My name is Andrea Austoni. I was born in Milano, Italy and have been living in Krakow, Poland, since 2006.
I wear long hair, bell bottoms and stretchy shirts. Horizontal stripes only, thank you.

I graduated from Politecnico di Milano university with a degree in Architecture. My final project, entitled “OOPS! literally misunderstood architecture”, is a theoretical-practical demonstration that languages and their abstract rules can be used as inspiration for architecture.

You guessed right, I love languages. Over the years I have taught myself English, German, Polish, Hebrew, Arabic and so on. I currently speak three languages fluently and can carry a conversation (with varying degrees of proficiency) in a few others.

I am mostly self-taught and although I have proven myself to be a successful team member I believe in the power of the individual. For that reason I am self-employed.

I have been a graphic designer for over 10 years. I started out in 3D art then branched out in identity, advertising and packaging.
I currently specialize in icon design and illustration, with a strong focus on realism, three-dimensionality and fun.

When I’m not designing I am usually making or listening to music or cooking hot and spicy dishes in a tiny brown kitchen. I have been a forgiving vegetarian for almost two years now. Let’s hope the animals will be equally forgiving.

A diminutive and evil Siamese fighting fish named Lodovico helps me concoct my plans. He is the true mastermind of everything you see here. The birds were his idea.
 

My skillset

My architecture background gives me a natural sense for structure and an integrated approach to design. When it comes to organization, architecture is king.

My self-taught attitude allows me to continually expand my skillset in an effortless fashion.

I am inspired by the ethics of the samurai (see this article). They help me focus on the subject at hand and take decisions when the time comes, without letting scary words like “revision” or “deadline” get in the way.
 

What I can do for you

Read about my services and consider working with me.

The Blog

This blog is the hub of my online presence. It’s the place where I share my knowledge and give back to the design community by authoring instructional articles and releasing free icon sets and wallpapers. It’s also a showcase for both my personal and client work.

Get in touch with me using my Contact Page or email me at:
andrea [at] cutelittlefactory [dot] com

Find my other online addresses in the “Elsewhere” section in the sidebar.