and trees, it really felt like a natural choice to keep the organic metaphor. Connecting ideas with plants that grow in a small city in Italy and then get exported all over the world was exactly what we wanted to communicate - and we kept this concept in the identity as well, creating a pattern full of plants and living things.”

How was the feedback on your work?
Jonathan: “We’re very happy as it worked well both on a local and global scale. On a local level, presenting the festival with just type and illustration and no big name on the marquee was quite unusual, however it got the people’s attention and we had a very good response in terms of public. We also shared the project online and we were really impressed to see it popping up on Behance’s Facebook page.”

How did you guys worked together?
Jonathan: “one sitting next to the other?”
Federico:”playing around, have fun, working hard”