‘The More Feedback I Get, The More I Grow As A Designer’
Tatiana López, an emerging graphic and lettering designer from El Salvador, was among the presenters at the ATypI Conference 2021 where she kindly invited us to explore vernacular type. At the end of 2021, just before my trip to Hungary, I had a nearly two-hour-long chat with Tatiana about type, life, privileges, collaboration, and El Salvador – things many of us take for granted. As more than a year has passed since our conversation, the interview ends with Tatiana sharing her experiences gained during the Type West postgraduate certificate programme in typeface design she started in January 2022.
Tatiana López
I would like to start by asking you about the ATypI Conference because this is where I heard about you and your work. At the conference, you talked about vernacular type and showed plenty of examples of lettering that appear in everyday environments in El Salvador. Was there any other topic you were interested in, or did you know right away what topic you wanted to explore in your talk?
I must say it was difficult to narrow it down. The talk was always about vernacular type, but, in the beginning, it was very much focused on the type seen on buses. In the end, I didn’t include so many pictures of buses in my talk due to the lack of available material, but it’s funny to see the contrast between the messages displayed on the buses. I think it’s important to show this to the world. For example, when I went to Slovenia on Erasmus, I could see that the buses were painted in one colour as the state runs the public transport system there. In my country, everybody can buy a bus and start a line, and then paint the name of their daughter, son, lover, or something completely different on it. You can see a lot of catholic quotes, ‘God is with me or something’ like that, and then you move a bit and a woman wearing a bikini appears on the door. Some may prefer funny quotes. It’s just simply amazing! When you enter the bus, there's an explosion of colours within the vehicle.
I would have loved to talk about it, too, but taking photos is one of the most difficult things to do because of safety issues. That’s why it’s difficult to do research on this topic. I still feel that it’s worth sharing the photos with the world because it is one of the things that happen in Latin America. I don’t really know if this happens elsewhere in Latin America. I only got to know from a Colombian designer that in the past they had the same system, and the buses were painted similarly. Today the state runs the public transport system, so I do wonder what the future holds because things are changing in my country, too. Who knows, maybe a few years from now the transport system will be nationalized and we will no longer see any of this type of work. The talk made me realize that some parts of our culture might get lost in the future.
During your presentation, you also emphasized that designers (and others) need to rely on each other because of the situation in El Salvador. Resource scarcity, for example, can spark creativity. So, despite the obvious challenges you and your peers must overcome in your country, I am curious to hear about the opportunities you may have.
The opportunities we may have… Well, it’s difficult. This is the first time I’m sharing the fact that most of my classmates haven’t been able to find a stable job in the field of design. Most of them do freelance work published on social media, for example. It’s been really sad. Taking a year off from university and meeting my mentor Petra Černe Oven really opened my eyes and encouraged me to meet new people. As a result, networking has become an important thing in my life. Thanks to networking, I’ve managed to meet senior designers from various companies.
I’d say there is one person who has definitely made a difference for us in my country: it’s Emma Schonenberg. Emma wanted to do surface pattern design when no one in the country knew what that was. It happened many years ago. She took a leap, saved up a lot of money and went to the USA where one could attend licensing shows. She discovered a whole new world over there. A couple of years ago, she and other designers started to organize a design biennale in El Salvador. They usually bring professionals from other countries to serve as judges. One year when I was lucky enough to join the biennale as a participant, I came third. The prize was a flight ticket to New York City. This meant that, with the other participants who took second and first place, I had the opportunity to visit a licensing show in New York City.
I think that’s why I say that we rely on each other: we go for the opportunity, but we try to share it with others. Emma and the other designers started this initiative and gave us not only an award on paper but also other opportunities. Of course, I cannot generalize. It depends on which university you go to. Most of my friends with whom I tend to share design-related things are not from my university, for example. I would also mention that sometimes when you see an opportunity, they ask you to attend a particular university, which is problematic because not everyone can afford to study at that university. As for me, I’ve been very lucky to be exposed to opportunities outside my country thanks to my knowledge of English. It took me a while to reach a certain level, but I speak and understand it now, which makes a huge difference for me, mainly because of the lack of opportunities in my country. If you know English, you can learn about pricing strategies and such, for example. Yet, at the end of the day, we all still need to work hard. That’s why it’s important to support each other in any way we can. A small thing can make a huge difference in our lives.
Please give us some examples.
Well, I’m not a calligrapher, but I do calligraphy work just for fun. I do it to improve my lettering design. At some point, people started to see my work and asked me to do something for them. I needed to realize, though, that my fee was very low. In the USA, for an envelope, you can charge 3 USD, here calligraphers tend to charge 25 cents only. I could not believe it! I was honest with the clients, explaining to them that my rate was very much dependent on the price of the ink. Because of my rate, one person who previously showed interest in my work only hired me this year to do calligraphy work for her. I also share my rates with my designer friends, so when I can’t accept a job, but they might have the time for it, they won’t charge less. This is another way of supporting each other, making sure our work is well compensated. Why is this important? Because we see a lot of injustices. Most of the time, the pay is really low, which is not fair.
Sometimes you don’t know people, and it is difficult to break in, so we help each other out. That’s why I try to get to know other designers, not just to admire their work on Instagram, for example, but to build relationships with them. Unfortunately, the reality is that sometimes you think you see a successful business on Instagram, but behind the scenes the creator is barely surviving. Because of the pandemic, you see a lot of people running small businesses. They sell prints, for example, but you can’t survive on that, so they have a day job and focus on their side project in their free time. We support each other by sharing someone’s work, making comments, and buying from them. And beyond the moral support, when we see an opportunity, a scholarship for example, we share it with each other, too.
How about finding work outside El Salvador, in the USA or European countries, for example?
To be able to do that, the level of your work must reach an international level. Among several other things, the education you have access to can be an obstacle, too, to get some work abroad. For example, I didn’t want to study at the university where I studied because it’s not the best in terms of design education. It’s not that bad, though. I spent many years regretting going there because I felt I wasn’t learning as much as I wanted. But then I realized that my friends attending the top university could not learn as much as they wanted either. You can spot differences between students and universities. For example, students from my university don’t go to the library to search for books as many of them work. That’s why the classes are usually scheduled for early mornings or late evenings. They work in the morning and study in the evening, so they barely survive. They have less privilege than other students. Not to mention the fact that not all of us have the means to buy books. That’s also a privilege, to own books. People sell whatever they can to pay for their education. Of course, you don’t see this at every university, but students at other universities can face some challenges, too. It’s important for me to support people because I know it’s hard. Sometimes classmates ask for book recommendations, and I ask them if they speak English. Often, they do not, and not knowing English can be a barrier for them to search for opportunities outside El Salvador. At the university, I did a small research project on why students in my field weren’t applying for opportunities outside El Salvador, and I could identify two main factors: first, they did not hear about them, and, second, their English was basic, so they didn’t meet the requirements. Having a second language is important.
I’m just wondering if access to the Internet, and thus online resources, would make a difference, or maybe we can’t really talk about this because Internet access is still low or non-existent in certain areas.
Having Wi-Fi is yet another privilege. During the pandemic, we had to realize that many students didn’t have Wi-Fi. Not everybody has a stable connection either. I can tell you what happened during my animation class. We were working on a project, and 50 per cent of the students were commuting when we had the class. As they were connected via their phones, the signal was bad. Another student shared when working on a project that their computer broke down. Imagine that you’re a design student and don’t have a computer, or money really. So, it’s not just the low Internet access that we need to discuss. Sometimes people don’t have Wi-Fi and need to put credit on their phones to have access to the Internet, which is expensive, and the signal is weak, and people get frustrated.
The other problem is that most of the best online resources are only available in English. The quality of Spanish content tends to be poor, unfortunately. Some books about lettering are for those who want to do it as a hobby, not as a professional. You must spend more money to buy quality books, and the same happens on the Internet. More educational content should be available in other languages. I’ve been very lucky because several workshops that usually take place in New York City or other places were offered online during the pandemic and, luckily, I could save up enough money to take them. Those were in English, too, though.
Yes, not knowing English — or a second language — can definitely be an obstacle. Unfortunately, I cannot really say that Hungary is so much better when it comes to speaking a second language. Maybe in the future! Now I would like to go back in time a bit because I would really like to hear how your design journey started. When did you realize/decide that you wanted to become a designer and later a letterer?
I used to like to paint in school, but I didn’t know about design as a discipline. My first thought was to study psychology or something similar. My older sister told me that graphic design could be a career. She saw that I liked designing things. We created a magazine in school, and I helped with the design part. It was exciting to arrange texts or whatever you needed to arrange in the magazine. I think my sister realized I was more into that than maths. I applied to study at a public university, but it’s really difficult to get in because of the competition. I didn’t get in the first time, or the second, so my dad offered to pay my tuition at universities with design programmes. I only knew that you would use Photoshop, I didn’t know much about typography. After a year and a half, I needed to take a year off because of economic problems. It was a really dark time for everyone in my country, not only for my family. During that time, I started doing freelance jobs, and I started to learn more and more about design, and how many things it can mean. Until then it was very systematic for me. You would do something in a program, and that’s it, so I thought you needed to learn Photoshop and other programs.
Then I met Emma and Petra who opened my eyes to what design was really about. They showed me a whole new world. Petra, my mentor, is from Slovenia, so the only way we could communicate was in English. I understood her, but I could not speak much at that time, so things went slowly, but she was very patient with me. This interaction helped me improve my English a lot. Petra encouraged me to look beyond typography but also to focus on design history and the context I am in; I learnt to be aware of my surroundings, politically, economically, etc.
I felt I wanted to learn as much as possible. I was also determined that I would learn English and find books, so I started saving up money. The fact that I don’t live in the capital complicates things as I need to travel by bus to meet my friends, and I have to pay for tickets and food. Books are something that many people may take for granted, but not me. Buying a book comes with a lot of sacrifices, but I never regret it. As I have mentioned before, we have limited options in our libraries. Some people attending international talks, for example, may have access to these books, either at home or in libraries, or they share them with their friends. Not me or my peers. I once purchased a book and the shipping cost more than the book itself, but, for me, it was important to buy that book. I basically have to build my own library. I’m so grateful to Petra for all the books she has sent me. Nobody really does that for you because it’s very expensive to buy books. This kind act has made a lot of difference in my life, and in my design career. Now I can also share books with others!
I am lucky enough that my parents understand me and what I do. Most of my classmates’ parents are not like mine. My parents support me and pay for workshops outside the university, while other parents may feel paying for university would be enough because it should teach you what you need. Some don’t even have the resources to pay for workshops. I need to save money, and not everyone is willing to make this kind of sacrifice for what they want to do. One of the most challenging things I had to face in my design career was to keep my personal projects running because people don’t necessarily understand why you’re doing those. However, a lot of opportunities have in fact emerged because of my personal projects, and I try to seize every opportunity that presents itself.
You’ve studied graphic design at Universidad Tecnológica de El Salvador and travelled to Maribor, Slovenia on a scholarship, which you have briefly touched upon. How did these experiences shape your views about design and type?
I didn’t see much difference in terms of academia, but the cultural contrast was huge. For example, you can go outside, and you don’t have to worry about being kidnapped during the middle of the night or being exposed to such danger. This made me kind of want to move to Europe, but I dislike the cold. My tropical soul just can’t stand it!!!
I arrived in Slovenia during the pandemic, so everything was closed. I also got COVID right away. Petra recommended places and things, which made a difference. Thanks to Petra, I also met Marko Drpić, the founder of tipoRenesansa Letterpress Studio (listed on the site called On the Grid). He presented a talk about his wooden type blocks at ATypI in 2020. Meeting with Marko was a blast. He was very open to showing me things, like how the letterpress works, etc. Meeting him in person and being in the workshop, when not doing my course in photography, was a life-changing experience for me. It was on my wish list. I always wanted to speak to someone who works with letterpress, but this could have never happened in my country. Most of the print shops are digital here, although we’re familiar with the history of it.
Great to hear that one of your dreams came true! Something that is related to type, just like my next question. What do you find so fascinating about type and type design?
That it is very visible. Of course, it takes a lot of effort and work to reach that level where your work, typographically speaking, becomes visible. Visibility is really hard to achieve. If that happens, it means you have done a great job. I didn’t understand this when I started my design journey. As I am looking at my work from the past, I can clearly see that I didn’t care much about typography. I thought it had to be different, but typography is neither about what you like nor shapes and forms, it’s about how functional it is for the user. For example, if you’re designing something for kids or adults, the typography has to be different, and I didn’t understand that. They don't highlight what a type designer does, not at my university at least, so you don’t get to hear the details either. Learning about the use of type has made a huge difference in my life. Now I know why some typefaces can be considered good while others bad. For instance, not all the typefaces have all the signs or characters. As a designer, you may want to add a new character because you really like it, but then you realize it won’t work and you need to find a solution. Fixing a problem can be really hard.
Typography is more challenging for me because it is about training the eyes. You must train your eyes as much as you train your hands. Everything must be balanced. Type designers invest a lot of time in designing the characters and we may never realize that. Many of my classmates don’t know much about type, that it’s omnipresent. Whatever you do, wherever you go, type is everywhere. Everything in design has type, and we hardly see the value in it. We just choose a font, which then might not even work when working on an analogue or digital project. A thin line will not work in print, for example. It is also important to know the difference between a typeface for display and a typeface for text. Without some knowledge about type or type design, you would not realize the problems that may emerge.
You say you find typography challenging because you must train your eyes. You participated in a few type/design initiatives online, such as 36 Days of Type and the #The100DayProject, the results of which you shared on your Instagram page. I am wondering how these projects helped you grow as a designer/letterer.
They helped me make more mistakes. These initiatives are playgrounds for me to (try things and) make mistakes. Of course, I do it for fun. However, for me, it is all about learning, so I won’t make the same mistakes twice. These initiatives help me improve my work in different ways, from receiving feedback to working smarter and more efficiently.
I would love to hear how you handle taking feedback because it can be challenging to hear negative opinions about one’s work. Do you find it difficult to receive feedback?
In the beginning, it was very difficult. You want to make everything perfect, of course, and everything can be improved. But there is always a point where you must stop and say it’s finished. It’s a never-ending struggle, I’d say. It’s important for me to receive feedback, which then requires me to put my feelings aside and not take it personally. Feedback helps you notice things you didn’t see when starting out. You discover something new, and it helps you train your eyes as well. Being open to new approaches has probably helped me to receive feedback without taking it personally. I think that’s the only way to get better. The more feedback I get, the more I grow as a designer.
Well said! Now I would like to ask you about a specific project that was part of 36 Days of Type. This project of yours where you used origami and sacred geometry to design the letters is absolutely stunning. What is the story behind it?
This project is one of my favourites, I enjoyed working on it very much. I wanted to make something different from drawing. In the beginning, I thought it was a good idea, but then I realized how many origami pieces I would have to deal with. I was rather busy at that time but also determined to get it done. It was a challenge. Looking at the images, some people thought it was a 3-D project, something digital, so I had to explain to them what it actually was. I had to fold a lot of pieces, which I did with the help of my mother. At first, I didn’t look at it as a type project, but later I discovered that I was building an alphabet. I also started to think about how to alter it for a person who is blind, so I decided to do some research on the Braille writing system, but then COVID happened. I really want to keep working on it when I have more time. I did a digital trial and made the letters in the Braille system; I just haven’t had the time to upload the project to Instagram yet. Because of the alteration and adjustments, the alphabet looks a bit strange, but it works. I really want to go to a school to talk to people who are blind and understand what they face and how this can move beyond that. I would like to build the letters and place them in a museum so people can experience them. I call my experiment letters beyond the sketch because I like experimenting with different formats.
This reminds me of what you said in an interview with Monotype. You mentioned that Petra had inspired you to work more in the field of medicine, so, in a way, to contribute to the well-being of society. This project of yours does exactly that, so I would like to explore the notion of responsibility a bit. What kind of responsibility do you think designers have in our society?
There are different ways to improve people’s lives. Sometimes, as designers, we are not aware of the simple things we can do to improve things. We do not necessarily understand what disabled people face in a society where everything is designed for non-disabled people. Sometimes a small sign can make a difference. I am very much interested in the field of information design. For example, in my school there are different trash cans but the information about where to throw what is unclear. However, with just a small sign, you could share this piece of information with the public. That’s why I say a small sign can make a difference. It is something very basic and simple but has not been done in my country. My dream is to design a system to experiment with how to teach and inform people about the different types of waste. If you think about it, not having enough trash cans in a city or country is also a result of design…
You not only want to inform and educate people but also inspire, motivate and, maybe, comfort them. Your lettering experiment on paper bags allowed you to practise while sharing short messages with others. How did this project start?
When I arrived in Slovenia amid the pandemic, you could only order food that was delivered in a paper bag. We managed to collect a bunch of them. Most of the time these friendly reminders are for me – to get inspired or to handle fear. It is all about empowerment. Every quote I shared was rooted in a feeling I had or in the situation I was in. For example, I was worried that I would not be able to improve so fast during my photography class. I shared this with a friend of mine while talking on the phone and got the idea of the phrase ‘everybody has their own pace in the process’. I also enjoyed the experiment with paper bags as I always look for new materials to try. It also got my attention because in my country we use plastic bags. I left most of the paper bags in Slovenia, though.
Your collaboration with graphic designer Soffi Flores also highlights the importance of mental health. Please talk us through the design process. How did you team up with Sofía and how did you work on the project?
We always wanted to collaborate. We were in our last year at university, so both of us were extremely busy, then we started working and had our personal projects on the side. We went through the same process, and we were a bit struggling. Mental health was the perfect theme to pick as both of us are perfectionists and a lot of things can affect our mental health. We scheduled a video call where we started discussing what we wanted to do, and we had a few sketches. Both of us would add something to the sketch, and you could see the layers and systems Soffi had created. It was very fluid, especially the colour palette. I sent her a few ideas, and she would mix those; she has a knack for texture, patterns and illustration. Her ideas inspired me to do the lettering and add more details to it. Then we finally reached a point where we were ready to do the animation. I did learn a lot from Soffi during the process, and I appreciate that a lot. It is truly great to work with people who inspire you and those who are experiencing the same things as you are. It helps you understand each other better. Even today that quote is important and relevant for us: ‘Mental health comes first.’
I can only second that! You’ve mentioned that you like experimenting with formats and materials, maybe with tones, too. Based on what we can see online, it seems that you love bright colours, but sometimes you settle on black and white. How do you choose your palette for a particular project?
Sometimes it is rather difficult for me to decide when it comes to colours. By the way, thank you for noticing because black and white is my go-to. This is something that type design does to you. My soul is divided because type design is more about shape and form, and sometimes it is difficult to get out of that and turn that into lettering where you can experiment, and you can add some extra illustration if you feel like it. I always do some research for reference projects when I need to decide on colours and shades. I tend to check my favourite illustrator’s work. It’s Maurice Noble who was an American animation production designer. I love old cartoons! When I want to work with a colour palette, I start with Noble’s pieces. When I was researching vernacular typography, I realized that I probably love bright colours because we use bright colours in El Salvador. We see them every day, but I did not realize until my research that this was the reason I liked bright colours. So, in a sense, it comes naturally to me.
On your Instagram, you showcase your sketches and final designs, many of which include motion, such as the collab with Soffi. Is it fair to say that you like analogue and digital techniques equally?
Yes, I love both, equally.
Short but succinct! As you like both analogue and digital as well as enjoy experimenting with different things, I assume you have tried a few programs and tools. What are your favourite ones?
I can understand why people like Procreate®, for example. Although I prefer working on paper, I like it because it means less paper, especially when I create multiple versions of something. In the past, I used more paper. With Procreate®, I can create different layers and use way less paper. That’s why I love the program. It also helps you with the process as it makes it easier sometimes. It comes in handy when you have a tight deadline.
You’ve briefly talked about clients earlier. I am wondering how you usually decide which client to work for.
It depends on the client and the final product. I usually book a meeting with the client first to hear about the project, and then I decide whether to accept their offer. Of course, we need to earn money to pay the bills and all that, but money is usually secondary. I tend to focus more on the personality of the client, whether they are fair or not. I accepted less money before, for example, because I liked the project, but the client could not afford to pay me more. I would always fight for getting paid fairly, but I am open to helping people whenever I can. So, yes, it is not necessarily about the money, it is how I connect with the client. If I can help them, I will do it. If dealing with the client had an impact on my mental health, I would decline the opportunity even if it paid a lot.
That makes perfect sense. When I was interviewing mainly Hungarian designers, I used to ask them about how much they needed to educate their clients about design and how designers work, the worth of their work. Sometimes they had to explain to them why they should hire a designer to do the work for them. Of course, dealing with clients is just one part of your work as a creative professional. What do you enjoy most about being a designer/letterer?
The moments when I share my lettering pieces with people, and I can see their reactions. I am not talking about Instagram or the online sphere in general, but people I meet in person. I believe it can make a difference in someone’s life. You won’t get a card unless it’s your birthday or when you celebrate something. I just love creating cards and giving them to people on a regular basis, when they don’t expect to receive anything. Doing custom designs is my favourite thing as an artist. This is when I have the most connections with people.
I actually have a funny story to share. Whenever I use a service, I give a custom thank-you note to the business owner. Once I had to re-print a design of mine for an opening, within a day, and the lady at the print shop was super helpful. She helped me to get it done fast. Later I gave her a thank-you note for which I used basic calligraphy. A year later or so, someone called me to ask me if I offered my services as a calligrapher. The person worked for a company that sells notebooks, journals and calendars in small shops. They wanted to hire calligraphers to sit in different stores and write the names of the customers on the products purchased. It is probably one of the best-paying jobs I have ever had. They reached out to me on the recommendation of the lady from the print shop. She owns the print shop where all their notebooks and products are printed. I will never forget this! I am not doing it for recognition or for money, but because I would like to make a difference in people’s lives.
What a lovely story! I am guessing that you’ve started working, so you may have less time to work on personal projects right now. Can you balance commissioned work with personal projects?
In the last year of my studies, my personal projects suffered the most. I was doing my research project and some freelance work, so I didn't have the time to work on any personal projects. During the last weeks (December 2021), I was going to bed at 3 a.m. and waking up early every day to work on my research project, and an animation project also for uni. These took a toll on me. I haven’t even made the Christmas cards I always make around this time of the year. Sometimes you are just tired and not in the mood. I am on a break right now. It happens sometimes, and I know that there is nothing wrong with that. Still, it’s really hard for me not to do something, I feel guilty, but this is the plan for the next two weeks. I may watch a film after work and read some articles, but that’s it. This break has given me the opportunity to think about new projects, so I’ve got some new ideas. Unfortunately, because of COVID-19, I still have health issues. Last month I was working on some envelopes and experienced immense pain in my hands. I was afraid of hurting my hands, to be honest. One day I was feeling really sleepy and depressed, and I had no idea what was happening to me. Of course, it affects everyone differently. I went to see a doctor who said it would take a while to fully recover.
I hope you fully recover soon. I can totally relate to the challenges created by your schedule. When I was finishing university and writing my thesis, I worked part-time and had some personal projects on the side, so I would wake up early and stay up until late. You’ve mentioned that you usually work on some personal projects, but you have not talked about the independent type collective you are a member of. What should we know about the Cabinete Project?
Jorge Orantes and Iván Castro approached me in 2020 with the idea of collaborating in some ways. We didn’t have a clear vision back then, we just thought of sharing a space or typography resources or working on some type projects together. I joined them and we approached Fernanda Cozzi through a programme called Type Crit Crew and presented what we were working on. She helped us find our way and recommended adding the word collective in our name. As a collective, we focus on sharing resources, tricks and tips, and scholarship opportunities with each other. I am very lucky that I’ve found them: I’ve learnt a lot from them as they specialize in areas I am interested in but have no experience in yet. I’ve also learned that it is not about competition but how we can collaborate and develop excellent ideas. In other countries, the competition might be tougher. Not in our case. Our aim is to create amazing work and represent our country – to show the world that El Salvador has a lot to offer and emphasize that it should not just be seen as a dangerous country. In the future, we also want to do some research on what has been happening in El Salvador in terms of type design, typography, and lettering. This research could also provide us with the opportunity to help others. We would like to see our community grow and flourish.
I hope you succeed with your plans. You’ve said you’d like to change the perception of El Salvador. To Monotype, which interviewed you because in 2020 you won the prestigious Beatrice Warde Scholarship awarded to young women designers, you also talk about the fact that you didn’t expect to win because the previous winners all came from Europe or the USA. Thanks to the Black Lives Matter protests, more and more fields seem to discuss gatekeeping and the lack of diversity and representation at more mainstream events. The line-up of some design and typography conferences also manifests this change. What are your thoughts on this?
I think things are in progress. Sometimes something sad must happen to trigger some kind of change. It is important to see my country mentioned in the line-ups because you don’t see so many presenters from Latin America at conferences. Sure, you may see people from South America, but then you wonder where all the Central Americans are. There is always more work to do. This is just the beginning. Beatriz Lozano, a designer I love, has created two typefaces inspired by Latin America: Ancho and Aguas. I talked about them in my presentation. Aguas takes inspiration from sign painting from Mexico. Seeing and hearing about this in a design presentation is beautiful. Sometimes we might be afraid that we don’t fit in with the design we do. But it is not about fitting in, it is about sharing the beauty of what we already have. This is the key to change: showing different kinds of beauty and design. And it doesn’t have to be perfect either! Sometimes we deal with raw beauty when, unlike others, we share something noisy with lots of bright colours. It is about how we see and experience things. We can approach design differently. Why should you hate this thing instead of embracing and loving it?!
Yes, I totally agree with you. Hopefully, more change is to come. We are soon approaching the end of this interview, so I would love to hear about your plans. What’s ahead of you?
I want to send more mails, work on a vernacular type project, and experiment with different types of print techniques. I also want to do some research on designers and sign painting in my country. Now that I’m a country delegate at the Association Typographique Internationale, I have the responsibility to showcase what is happening in my country. I want to present what other designers are doing. It is more important than ever. It takes time, but it’s worth it because many good things are happening in my country and those are worth sharing with the rest of the world. I would like to interview other craftspeople, like carpenters, to learn about our culture and understand the context better, and to identify how this type of manual work can inspire us, designers. I don’t have a plan or the experience to do this kind of work, but I have the support of my mentor, so we’ll see what I can do in this regard. This could result in some collaboration as well.
I am also attending my very first formal online calligraphy workshop with the Society of Scribes from New York City. I also applied for the Type West postgraduate certificate programme in typeface design in San Francisco and I got a scholarship to attend it. Due to COVID-19, they’ve created an online version of it, so people around the world can study type design without travelling to San Francisco. Another Cabinete member will be attending as well. We will study type design for the very first time. Now that I've graduated from university, I aim to learn as much as possible about type design. I basically have one month to catch up with things that are not type related.
Congrats on the scholarship and good luck with your projects!
We chatted almost a year ago, and I am very grateful for your patience with the interview that got delayed because of personal issues. Now I’m eager to hear about the experiences you gained at the workshops and programmes you mentioned last year.
After graduating from the postgraduate programme, I can share three takeaways from last year.
Rome wasn't built in a day.
Designers like Juan Villanueva and Lynne Yun are making a big difference in the design community by making type design education more accessible, and Letterform Archive by giving us the opportunity to study type design from anywhere in the world. I’m looking forward to seeing how these changes will improve design education for many people in the future.
No man is an island, entire of itself…
The friendships I made during the postgraduate programme are very valuable to me, and it’s amazing how you may find good friends and people you make a good match with across the world. Emotional support is key, and finding people who understand all the struggles you can go through is a special gift.
Learning how to see vs. teaching how to see
I had the opportunity to teach a class at the university, which I’ll be doing this year again. It has been a life-changing experience because I have learned new ways of approaching typography. To go even more slowly to help my students understand better. It comes with a lot of anxiety and self-doubt too. I don’t want to sugar-coat the teaching experience. It’s amazing, but also comes with a lot of responsibilities.
A short video presenting Tatiana’s text typeface called Torogoz.
