Alumni: Pierre-Alexis and Vincent, Les Zincs

MEETING WITH PIERRE-ALEXIS (aka PA) & VINCENT, FROM THE BRANDING AGENCY "THE ZINC", GRADUATES FROM THE INTUIT LAB SCHOOL!

Hello PA, 

Who are you? 

I am Pierre-Alexis Génard, co-founder and manager of the branding studio Les Zinc , since 2013.

Lyonnais by birth and by heart, I live in the 11th district in Paris, I am 29 years old and often knock against furniture.

What is your background?

I carried out a large part of my schooling in Lyon, including my first year post Bac in probation at the Emile Cohl school.

I then arrived at the Intuit Lab School in Aix-en-Provence . There I met Basile, Vincent, and Thibault, who became my partners a few years later. I wasn't necessarily the hardest worker, but my involvement in school life and the positive energy I tried to bring earned me the director's praise at the end of my first year of the Master's program.

The four of us moved to Paris for our Master's degree , which was a work-study program. I worked three weeks a month at a creative strategy agency, Nouveloeuvre (which sadly no longer exists), and my former boss was a huge help in my professional development! The idea of ​​starting a studio with friends had always been there and grew stronger throughout 2012/2013. At the end of our contracts, when we were being offered jobs, we decided to launch Les Zinc (a name that refers to our past in Aix-en-Provence and means "cousin" in verlan, a French slang term) right away!

Today there are seven of us collaborating in new and beautiful premises, in the 20th district in Paris!

 

What did you like during your studies at Intuit Lab School?

I really enjoyed my years studying at the Aix-en-Provence campus: the city offered a really pleasant student life (the weather is nice from March to November) and at the school, which is on a human scale , we moved in an almost family atmosphere, in small groups, with teachers who have the time to exchange ideas, discuss and make us understand things.

I also loved my six months in Montreal during the first semester of my Master's program. Two of us from our class did internships at a fantastic branding/packaging agency (Valois). The Intuit Lab school offered us these internships, and it was absolutely amazing! We were very involved in the agency's projects, but we also had plenty of time to enjoy ourselves! Thibault, one of my partners, was on exchange in Quebec City, and we were able to spend quite a few weekends together. Montreal also offers a vibrant student life, and I have very fond memories of it!

And finally, what I appreciated most overall was the mindset: Intuit Lab School truly has this human and friendly side , which allows us to grow in a calm and stable environment. The school really taught us to think critically and to find meaning in our work.

I also think that the work-study year is a real plus, which allows a transition between school and the professional jungle 😉

 

What's your job ?

Today I am a Studio Manager . Over the years, we have divided the roles according to our professional and personal skills, as well as our aspirations. My role involves managing the studio and its development, approaching and prospecting for new clients, and managing projects. I participate in the creative process of projects by contributing to creative and strategic thinking and project concepts, but I no longer do the actual creative work.

 

What makes you vibrate?

Synergy! It might sound strange to say that, but it's true. I really enjoy working at the studio. My partners are my friends, practically brothers! We also have a very relaxed, even friendly, relationship with our employees and contractors: Les Zinc is practically a second family. The goal is really to work in a good mood, with positive and optimistic energy, so we can enjoy every day.

This mindset also allows us to maintain excellent relationships with our customers and collaborators, whether small structures or large groups.

 

Your landmark project?

Andy!

Andy is a Branding project that we carried out last year, for a real estate consulting firm.

The client is young, very friendly and ambitious: he wanted to break the codes of what already existed and trusted us by giving us carte blanche.

From naming to the site, via the logo and the brand territory, we have designed the entire brand.

In terms of creation, we were able to go far in our concept: the fable. The brand is a fairly simple metaphor between the city and the jungle, and we were able to have fun!

I think this is one of the most complete projects we have carried out, with a large team (several designers, a project manager, a copywriter, a motion designer, two developers…) and which really shows what we like to do: create creative brands and deploy them as much as possible 🙂

https://heyandy.fr/

 

What do you recommend for future creations like you?

I definitely advise them to start their own businesses ! I know it's not for everyone, but it's still fantastic to feel free and do things your own way. Design offers so many wonderful possibilities that I think it's important to know what you want to do, what you truly love, and to stick to it to avoid drifting off course and ending up doing uninteresting work on pointless projects.

It's a job of passion , a personal approach linked to a vision of life, a state of mind, an ambition for the future: you have to be committed, curious, and resist the dark excesses of marketing!

Thanks PA! 🙂

Hello Vincent,

Who are you ?

I'm Vincent Hennebert,

Co-founder and Lead Designer at Les Zinc studio .

I am 29 years old, I work and I live in Paris.

What is your background?

After completing the first year of my Master's degree at Intuit Lab in Aix-en-Provence and the second year at the Paris campus while working part-time at the branding agency W&Cie, I founded the studio Les Zinc with Basile, Pierre-Alexis, and Thibault. We have been working together for almost seven years and are now a team of seven full-time employees.

 

What did you like during your studies at Intuit Lab School?

3 very specific moments marked my studies.

Firstly: the MANAA (Applied Arts Leveling Course, which no longer exists)

Having a scientific BAC, I was not at all intended for studies in visual communication and graphic design. At the time, it was unthinkable for me to combine my passion for drawing and higher education.

This is why this first year of studies was a real revelation for me. Having a rather illustrative profile (the computer tool was completely unknown to me at the time), the MANAA allowed me to explore different more interesting materials than the others such as drawing nudes, sketching outdoors or even illustration. It thus allowed me to multiply my skills in terms of visual arts. Drawing, coloring, painting, cutting, gluing, laminating were part of my daily life as a student: what a pleasure!

Secondly: the MASTER 1

Over the years, my passion for drawing has gradually changed. The use of IT and the arrival of new materials such as typography, layout or visual concepts in increasingly complete projects have gradually changed my perception of the profession: we are not talking more plastic arts, but applied arts.

This fourth year was remarkable because of its intensive pace. After a four-month internship in Paris, the first year of the Master's program was condensed into six months. On top of that, there was the publishing project, the final year project, and continuous assessment… I didn't sleep much, I spent my nights behind my computer, the word "work hard" was part of my everyday vocabulary, but I embraced this year with just as much motivation, passion, and enjoyment! The result: I graduated top of my class 😉

Thirdly: the Master's 2

With the Masters I in my pocket, I decide with 3 other comrades from Aix-en-Provence (who will become my associates) to do the 5th year in Paris. A new adventure begins. The capital, its rhythm and its hectic life immediately conquered me.

The final stage of the course, this year is decisive, because it really helps to reduce the gap between studies and the professional world. In fact, the work-study program combined with the school's workshop weeks allowed me, still very much a student in the profession, to professionalize myself. I emerged from a human and professional standpoint.

Another important point, this year was the beginning of the studio, because we were already working for our first clients. With the Masters 2 in hand, we decide to set up the studio despite some attractive proposals for some of my associates.

 

What's your job ?

Over the years, we've implemented agency-style methods and processes while maintaining the creativity and flexibility of a studio. At Zinc, I'm a Lead Designer . I primarily work on branding and visual identity projects.

I am an integral part of the studio's creative process, from the initial briefing with the Project Manager and the client , through strategic brainstorming with our strategist, to the graphic design . I supervise the studio's creative teams, specializing primarily in print.

 

What makes you vibrate?

Above all, it's the creative aspect that excites me.

Creativity as a whole: strategic thinking, creative concepts and graphic design.

I'm a designer by training, and I've remained a designer within the studio. What's changed now is that we have employees; management is an integral part of my job. Sharing and passing on my expertise to the next generation of designers is something that resonates with me and that I take very seriously.

 

Your landmark project?

The Techno Parade.

It's quite funny, because when I arrived in Paris I participated in the event.

H5 took care of all the communication and I found it rather ... disappointing to tell the truth.

In 2016 we decide to participate in the contest and bingo, the project is for us!

We had chosen a design that was more plastic than graphic: torn paper, collage, and scan allowed us to inject a “street” look into the event. It is not necessarily the most “branding” project of the studio, but precisely, the ambition of our response was to create consistency from year to year and thus anchor the Techno Parade in an identity that is specific to it. . Successful bet ! We continued to work on the communication of the event for the next three years until the 20th anniversary of the event in 2018.

What could be more rewarding than seeing the deployment of his work on tanks traveling through the city of Paris!

 

What do you recommend for future creations like you?

I advise them to remain passionate and curious.

This profession is a profession of passion , and curiosity is its driving force.

 

Thanks Vincent 🙂