Designer Josel Cruz came to the United States from Puerto Rico as a college student and aspiring designer. Around the Oishii studio space, he is known for his innovative design talents as much as for his love of drumming into the night — and chopping all manner of vegetables for lunch in the office kitchen. We are regularly inspired by his dexterities.

Josel also thinks and practices what we believe to be the new standards and thinking for design talent.

Beyond beautifully designed logos and cool graphics, however, Josel understands the connection between logic and design, art and functionality.

This intuitive connection emerged for Josel as a university engineering student. “I looked at problems visually and spatially, and that gave me freedom other engineering students didn’t always tap into or connect with,” he says.

Josel ultimately left engineering for fine art and graphic design, because, in his words, “art felt intuitive and right.” As an art student, one of Josel’s professors labeled his artwork as uniquely “middle-brain.” This characterization felt like a huge compliment to Josel: “I thought, conceived and processed my ideas and art using both sides of my brain. I embraced the term…it’s where I want to be.”

Josel’s “middle brain” approach is exactly what drew Oishii to him and vice versa. Together, we love synthesizing both sides of our brains to imagine and actualize business-building strategies for our brand, entertainment media and startup clients.