Concept is key. Don’t just make something because it's pretty. That's boring.
I think I’ve always been a creative person. Growing up, I was always most interested in the creative part of every assignment. I enjoy making things. In high school, I was a designer for my school yearbook, and that really opened me up to the world of design. I entered college as a film major, but quickly switched to Visual Communications. Although my style has changed over the past 4 years, my passion for making has not.
Study abroad! I spent 4 months studying at Elisava in Barcelona, Spain in the spring of 2019. It changed my whole view on how accessible the world can be if you’re willing to take a risk. Packing my life into a single suitcase and moving across the world was not easy, but it changed my perspective as both a human being, and a designer.
I traveled all over Europe, saw some of the art I had learned about in my art history courses, and experienced many different cultures. The experience opened my mind and changed my perspective on the way I design. I have gained such an appreciation for spanish designers, and took a lot of inspiration home with me.
The Midwest has a great creative community that I have been lucky enough to be part of during my years at KU. My university has been so helpful because I have had the opportunity to learn from some of the best teachers, who taught me to think differently and work hard.
So many people create innovative and beautiful work that I see every day. There are too many to name here but a few that have really inspired me lately are: Made Thought in London, Gretel and Mother in New York, Hybrid in SF, Public Library in LA, and of course, Pentagram. I am also really interested in designing within the fashion industry, and it would be a dream to create work for Vogue.
I want to move to a big city. I am not picky on where, but New York sounds nice. I hope to never stop learning and working with people who inspire me to create positive change through my work.
High hopes.
Instagram: @carlson_kay