Follow Friday: Cocolia

Studio Cocolia have curated a unique and engaging Instagram feed by breaking one of the platform’s main rules and defying the grid system.

Creative studio Cocolia work across everything from art direction and editorial illustration to set design. Professionally, the studio has worked with a long list of clients including Pull&Bear, Museo Picasso and Absolut. However, the studio puts as much focus on personal projects as they do on professional ones. Their side projects offer them the chance to experiment with new techniques and create freely.

Instagram, design, art direction, photography, colour, Cocolia, art

A mural designed by Cocolia

Cocolia is made up of a dynamic duo of creatives – Raul Ramos and Mireia Ruiz. Both studied Graphic Design at BAU school in Barcelona and have built impressive careers both together and separately since graduating.

Despite being made up of the ideas of two individual creatives, Studio Cocolia feels as though it has one very specific and eccentric personality.

Greg McIndoe
Instagram, design, art direction, photography, colour, Cocolia, art

Photography by Cocolia

Instagram, design, art direction, photography, colour, Cocolia, art

One of our favourite images from Cocolia’s portfolio

Creative freedom has resulted in a portfolio filled with a huge variety of different projects. Everything from 2D collages and paintings to large-scale murals and rainbow-coloured masks can be found within Cocolia’s catalogue of work. One of our favourite images from their portfolio shows a white hand holding a selection of colourful, patterned paint brushes against a purple back drop. Simply conceived and exquisitely executed, it perfectly exemplifies the eccentric perfectionist aesthetic the studio exudes.

Cocolia has no set “house style”. However, all of their projects are tied together with a love for bright colours.

Greg McIndoe
Instagram, design, art direction, photography, colour, Cocolia, art

Artwork by Cocolia

One thing that ties all of Cocolia’s imagery together is their brave use of colour. Their love for all things rainbow-bright has been vital in the success of the studio’s Instagram feed. On your daily (or for some, hourly) Insta-binge, you are guaranteed to stop scrolling when you get to their latest post. Cocolia’s eye catching colour choices always make their imagery stand out from the crowd.

Any true Instagram addict will not just think of each individual post but how to make their feed as a whole look aesthetically pleasing. Cocolia have thought of this too. They frame each of their portrait images with a white border before posting them. This uniformity creates organised columns on their grid and gives each image plenty of room to breathe.

 

Instagram, design, art direction, photography, colour, Cocolia, art

Cocolia’s unique framing makes their feed feel organised

Instagram, design, art direction, photography, colour, Cocolia, art

A snap of Cocolia’s studio

The studio doesn’t create any content specifically for Instagram. They simply take existing imagery, frame it and post it. This allows them to keep creating without Instagram becoming too big a part of their practise.

Social media is pretty essential in the creative industries these days. However, that doesn’t mean it has to play a huge part in your everyday life. Some creative love embracing the challenge and creating content just for the channel. Others would rather let their existing work speak for itself and concentrate on creating more. Cocolia’s clean cut feed proves this approach can be just as successful.

Instagram, design, art direction, photography, colour, Cocolia, art

Image by Cocolia

Instagram, design, art direction, photography, colour, Cocolia, art

Photograph by Cocolia

Instagram, design, art direction, photography, colour, Cocolia, art

A recent post from Cocolia’s Instagram

instagram.com/cocolia

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Posted on Feb 2nd, 18 by

Greg McIndoe - also known as Headless Greg - is an illustrator and design writer based in Glasgow, Scotland. He regularly writes for design magazines and online platforms, interviewing fellow illustrators and leading creatives.

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