Because I love to create. This is my space to explore styles, test ideas, and see which pieces “click” and deserve continuity. I think in collections, just like in advertising where you develop multiple versions of one concept, and I play with variations (sometimes just color) so they can fit different spaces. Stories First is my creative lab, a place where I can experiment, make mistakes, learn, and keep going.

I’m Roberto, a trained designer and freelance art director for brands. I have spent years working in advertising and innovation, developing visual concepts and campaigns. Stories First is my way of applying that same eye for form, color, proportion, and storytelling to pieces designed to live in real spaces.

No. My main work is as a freelance art director for brands, where I apply the same creativity and discipline but for campaigns and commercial projects. Stories First is where I design freely, without client briefings or agency deadlines. Every piece is created as if it were for my own home.

Limited editions are part of the game. I like the idea that only a few people in the world will own each design. It is not about getting rich, it is about creating pieces that make being at home feel better.

(If you would like to work with me as an art director for your brand, you can get in touch here ✉️).

A brand and a design lab for spaces. I create visual solutions meant to coexist with architecture and interior design, always with a clear thread: turning stories and ideas into decisions about form, color, scale, and texture.

Because I do not follow a single “signature style.” As an art director, I adapt the visual language to the idea and the context. Some pieces are minimal, others bold in color, some almost photographic. The style follows the concept and the space, never the other way around.

With an idea: a memory, a word, a place, a feeling. I listen to what that concept wants to express, then define the visual direction, the palette, and the composition. There is no formula, just design thinking, careful editing, and attention to every detail until it feels right.

I work at a microscopic level, pixel by pixel. I use CGI, a lot of Photoshop, and generative AI tools. My technical background in programming and innovation lets me combine workflows and build solid processes. The result is precise, coherent designs that feel intentional from start to finish.

I see it as progress. For designers, it is simply another tool. When the first camera appeared, painters thought it was the end of painting, but it was not. The same happens here: AI is a new way to explore ideas and speed up parts of the process.

Still, the most important thing in design is vulnerability and sensitivity. I cannot say whether machines will ever have that, but today creating something meaningful still requires a person with good taste and a trained eye.

The most important thing is still human sensitivity and judgment. Today, to create something that truly connects, you need someone with good taste and a trained eye. If you are unsure, ask an AI to create the most beautiful image you have ever seen, with a concept and a story behind it, and you will see why the value lies in the human hand that selects, edits, and gives meaning.

I work with open-source and ethical models such as Stable Diffusion, Playground v2, or Runway Gen, which for the most part are not trained on copyrighted images. But of course… this is today, September 2025. Everything is moving so fast that next week there will be new tools and new ways to create.

In the end, my work is about that: creating collages and composing digital canvases, with taste, sensitivity, and a story behind them.

Result of the IA image.

I am obsessed with quality. I work in large format using giclée printing on high-end textured papers for depth and a tactile finish. I want every piece to have presence, to “breathe,” and to integrate naturally into the space.

Because I like the idea of just a few people sharing each design. It keeps the intention and production quality high. I am not chasing volume, I am designing pieces that you will want to live with and look at every day.

Yes. This is at the heart of Stories First. I work closely with architects, interior designers, and clients to create pieces with the right scale, proportion, and language for a specific place. I distill all the information (use, light, color, materials) into a visual solution that feels balanced with its surroundings.

I am drawn to iconic, timeless design, the principles of the Bauhaus where form meets function, clarity and removing the unnecessary, and modern architecture from Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, and Alvar Aalto, which values order, proportion, and breathing space. I also admire Kandinsky’s freedom and Miró’s lightness, their ability to tell whole worlds through simple shapes and precise color. For me, design is a language: clear, functional, and capable of evoking emotion. That is what I aim for in every piece.

If you are looking for art direction for your brand or a custom visual project for a space, let’s talk. Share the context and needs, and I will turn them into a well-crafted solution with taste, precision, and a story behind it.

Contact me here