What is Ana all about?

I love creating stuff. I see myself as a generalist. Someone who loves making and learning lots of different things.

Design allows me to do just that. Being a designer means you have to put on different hats and develop different skills to give our partners and their audiences the best creative solution and outcomes. From workshops, researching target audiences, getting under the skin of the businesses, through to thinking up creative concepts and making design assets, and working out how to implement a campaign or brand identity in the best way possible.

When Ana is not all over Adobe software what is she doing?

Watching a good movie or reading a good book.

My favourite genres are fiction and fantasy. Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings are my jam.

But I am also fascinated by history, human behaviour and everything about space and nature. Sapiens is a great book suggestion for anyone who wants to know how mankind came to be. I am currently reading The Diary of Anne Frank (I’m not sure why I’m only just getting to this book), and next in line is Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman.

If I am not reading or watching Netflix, I am probably doing some DIY, drawing or looking for my next adventure. Traveling is my therapy. From a safari in South Africa to the myths and beaches of Greece.

Oh and I also spend A LOT of time tending to my forest (my collection of plants) and watching dog videos on TikTok.

What is Ana looking forward to at the Giants?

Letting the creativity flow.

The Giants strive for creative leaps – something I stand by daily, so working around people that want the same thing is really exciting. The fact that we work closely together as a team and with our partners tickles my generalist heart, as I get to be a part of everyone’s journey and understand what they do and how they work. Most of all I like having fun doing what I love. I am having a blast.

Why did Ana move to the UK and how does she deal with homesickness?

I’ve always wanted to know more about the world. When I was 18, I was given the opportunity to study in the UK. I saw it as a new adventure.

Leaving all my family behind was tough so I try to travel to Portugal at least once or twice a year, so I don’t feel homesick. Video calls also help.

But the best thing is to live near a Portuguese shop, so I can get my favourite snacks every time I feel like it.

Why did I leave Muay Thai?

I did a lot of swimming back in Portugal. That’s always been my thing, floating and relaxing around doing my laps. One day a friend introduced me to Muay Thai. The first few lessons punching the bag were really fun and stress releasing – until they asked me to spar with an actual person, and that’s when I realised that this sport was not for me. I could not, for the life of me, punch an actual person.