Daily Inspiration: Meet Matthew Encina

Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Encina

Hi Matthew, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m a creative professional with over 20 years of experience in design, advertising, and content creation.

I spent a decade as a creative director making TV commercials and music videos for some of the biggest brands and bands in the world, winning industry awards for my work with Xbox and Coldplay.

In 2016, I joined The Futur, a creative education company, as the Chief Content Officer. There, I created content that shared insights and stories from my journey as a creative professional to help others navigate their own.

Beyond the digital screen, I speak at international conferences and events, connecting with the creative community.

These days, I run a solo design studio, Mod Musings, where I create physical products and content that documents my work to share my perspective as a designer.

I’m passionate about learning new things and developing products. My hobbies include dancing (breaking), specialty coffee, cameras, and custom mechanical keyboards.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
“The obstacle is the way.”

My journey is led by my insatiable curiosity and passion for learning new things, which inherently attract me to projects that offer interesting problems to solve.

As an advertising creative director, I constantly pitched ideas for things I had never done before. One of those projects was the interactive music video I directed for Coldplay’s “Ink.”

More recently, as a self-taught aspiring industrial designer, I’ve had to learn everything from scratch. CAD modeling, the manufacturing process, and how to bring products to market.

Every few years, I become a different person. I constantly push myself to experience new things, and somehow, they all add up and reflect in the work I do now.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I love creating things I want to see in the world. My focus these days is on creating desk accessory products.

My design approach stems from a diverse background: two decades in various creative industries, woodworking as a hobby, and a deep appreciation for interior and industrial design. These influences and my cultural heritage (Filipino-American, born and raised Angeleno) shape my lens as a designer.

In 2024, I released the Encore keyboard in collaboration with Mode. As my first keyboard design, I wanted to create something different in a sea of metal rectangles. So, I learned CAD modeling and began to tinker with various designs. What I ended up with is a keyboard that celebrates classic design features explored through a juxtaposition of unique materials—wood and metal.

In the same year, I released my X-Ray Collection, a set of minimalist translucent tech peripherals for your desk setup. This project began with my design of the X-Ray keycaps—a clear and white, low-contrast design paying homage to transparent tech peripherals. From certain angles, these keycaps appear almost blank. However, when illuminated by directional light, they cast shadows that reveal the depth of their legends.

The X-Ray keycaps were so well-received that the project expanded into a collection of products, including the X-Ray cable, switches, artisan keycap, and two special edition keyboards. While driven by my concept, this project was only made possible through collaboration with talented partners, including KBDfans, Omnitype, Wired In, MaxVoltar, and Salvun.

Working on these projects has resulted in significant growth for me as a creative. They’ve opened my eyes to the possibilities of industrial design, and I plan to continue creating products in the desk accessories space. I’m deeply grateful to all my collaborators, from whom I’ve learned so much, and to everyone who has supported my projects along the way.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
In 2021, I quit the best job I ever had as the Chief Content Officer at The Futur. Serving the creative community through education and content was so rewarding for many years. I helped grow The Futur’s YouTube channel to over one million subscribers.

I was in my creative prime. I spent most of my time filling other people’s cups, and at the end of each day, I had very little left for myself.

What free time and energy I did have, I spent building things at home, documenting my process, and sharing it on my own YouTube channel. These side projects were becoming more fulfilling creatively and financially than my full-time job. So it reached a tipping point, and I asked myself:

“What would happen if I spent all of my energy on myself for once?”

I didn’t have a plan (I never know what I’m doing beyond next week), but I had an inkling. I wanted to see where my curiosity would lead me by creating the space to discover the possibilities.

Fast-forward to 2024, and I’ve become a self-taught industrial designer, releasing several physical products. My YouTube channel has grown to over 456K subscribers, and I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to collaborate with some fantastic brands and individuals.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://matthewencina.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matthewencina/
• Twitter: https://x.com/matthewencina/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/matthewencina
• Other: https://www.modmusings.com