487 - Mathieu Brageul

Mathieu Brageul is a graphic designer with over 20 years of experience. He has been a freelance graphic designer for 16 of these years.

He specializes in communications for local authorities where he works on a wide range of projects, from institutional support (brochures, municipal newsletters, posters, invitations) to more technical documents (catalogs, reports) or events.

He lives in Montrouge, a small town near Paris and in his spare time, he enjoys photography with a rather unusual camera — the Game Boy Camera. Check out his dedicated Instagram account for it below.

Website → mathieubrageul.com
Personal Instagram → instagram.com/mathieu_br
Game Boy Camera Instagram → instagram.com/gbcamera_user
LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/mathieu-brageul

Mathieu's Workspace Tour

Workspace Items

• Computer: Mac mini M4
• Monitor: LG 32UD89-W 32″
• Monitor mount: ErGear EGSS6-E
• Keyboard: Logitech MX Keys for Mac
• Mouse: Logitech MX Master
• Chair: IKEA JÄRVFJÄLLET
• Speakers: Bose SoundLink Mini 2
• Headphones: Sony WH-1000XM3 and Apple AirPods 2
• Desk: No Name
• Desk Mat: No name mat from AliExpress
• Tablet 1: XP Pen Deco Pro LW (Gen 2)
• Tablet 2: iPad Air 4 with Apple Pencil
• Hard Drive: Synology DS224+ DiskStation
• Gaming Consoles: Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X and a lot of retro handhelds consoles
• Ebook reader: Kindle Paperwhite

Wall Art and Decor

• Mathieu Bablet « Akira » limited edition print
• Modded Game Boy Light I bought during a trip to Japan years ago
• Lots of Plants
• Playforever toy car
• Tetris linocut I made
• Buzz Lightyear

What is the most recent item that you've added to your workspace?

I recently switched to a Mac mini M4. I used to work on a 2019 MacBook Pro. No regrets, it works great.

The other item I acquired recently, which is always on my desk or never far away, is my Analogue Pocket. A modern console for playing old games. I just love it.‍

What is one change you'd like to make to your current workspace?

I'd like to change the color of the wall. It's currently gray, but I'd like a darker color. The problem is that my office is in the living room, so I'd have to convince the whole family. A new office chair would be nice too. The current one is comfortable but not very aesthetic.‍

How do you spark creativity?

I'm lucky enough to live just outside Paris, and I try to make the most of it. I visit exhibitions, and I also cycle a lot in the streets of Paris, which inspires me.

Ideas often come when you're busy doing something else, so I read, do sport (swimming, yoga), take photographs and play video games “a bit too much”.‍

What does your typical day look like?

I have young children, which naturally sets the pace for my days. In the mornings, it's my daughters who wake me up at around 6.30am when they come into my room. As a result, I go to bed early, often before 11pm, so as not to accumulate too much fatigue.

Once the girls have been dropped off at school, I start my day by switching on my computer and charging my devices (phone, watch...). I take the opportunity to take a look at Instagram, Reddit, and a few other sources of inspiration or news. Then I tidy up the room and my desk - my daughters often leave a few toys lying around. Then I get down to the mails: sorting, urgent replies... It's usually around 9am that I can really get down to work.

I spend most of my time on execution documents. I tend to reserve creative work for the afternoon: that's when I'm most efficient. As for administrative tasks, such as invoicing, I prefer to group them together at the end of the week.

I work about 8 hours a day at my desk, a space I use for both work and video gaming. There's always a joystick or handheld console to hand.

Evenings are reserved for family time. And before bedtime I always take a little time to read. My e-reader follows me everywhere.‍

What do you enjoy most about WFH life?

What I enjoy most is being free to organize my life as I see fit. That is, to be able to take time off if I need to (for example, to take one of my daughters on a school trip). And y partner travels a lot for work. So it's super convenient to be able to be at home.