Buckle up! Our latest feature is none other than Xavier Forné from Error! Design. A seasoned professional in the design industry with a remarkable career spanning over two decades. As the creative force behind Error! Design, Xavier brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the table. Join us as we delve into his journey, exploring the evolution of his career as a merch designer, the challenges he's overcome, and the diverse array of iconic clients he has collaborated with, including renowned names such as Metallica, Mastodon, Wolfmother, and Fumanchu. Discover the intricacies of his design process, and the sources of inspiration that fuel his creativity, and gain valuable insights for aspiring designers looking to make their mark in the dynamic world of music merch.
To begin, could you share some information about yourself and the current scope of your professional work?
I'm from Badalona, a little city near Barcelona and next to the Mediterranean Sea. As you can see on my Instagram stories I'm a cat lover. Also, I'm a musician, I played in a lot of bands but my active projects now are Ulmus (my solo music project) and Malämmar (instrumental doom).
Can you narrate your journey as a merch designer, detailing your initial steps, and the progression that has led you to your current position over the last two decades?
I have appreciated art in the music industry since I was a teenage boy buying records only for how the cover looks. So that's why I finally started designing (very bad) posters in the year 2000. A few years later I studied graphic design at school and started working hard as a freelance designer and after that at a few studios or agencies in Barcelona. Finally, I left my last job in 2012 at a recognized record label in Barcelona and started working 100% on Error! Design. Happy to still buying food for me and my cats, paying rent and bills, and doing what I love.
What stands out as one of the most challenging aspects in your line of work, and how have you successfully navigated through those challenges?
The hardest thing has been to make this hobby a real job. To get to have recognition and expand customers, put a price and hope to be able to generate income to make a living from it. To value oneself is the most important job. To stop thinking that it is a hobby and to understand that it is a job to which to dedicate a lot of time. Patience and a good relationship with the bands have been the magic that has helped me to continue with it.
Your portfolio includes designing merch for prominent names like Metallica, Mastodon, Wolfmother, and Fumanchu. Could you elaborate on your design process and how you ensure your distinctive style remains prominent in each project?
The most complicated thing is to have an idea or concept for each client. I often work under pressure and improvise a lot during the whole process. I don't know how the artwork will start or end, I just let it flow by listening to the music. The only thing I always have clear is that some very specific elements must appear, even for bands that are far away from rock: occultism, surrealism, nature, and sacred geometry. Something always appears, a detail, a sign of what I am.
Who are some of the designers and artists that you’ve admired over the years, and what about their work serves as a source of inspiration for you?
Initially, my first influences were different than today. I was just stoked by famous designers/illustrators like Raymond Pettibon, Hipgnosis or Derek Riggs for example. Later, when the internet was powerful of info I discovered a lot more artists focused on music posters like Seldon Hunt, John Bayzley, Arik Ropper, Pushead, etc. Actually, we're lucky to see so many artists around the world. David DV Andrea, Richey Beckket, Janta Island, Max Loeffler, Michael Hacker, Joel Abad and many more.
If you were to offer a piece of advice to aspiring designers aiming to enter the realm of music merch, what would it be?
Nothing is achieved overnight, there is constant work and personal learning that is only acquired with experience. Everyone is capable of doing it as long as they are passionate about it and feel that music is part of them and need to express it visually as well as sonically.
Looking ahead, are there any upcoming projects or collaborations that you find particularly exciting and would like to share with our audience?
Most of the projects are confidential as they are for future tours that have not been announced, but I am very happy to be working with DesertFest in Berlin, London, Oslo and New York. I'm working on new posters for Hozier, who I had never worked with until 2023 when I was able to make a poster with 32 city variations (and different colour variants, what a big challenge). A few weeks ago I presented another poster that I was especially excited about, the Descendents poster. And for the future, I'm working with Envy, Pg. Lost and other bands that I can't reveal yet
Considering your experience, where do you foresee the future of music merch heading?
Merch is always important for a music band. Now looks like posters or wear it's more important than the record albums. So it's cool to see how the music industry understands how important is the art for them. It's growing and it's beautiful. But now we have a big enemy growing fast: AI. I hope the industry still works with real people instead of artificial intelligence for their artworks.