“We believe in the potential of all people; creativity is within us, it just needs respect, trust, and training.” This magnetic and beautiful phrase is not ours, but Yvette García and Javier La Casta’s.
Both come from artistic and creative fields. She is a dancer and he is a designer. Their approach to life and professional development has a strong social connection. Collaboration, creativity, and inclusion are values that are part of their daily lives.
During the pandemic, they wondered, why not combine creativity and design to create a new social and inclusive project? This led to the creation of Trampolín, the first inclusive creative platform led by Yvette and Javier. What is it, how did it come about, and what exactly do they do at Trampolín? They explain it themselves.
What is Trampolín?
“Trampolín is a project that combines creativity and design to generate a social and inclusive initiative that empowers people,” explains Yvette García. The initiative arose from “the need to seek professional alternatives, the desire to experiment with an exciting project, and to positively impact society.”
After much thought and effort to bring the project to life, thanks to a grant from the Innovation Council of the Valencia City Council, Trampolín became a reality in 2021. It is a social project that also aligns with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Throughout the year, the Trampolín team has been working with different centers and associations for people with intellectual disabilities in the Valencian Community with a guiding principle: “Design is at the core of everything,” says Javier La Casta. “Its power is so great that it also provides the necessary tools for the personal development and self-esteem of those with diverse abilities.”
Trampolín Method: Co-Creativity on a Triple Action Axis
The initiative is implemented through a work methodology with a triple action axis:
Creative Gymnastics: In these workshops, participants receive tailored training that allows them to express themselves and boost their self-esteem.
Colabs: In these workshops, the work is led by creativity professionals (illustrators, designers, art directors) who temporarily join Trampolín to develop a specific piece or focus on illustration, typography, collage, etc.
Design Labs: Here, participants create real design projects proposed by a real client. An example is the recent collaboration between Trampolín and the craft beer brand Zeta Beer.
Zeta Beer by Trampolín: Limited Edition Labels Created in the First Inclusive Co-Design Lab
Just before the summer, Trampolín and Zeta Beer joined forces with a goal: to create a series of illustrated labels for the brand’s most iconic drink, the HELL-Bavarian Helles.
“The initiative began with a briefing from the client, who conveyed the company’s values and culture to the team, to then work on the label design collaboratively,” explains Yvette. This marked the trial by fire. The launch of this first Co-Design Lab to design a real project.
On this occasion, the Trampolín and Zeta Beer teams worked hand in hand with a group of people with intellectual disabilities from the Francisco Esteve Patronage in Manises (Valencia).
An interesting fact is that there were no limitations on who could participate and contribute to the project. The reason? “We believe that all people are creative if we train, so we did not select participants,” Yvette explains.
Because, in reality, it’s not about capabilities but about believing in the project, as is the case with the Francisco Esteve Patronage. “They have supported us a lot, and we have a very good relationship,” hence “as a culmination, before the summer, we proposed this real project with Zeta, and it has been very motivating for everyone.”
Motivational Experience with Positive Impact
A question that arises is, how did they feel knowing they were going to work on a real project? Did it impact them knowing that the product they were co-creating could then be purchased by anyone?
Trampolín is clear: “I think facing this new challenge did not pose any difficulty for them,” says Yvette. “We had been working on other projects with the same people for months, accustomed to the way of proceeding and working and overcoming creative challenges. Like what happened in the WDC 2021 Colabs, led by Marta Pina, Gimeno Gràfic, Luis de Mano, Joan Quirós, and Milimbo.”
In fact, “it wasn’t until the day of the project presentation at the Mercado Colón that they saw the final result and realized the work done,” she says. “Seeing the final product positively impacted them.”
This impact has not only been positive for the workshop participants but also for all parties involved. “The important thing is that after months of work and workshops, we have created a beautiful bond with the people who participated in the various workshops.” A very positive experience that goes beyond the material, without undermining the product, this limited edition series of labels.
“The project started with the idea of creating a credible, close product with social impact,” and finally, “both the work process and the result have been magnificent,” they say. “For us, dressing Zeta Beer, their most iconic and top-selling beer, was a responsibility we were not sure how it would develop, given that it was our first ‘real’ commission.” The final result is a colorful and brilliant work, with a very distinctive mark that has exceeded everyone’s expectations.
Future Perspective
Zeta Beer is just the first real product born in these Co-Design Labs, but Trampolín is not stopping and already has its sights set on new projects. “We are constantly looking for companies, entities, or organizations that want to collaborate with us,” they say.
Currently, the platform’s work is very visual and focused on graphic design, but in the future, they want to get involved in space design, product design, and other newer disciplines within design.
On the other hand, they are also open to working with different audiences. Thus, besides working with people with intellectual disabilities, they are already moving to extend the Trampolín methodology to any group: people at risk of social exclusion, migrants, etc.
Regarding future projects, Javier and Yvette give us some hints. For example, there is already an initiative underway with Bioagradables and Àncora, where they combine marine archaeology, beach waste, and social inclusion. Additionally, they will soon be working with the Nau Social at the University of Valencia with adolescents at risk of social exclusion. They will also be holding workshops for children at Muvim. As a highlight, Trampolín will also launch a book on the basics of design in the coming months.
“In the situation we find ourselves in, we must rethink and reconsider how we impact society and the world. Design should always be socially and environmentally responsible. The challenge is to advocate for new models and new ways of doing things.”
At Buenaventura, we endorse every word of Yvette and Javier. We are convinced of the need to work for a more inclusive, circular, participatory, diverse, and sustainable world. And above all, we are convinced that it can be done through creativity. A more human world, like the one Trampolín advocates for.
Mª Ángeles Domínguez
Photography of Javier and Yvette. Josep Gil
Photography of Zeta Beer. Marina Jiménez
Photography of the workshops. Trampolín
