As a designer, I tend to consider my interests in a professional sense, as well as in a personal sense, one of the same. I’m constantly immersed in creative content, especially on my Instagram feed, and always look for new ways to elevate my work.
There are certain influencer accounts I follow that use design as a way to amplify their own voices, as well as call attention to social issues. For example, following recent events throughout the nation, there have been countless artists calling on the public to vote. These influencers use their channels as ways to encourage their followers to take a stand and have a voice.
These calls to activism have inspired me to be persistent in bringing these issues to the forefront at work, encouraging my team to be consistent in showing our solidarity on our own social platforms. As a school that promotes diversity, equity and inclusion, we should be promoting our efforts to stand by what we believe in.
We’ve since posted various content regarding the our unity with the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as an infographic displaying voter registration and mail-in voting deadlines for different states. These posts are not only aesthetically pleasing, but they also provide a source of education for our followers. We include resources within these posts on how students, alumni, faculty, staff and the rest of the community can get involved.
These influencers’ work have also helped me art direct my design intern. I often share with her creative I find on social media to help guide her to the best places for inspiration. Even though these “influencers” aren’t selling a product or service, they have enough of a following to garner engagement from a vast global audience, including yours truly.
While I take inspiration from these accounts for my professional life, I also find solace in influencer accounts that display hand-lettering inspiration. This is where my professional and personal interests start to mesh.
I follow Swiss-based hand-lettering master, Stefan Kunz, on Instagram, who shares content ranging from chalkboard lettering to helpful tips and tricks illustrated in the most beautiful fashion. His inspirational posts not only speak to me as a creative professional myself, but they also provide a source of inspiration for my own work.
Lately, I’ve also been incorporating social activism into my lettering work. I find hand-lettering a great outlet for voicing my thoughts in a way that will grab people’s attention. I’ve always been driven to create art for the greater good.
While my lettering work is not as intricate, I’ve learned how to build out full compositions and experiment with different fonts and lock-ups. This has really lead me to truly love my craft, as I’ve built upon my skills and developed with the help and inspiration from art influencers.
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