josé - design boss

José Reyes, along with his wife, Nikolle, founded Metaleap Creative almost 20 years ago. What started as a husband-and-wife business has grown exponentially offering a broad range of creative-related services, everything from copywriting to environmental design, and is consistently recognized as one of the best in the country. Their client list includes recognizable heavyweights such as Coca-Cola, The Salvation Army, and Paste Magazine, and more boutique customers like Fulton & Roark, Howler Magazine, and yours truly. José is on a mission, not just to design and execute well, but also to create meaningful relationships with his customers and make a positive impact in the city of Atlanta. He embodies what it means to be a ‘champion’ of your craft and is our third installment of “The Proud”, where we highlight instrumental folks in the city of Atlanta.  

Where did you grow up and what brought you to Atlanta?
I was born in Puerto Rico and moved around a lot as a kid living in Turkey, New Mexico, Utah and Florida. All of those places had a massive influence on the way I see the world and what I would love to see happen in the world around me. Namely, a greater empathy, respect and thoughtfulness towards everyone we share this planet with. As for settling in Atlanta, the design firm I was working at in Savannah [Georgia] was opening an office in Atlanta and I helped open it. Also, Nikolle got accepted to grad school at GA Tech so it was all perfect timing.

What was the journey like to go from SCAD to starting our own design agency?
Exciting. Scary. Thrilling. Exhausting. You know, ALL of the emotions.

What are you most proud of in your personal life? What about your professional life?
I’m really the wrong person to ask because pride can be a real thorn in my side if let it get the better of me.

What does it mean to you to be a “Champion of your craft”?
Graphic design is about visual communication. But as a business owner, so much of doing that well is championing the client and coming alongside them when there is a poverty of language in how they communicate their vision and passion. It can also mean being perceptive enough to know when what we’re saying is not translating to them. Practically, this means listening first. And then some more. And then asking deep insightful questions to better understand where a client might be getting hung up or where we’re misunderstanding them. This can take a lot of time which is why we say we’re relational and not transactional. When we do this well, we often find that we can get to great design, which in turn champions our craft.

You started Metaleap with your wife who runs the company with you, what’s been the most rewarding and challenging parts of that dynamic?
We both have very different roles which helps us navigate the challenges tremendously. I’m the creative director and set creative vision and oversee the creatives while Nikolle is the managing director and manages the business of the business. While that creates a lot of separation between church and state, we do have a lot of cross-over which is where the challenges come up. However, that is also where the most rewarding parts of working together live. We have to really understand—and empathize with—the challenges that either of us are facing and then come alongside and encourage. There is no room for finger pointing because that isn’t helpful and would be extremely damaging to what we’re trying to build in the office and at home.  

You’re a five-stripes season ticket holder. What about soccer excites you and what is your involvement in the sport?
GOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLLL! Growing up watching South-American soccer on Univision and hearing Andrés Cantor scream goal for as long as his lungs would allow was a big part of my childhood and just one reason why I love soccer. It is passionate, thrilling, precise, fast, and filled with flamboyant characters who, if you haven’t noticed, are ridiculously vain and self-absorbed which is sort of awesome!? I also grew up attending and watching the Tampa Bay Rowdies and was obsessed with an hour-long Saturday afternoon TV show that played on the local PBS station called “Soccer Made in Germany.” That show would forever forge in me a deep desire to become a goal keeper like Toni Schumacher.

What’s the most insane client request you’ve received?
Well, we have this brewery client that we do a ton of work for…
Editor’s note: ;)   

What’s some advice/tips you would give clients when communicating with designers?
Presume intelligence over flightiness; depth over shallowness; a valued partner over a replaceable vendor.

What do you love about Atlanta? What would you like to see change?
Atlanta's hubris. 
A person of color as Governor.

Who are some designers that inspire you and what are some agencies or websites you visit for inspiration?
Gail Bichler, design director of the New York Times Magazine. For websites: Brand New, Trendland, T Magazine

What is something that gets you rowdy?
Choosing to remain ignorant because change seems hard, impossible, or fruitless.

What makes you proud? 
Long term pride would be raising children/developing team members that are vulnerable with one another, deeply concerned for justice, empathetic so as to uphold the dignity of others, and loving for the sake of humanity.

What’s something people might be surprised to know about you?
I love physical labor. Like sweaty, shoveling gravel, hard outdoor physical labor.