Cover Story: Julian Arias

Julián Arias… is he an artist? Is he a mobile IOS developer? 

He is all that and so much more. If you are curious about how cartoons make a positive impact in the lives of many and how they relate to software development, well, you have arrived at the right article. Join us in this amazing story to learn how a hobby can fit perfectly with your working life at Globant.

But first, let’s get to know a little bit of Julian’s story at Globant.

How did you get to know about Globant? What were the things that made you choose to work here?

Well, before joining Globant I was working in a company that had a traditional way of building software and didn’t use Agile methodologies. I experienced firsthand what it means to deliver a software product one year after we had planned it. The perspective of the project had changed drastically, but we couldn’t change anything to improve the product because of what was planned at the beginning. It wasn’t a good experience for me or the users of the product. 

In that same project, I had the opportunity to meet many Globers. I continued talking to many of them even though the project had ended. From that experience, I had a really good impression of them as professionals and as kind people.

When I started searching for a change in my worklife, several of them encouraged me to join Globant. Between many job offerings, I didn’t doubt for a second coming to work here. I was very motivated by being able to work with big international clients and by the possibility of relocating to another country. Also, the fact that they gave me an opportunity to study English in the company made a great difference too.

Everything that was promised to me by Globant was taken seriously and came to fruition. Every time I have asked for assistance, everyone has been very helpful and honest with me.

Since the first day here, I’ve felt like Globant is home. I already had an idea of the culture and for years I had been collecting experiences from people that had been working here. Everyone’s experience was very positive, involving personal and professional growth and a great deal of support from leaders.

Working here has also shown me that Agile methodologies are key to delivering a useful product. Working this way makes me feel confident in the product process, in the team, and adds great value to the project. This type of Agile culture is the one you breathe at Globant.

What does a day at Globant look like for you?

A day at Globant involves many interesting things! We have daily meetings with our teams to organize our tasks and lower the risk of anyone feeling stuck. Also, we get together a couple of times a week to check different user stories that we will work on in the future. 

Even though the interaction with other Globers is not the same as before the pandemic, we always find a way to spend time together and share life experiences. We really make an effort not to lose this. Sometimes, a ten minutes call just to talk about anything can change your whole day. 

When and why did you start drawing as a hobby?

I love everything that has to do with art. Since I can remember, I’ve been developing my creative abilities in different ways: through Legos, origami, painting, drawing, photography, riddles, making video games, amigurumis, etc. 

Just before the pandemic, I took an online course about cartoons and I just loved it. I had never done this kind of drawing before, but I enjoyed it very much and saw that others also enjoyed my drawings. This motivated me to keep on drawing.

How does your work relate with drawing?

I’m convinced that software development has a high dose of creativity and technique, like in any kind of illustration or art. Just like in plastic arts, you need to have an idea and develop it so others can understand and see what you had in mind in the best way possible. 

What motivated you to start illustrating others and what was their reaction? 

Even though I started illustrating not long ago, I already have two or three notebooks full of drawings. As I know a lot about digital revealing for photographs, an idea came to me: what if I didn’t just leave drawings on paper? What if I brought them to life and digitized them? And so it began. I also defined a clear style that would be loyal to the original drawing.

As I was creating these cartoons I remembered something that had happened to me: some years ago I wanted someone to represent me through a drawing, but I couldn’t find anyone that could do it. That’s why it occurred to me that it would be nice to do that for other Globers.

But it shouldn’t be that simple. I wanted to add a little bit of magic and mystery to it. I decided I would make a fun dynamic for everyone to engage in, a sort of game. Each day I would publish in an internal chat of Chile’s site, a cartoon about a specific Glober (someone who wanted to be drawn). Everyone on the chat had to guess who that Glober was. If they too wanted to be drawn, they had to answer with a specific emoji. The first one to guess who the drawn Glober was would receive a HaveFun Star in our StarMeUp platform! 

The truth is that the dynamic was very well received and everyone was excited to check the new drawing and guess the mysterious identity of the cartoon. I love seeing people enjoy the drawings and that motivates me to keep doing this and make a positive impact.

What do you want to convey with your drawings?

What I love about cartoons is that through them you get to highlight the people’s different traits. I hope that the people I draw can find their cartoon funny and can see the beautiful way in which they are different from others. Our differences are what make us unique. 

Getting to see and accept ourselves can sometimes feel like a challenge to many of us. We strongly believe that diversity is THE way: the way to innovation, the way to creativity, the way to inclusion, and the way of truly accepting us. If you want to show others what makes them unique and make a positive impact on their lives, visit our Instagram page and check out the new challenge!