Stories.

My name is Gloria Martino, I'm 30 years old, and I'm a laboratory graphic designer at Mirage.


My career began 11 years ago, right after I graduated from the Venturi Art Institute of Modena in the Graphics section.

Explaining my work to people who are not familiar with the world of ceramic tiles is a bit complicated. I usually just say: "I design tiles."
Specifically, I’m responsible for creating new product collections together with the marketing department and production technicians. Once we’ve identified the right design, my job is to apply the necessary graphic processing to make the textural effects realistic, eliminating defects and enhancing the color tones and characteristics of our surfaces.

"To see our work turning to ceramic tile collections distributed throughout the world is very rewarding."

The final product is the result of a complex and fascinating empirical process, in which collaboration among the various professionals involved is essential to achieve a high-quality esthetic outcome. To see our work turning to ceramic tile collections distributed throughout the world is very rewarding.

Of course it’s not always easy: the success or failure of a ceramic tile collection often depends on our work, and a collection means a lot of investment on the part of the company: prototypes, marketing, samples. It sometimes happens that notwithstanding all the effort and dedication the product doesn’t turn out as you expect, and then you still have to find the solution by starting again from scratch and also working overtime until the result satisfies the PMs and marketing.

It takes a lot of passion for ceramic tiles to do this job. Fortunately I have it, but it was important for me to feel the trust of my managers and the support of the company from the beginning, which gave me the confidence to get through the difficult times.

And then I like the informal atmosphere in the company, which makes the relationships with my co-workers more real. There’s an atmosphere of genuine collaboration, and we also have fun.

I believe that my story shows how in Gruppo Concorde even young people at their first work experience can find someone that trust them and help them to professionally grow.