Things toSpeak Us for a Reason
A conversation on inspiration.
We each have unique thoughts and perspectives. No one else can express them, not in the way we would do so or to the people that we can reach. The world is full of personal pieces of guidance— it’s our opportunity as designers to lean in.
Julia finds inspiration all around her. We spoke in this interview about some of her inspiration for a project she did on Discovery Park, but she uses the things that stand out to her in her world on a consistent basis.
Highlighted here is a practice-led design research project she worked on during her time at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Northwestern Switzerland. She used a poem written by Paul Celan and the works of other acclaimed authors. Studying the letterforms within her chosen phrase of “Zwischen Immer Und Nie”, and leaning into materials that personified feelings of fragility and transparency, led to the creation of something beautiful—even more so as she leaned into the world around her.
It’s important to lean into the things that speak to us.
Learning from Pentagram
What does a typical day at Pentagram look like for you?
My days are not monotonous. I work individually, and I am self sufficient. Some weeks are meeting heavy, but other weeks I might work from home. No matter what, I am advancing every day. Every project will get done. That knowledge can be comforting.
In my team, I have evolved into a more illustrative role, with more warm and organic leanings in my designs than my colleagues. Each member of our team has strengths. People should never feel bad if they aren’t chosen for a team or a job, because they never know exactly what that team leader is looking for, or what that team might need to round it out. I am so glad I am on the team that I am on. I get to be authentic.
Why did you choose to work at Pentagram?
Ultimately, they produce inspiring work. They are a classic New York agency, with an old-school, traditional structure. Newer agencies are forward thinking, but Pentagram’s rich design history gives a reputation for success. The voices of the partners are unique—they bring something different to the company and culture as a whole.
What were your expectations going into this job?
I was nervous about the level of creative output that would be expected from me in the field, since I struggled with putting out a lot of work while in school. While working at Pentagram is rigorous and my brain stretches in five ways at all times, I am always inspired because of this atmosphere.
Comparing the Field to School
How is your work similar or different from your time at UW?
JS We have the same kind of critique sessions! If not more.
I also have a closer bond with the people I work with, since it is a smaller team that I have worked with for a longer period of time. We meet more often, and it is less formal than in school. Giorgia reminds me of some of my professors from UW in the way she critiques.
What was one of the most valuable parts of your education?
I felt like I was lacking while in school. I flopped in Marks and Symbols, I did not feel like a star student. But I look back with gratitude at the program. I have respect for our UW program, and other people out here do too.
Each member of our team has their own strengths.
The faculty was beneficial for me. The variety of design solutions and teaching styles that I was exposed to gave me a general knowledge of all. I felt supported as I synthesized what connected to my own process.
I think as long as you’re inspired, your process is right. I felt myself compare my designs, and ask if my ideas were right or wrong. But now I know that as long as you have that core and passion, it doesn’t matter how your ideas come to be.
As creatives, we are birthing something beautiful into the world. There are debates about originality vs referentiality, but things speak to us for a reason. I think it’s important to lean into those.
What things spoke to you most while you were at UW? I minored in Data Science. Design is more project based, and so I really missed the science and math that was more prevalent in high school.
I felt like there wasn’t a lot of wiggle room in design for artistry, and I fundamentally didn’t align with that. But when I took Jayme Yen’s publication design class, something shifted for me. She allowed us to think in the grey. Both her and Audrey
Desjardins really validated to me that there can be something solid in the sort of ‘invisible world’ of feeling and memory, or in these more illusive and hidden parts of life.
How are you putting in three times as much work at Pentagram with higher expectations, yet without burnout?
Because I am getting paid, and because I expect a level of excellence from myself. But mostly because this is fulfilling!
Above: Julia designed a publication called Naiture, June 2023
Top Left: Ideation for Zwischen Immer Und Nie, August 2022
Bottom Left: Final Zwischen Immer Und Nie Design, August 2022
As long as you’re inspired, your process is right.
Tell me about Giorgia. She is so excited about the world! She is so quick with how she grabs ideas from the ether and makes them into a reality, it’s like magic. Most traditional information designers would say that the goal of data visualization is to condense really big and complex ideas to provide a sort of ‘instant clarity’ moment. While Giorgia is very skilled at that naturally, I would explain her way of expressing data is like configuring a big knot into a different and perhaps more beautiful and nuanced knot, as opposed to untying it. I am grateful that I am on her team.
Tell me about a time you were inspired for a project in an interesting way. I did a typography project on Discovery Park. There were feelings that I wanted to show, subconscious feelings. I felt that gap between my ideas and actualizing them. But I researched, and loved sitting in Discovery Park while thinking, and I found poetry, scientific plant drawings, and other things that inspired me.
We have also recently been working on a new project involving the MTA at Pentagram. The subway system is already a beautiful knot in my eyes, but alas, a bit of an intimidating beast. The way we have been ideating about explaining the subway system in new ways has really blown my mind. Giorgia adds layers of emotion and
interest. For example, how many times a line has been repaired is one symbol, while the amount of years its been running is another. These are things that help me understand the context of the subway that you just can’t get from a Vignelli map (which obviously serves a different purpose). Yes the Vignelli is the default, and I deeply respect it. The subway is meant to take you from A to B as efficiently as possible, and when you’re in a rush, all you want is clarity. However, when it comes to really connecting to your surroundings and understanding what you are a part of, all help me feel a deeper understanding of the world around me.
I think you need to feed and nurture what inspires you. It will filter through in your projects. Don’t be afraid to put something down for all to see.
What advice would you give to someone still in design school? The piece of advice that resonated with me most as a student was from Ruby Peven, who was in a few cohorts ahead of me. She said don’t be afraid of switching your direction, even if it doesn’t align with the future you initially had for yourself.
I have loved Pentagram and don’t plan on leaving. But someday I might want to do or be something completely different, and that is okay! Adapting, shifting, growing and being grateful all along the way is the goal.
Julia Saimo is a multidisciplinary designer with a love of visual systems, brand identity, typography, photography, videography, and motion design. She just graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelors in Visual Communications Design and minor in Data Science.
Aidan Moeck is a graphic designer with a background in Industrial Design. She loves publication design, typography, and anything that uses Migra as their brand font. She is currently studying Visual Communications Design at the University of Washington.
Julia’s Brand Identity Design for Esse, a conceptual 3-day retreat focused on the cyclical nature of life, May 2022
Julia’s symbol creation for Esse, May 2022