Designer Bio : Gustavo Alcantar

Swirlspace was founded in 1999 by San Francisco designer Gustavo Alcantar to provide outstanding professional graphic design services and explore the intersections of Ecology, Travel, Tech, Fashion and Music/Entertainment industries. We can handle any Graphic Design task you throw at us — Logo, Branding, Print, Web, Packaging, Illustration and more.

Gustavo has been living the Good Life, maintaining longterm design client relationships throughout his global travels and explorations into various design disciplines (Eco-fashion, Sustainability / non-profit, Permaculture). His diverse experience and genuinely friendly easy-going attitude makes him the ideal partner to walk with you on your new venture, listening to your story, and helping brainstorm ways to launch your precious products, services and talents.

DESIGN HISTORY

After graduating with a B.S. in Applied Arts & Design from Cal Poly SLO University (1992) Gustavo worked at several prestigious design studios in San Francisco such as Zimmerman-Crowe, Michael Osborne, & Coleman Souter before landing at BigTop Productions, a non-violent children’s software developer in San Francisco’s famed “Multimedia Gulch”. Not only did he create innovative CD-ROM packaging & marketing materials, but he was turned onto Website design when Netscape’s first browser launched the WWW in 1994. This exciting new  technology led him to collaborate on several early websites & apps for Disney, FOX, Fujitsu . Unfortunately Bigtop folded in 1996, just shy of the oncoming Dotcom boom that swept into San Francisco in late 90s.

This break allowed him time to grab a backpack and go adventuring in South America for 19 months. The intense journey awakened his core and he began formulating his personal mission of right livelihood, focusing on inner peace and awareness, and ecological, spiritual, and socially progressive ventures, a far cry from corporate coghood.

Gustavo landed back home (SF) smack-dab in the middle of the first DotCom Bubble,  and birthed this small successful one-man design studio. In 2000 his creative juices overflowed into launching Swirlspace Hempwear, an innovative Eco-Fashion clothing line featuring his screenprinted design work on T-shirts and Yogawear. This bootstrapped side project soon grew into a full Eco-brand and kept him very occupied for a decade. By late 2009 the economic recession had taken its toll and he began picking up freelance design clients again. The clothing line was officially retired in early 2012.

SUSTAINABILITY & NON-PROFIT

Gustavo Alcantar co-founded and served on the Board of Directors for a progressive non-profit co-op called The Urban Alliance for Sustainability (UAS) between 2003-2009. This volunteer group fused Business with Ecology and Community in San Francisco, leading the charge into the modern green awakening in America. His roles as Creative Director & Event Coordinator led him to co-produce many social events including tradeshow networking and a large EcoHoliday shopping event focusing on building a sales outlet for Socially Responsible Green Businesses.

PERMACULTURE

In 2011 Gustavo began his formal exploration into Permaculture Design, taking a year-long course with Penny Livingston at the Regenerative Design Institute (RDI). He’s continued his hands-on learning at every opportunity, including organizing Permaculture Sayulita, an informal organization with Certification Courses & workshops in Mexico. In 2013 he jumped at the opportunity to work on a six-month Permaculture design project with the Huichol Center for Cultural Survival, an indigenous people’s non-profit in central Mexico’s high deserts.

FUTURE

He is currently building a small eco-hybrid home/vacation rental in Mexico, made from Natural & Reclaimed Materials such as Cob, Bamboo, Wooden Palettes, Bottles etc. He hopes to utilize all his life’s experiences to roll it into a chain of eco-art boutique rentals which will cradle artists & travellers in permaculture heaven.