Meet Andrea, BBO Brand Designer

Originally from Italy and now based in France, Andrea has been part of BBO’s design team for over four years. We asked him about his creative journey, his work behind the scenes, and how he helps make BBO more modern and accessible for players.

Tell us a little about yourself! Where are you from, where do you live now, and what does a regular day look like for you?

Hi! I'm Andrea. I was born and raised in Italy, spent a couple of years living in New York City, and eventually traded skyscrapers for mountains when I moved to France, near the Swiss border. I now live there with my wife and daughter.

I work from home with a nice view from my desk: mountains in front of me and the soundtrack of whatever nature decides to provide that day—wind, rain, chirping birds, and occasionally the neighbourhood kids.

I usually start my workday by browsing design inspiration from other creatives, checking my to-do list and messages, and then diving into whatever the day has in store. No two days are exactly the same, which is one of the things I enjoy most about what I do.

What’s one fun fact about yourself?

I've always loved board games and card games—so much so that I guess it eventually became part of my personality.

As a kid, I spent countless afternoons playing Pinnacola, a traditional Sicilian melding card game, with my Nonno and Nonna. We'd sit around the table with some delicious treats my grandma had made, and those are still some of my favourite memories. Even back then, I remember realising how incredible games are: they sharpen strategic thinking, keep your mind engaged, and, most importantly, bring people together.

That probably explains why I still love hosting game nights with friends today. And because apparently just playing games wasn't enough, I'm currently designing a board game with a friend in my spare time. Whether it ever becomes the next big hit or just stays our passion project, we're having a lot of fun creating it.

How long have you been working for BBO, and what keeps you interested?

I’ve been working for BBO for about 4 years and a half now. When I started, I was working only three days a week and was the only designer in the marketing team. Eventually, I gradually increased my involvement and had the opportunity to help build our design team by bringing in some incredibly talented people.
What keeps me interested is that we're never standing still. We're constantly improving, testing new ideas, and experimenting with different approaches. I love having the creative freedom to explore solutions and the variety of projects that comes with the role.

What’s something players might not realize about your work?

One thing players might not realize is how diverse the BBO community really is and how much that influences design decisions. We're creating visuals for people of different ages, backgrounds, technical comfort levels, and bridge expertise. A design choice that seems obvious to one person can be confusing to another, so a big part of the job is finding what works for as many people as possible.

If you could describe BBO in three words, what would they be?

Community. Connection. People.

If you could leave one message for the BBO community, what would it be?

As someone working on BBO every day, I can say that our players are at the center of the decisions we make.

We're working to make BBO more modern, accessible, and appealing, while preserving the familiarity and sense of community that players love. Every change involves a lot of thought, discussion, and care, because our goal has never been change for the sake of change.

Thank you for your trust, your feedback, and your patience as we continue to evolve. We're doing our best to honor what you've always loved about BBO while building something even better for the future of bridge.

Do you have any interesting or memorable story you'd like to share?

No, sorry.