Zita Katona - Portfolio
An overview of my work in the fields of graphic, textile and product design, typography and illustration spanning over 15 years.
An overview of my work in the fields of graphic, textile and product design, typography and illustration spanning over 15 years.
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I’m an award-winning designer based
in Scotland, and this is my portfolio
showing the best of my work from all
visual fields, aiming to give an accurate
picture of my creative thinking, my
design approach, and my inspirations.
I’m qualified in both graphic and
textile design and
thus my work ranges
between these areas
from typography and
packaging designs
through printed
textiles and surface
pattern designs to
fine art. I don’t
like separating my
work into narrowly
defined sections,
because whatever
I’m doing, I always
use all my visual
thinking and all
my creative skills.
When it comes to any
piece of design, it is always the end
product, and its users that count, and
this holistic approach dominates my
creative work.
I TRULY BELIEVE THAT
GOOD DESIGN IS PRODUCED
WITH ALL LAYERS OF
CREATIVE THINKING. AT
THE END OF THE DAY,
DESIGN SERVES PEOPLE
AND IT SHOULD BE DRIVEN
BY THIS CONCERN TOWARDS
THE USER - WHETHER IT
IS A PUBLICATION OR A
PIECE OF FURNITURE,
WHAT MATTERS IS HOW
THEIR USERS FEEL
INTERACTING WITH IT.
//3
This portfolio is arranged in chronological order showing
the best of my work, starting with the most recent ones
going back to the last decade to serve as an overview
of my visual thinking and creative skills. Due to the
varying nature of the creative fields they belong to, a
system of colour codes help navigate between them, and
(roughly) place them into their area.
This portfolio is public, therefore it does not contain
any artwork I created throughout my employment history,
as I do not hold the copyright to those works. If you
are interested in those, please request a CV.
graphic design
typography
illustration
surface pattern design
textile design
fibre art
4\\
//5
6\\
SOBER
brand, uI design and illustrations,
2021-2022
SOBER is an abbreviation of “Social skills development and STEM
orientation for a better life” and is a complex international
educational program developed and executed by the University of
Óbuda in Budapest, Hungary, and I have been asked to be the graphic
designer for this project. It is still work-in-progress, but much of
the brand communication and the designs have been approved.
The logo expresses the international nature
of the project as well as the child-centred
approach, with the circular connections.
An important part of the project is a web-based platform, designed
for learning and developing particular skills through games and small
challenges. The UI had to be clear and user-friendly, and I also
tried to make it child-friendly by using rounded shapes and fonds
that correspond with the logo as well as bright colours that attract
and retain attention.
//7
the platform is for children, but the users
are schoolteachers. therefore an important
lead theme is the colour-coding - to
create a clear and understandable system,
everything, from the backgrounds to the
instructions correspnd with the colour of
the skill in focus for the game.
<< BACK
SETTINGS
HELP
Thinking - Game 4
What’s missing from where?
Organise each shelf of the pantry
by putting the missing foods
in the right place.
The software development defined and placed some
limitations over the design - the main objects had to
be circle-shaped, proportions fixed, with some freedom
with certain functions and limits on others. The
illustrations therefore are almost all encircled. The
child-friendliness is emphasised with bright colours
and friendly faces.
8\\
//9
zitozza
brand and product design, 2020
I bought the domain ‘zitozza.com’ in 2018, when I was working in
a stimulating, creative environment in Amsterdam - zitozza was a
nickname given to me by Italian colleagues - and I thought it sounded
like a great brandname, should I ever think about launching one.
I have always wanted to design my own homewares but I didn’t consider
it seriously until 2020, when, like many, I also found myself at home
with a lot of extra time I wanted to spend creatively. I thought this
was the perfect opportunity to utilise printing blocks I had left
from my Masters project from a few years ago, as well as the website.
the typography naturally corresponds to the
textiles, which are inspired by brutalist
architecture and modernist designs. i
particularly wanted to express the uniform
and interchangeable nature of the patterns
and printing blocks with the logo - it is
animated and changing, just like the prints
can be.
10\\
//11
12\\
Everything in the online presence, from the website
through social media is designed to match the product
designs themselves - geometric, playful, colourful prints
with sustainable materials. The brand colours express
both the boldness of the colours of the print, but also
the natural materials that are used for the products.
HAND BLOCK PRINTED
SUSTAINABLE TEXTILES
FOR MODERN INTERIORS
www.zitozza.com | postbox@zitozza.com
naturally, product photography has
a crucial role, it is, afterall,
what sells the product in an online
space and lifestyle compositions are
particularly important in creating an
attractive homeware brand.
zitozza-postcards.indd 3 17/02/2022 17:35:28
//13
The products are organised in collections, but
they are also very easy to customise, since the
printing blocks are all the same size and can
be made up to any pattern in any colour. The
process of painting the blocks first creates a
texture within the print that makes every inch
unique and unrepeatable. This individuality,
combineability
and creativity
is at the core
of the zitozza
brand.
The textile industry
doesn’t have a great
name when it comes
to sustainability
and I think the
responsibility lies
with the designers to
change that. Using sustainable materials are also an important feature
and the coarse texture of natural jute, linen and recycled cottons are
also playing an important role in creating the individual textures of
these homewares. Currently they are sold on rugs, lampshades, cushions
and tablewares.
14\\
//15
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//17
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BRUT
embroidery, 2020
This is a series of study of translating architectural form into
textiles. I have long been inspired by modernist architecture,
brutalism in particular, and I was looking for ways to make them work
on textiles. I used a simple longstitch embroidery on raw hessian to
achieve the textures that correspond to raw concrete.
it is a simple but useful study
in form and colour that led to
developing printed collections and
repeating patterns too, leading to
my homeware business of ‘zitozza’
//19
stay at home!
posters, 2020
These posters were a response to cancelled holidays and plans due to
the pandemic. With some more time at home, I looked to the golden age
of travel and tried to come up with a humorous take on the situation
I suddenly found myself in, while also keeping myself occuped with
graphic design. I used vintage posters of the art deco era by Roger
Broders, but in a setting of modern interiors.
the visual language of glamorous leisure meets
the mandated and imperative in this response.
i think humourous references and ironic takes
remain important tools At the hands of graphic
designers that are getting perhaps even more
powerful in the internet era.
20\\
//21
LETTERNS I.
Typographic patterns, 2019
“LETTERN” is a mashup word from pattern and letter, and this is
a first chapter of a long-term passion project started when I
was studying for two degrees simultaneously and was desperate to
connect graphic and textile design. I kept putting it off for a
long time and wondered how to avoid the “1st year at Uni” feel to
and bring it to 2019.
Then I came across an article on one of these designs blogs
listing the most hated fonts by designers and I could finally
start working on it again, by using letterforms of ugly fonts to
make the base element of the pattern.
The rules for part 1. are clear: monochrome
patterns only and all letters must be kept
at one dimension. part 2 will see colours
and scales too and part 3 will include more
letterforms of the same font.
22\\
//23
There are various reasons why these fonts don’t work, some
are just too much, some are pretty but hard to read and you
will always need to use another for any sort of postcode or
abbreviations, some are just dated and have been used for
too long, and, well… some some are Papyrus and Comic Sans.
But just because they don’t work as text, it doesn’t mean
they are completely useless. I wanted to subvert them, they
are all familiar with everyone with a PC afterall - they
are all Microsoft fonts.
this is what I do with everything
“ugly”: transform them to shine, present
them in a way you’ve not thought
about them before, and to accept them
and learn to appreciate them because
somebody did design them and thought
they were going to be great – and wasn’t
Comic Sans such fun at the age of 8 in
Paint?
Part 1. is available on various products
on society6.com/zitakatona
24\\
//25
CRACKS II.
wall hangings, 2019.
These surface studies were born of leftover materials I
had for my Anthropocene/Cracks project (page 48). These
pieces are all digitally printed jute, however due to an
unresolved problem, the dye did not fix well on large
pieces of jute (even though it has always worked with
small pieces), and I could not present them for the
exhibition.
When I found these materials, I knew
I could take the decay and destruction
further to express something more with
them. I bleached them and destroyed
them to refreshen the colour and give
them an extra texture and I embroidered
them with metal wires, or glass tiles
in one case.
i have a great
fondness of industrial
materials and the
industrial jute
together with
the metal wire
embroidery works as
an exploration into
decay and temporality
as fresh metal sheen
appears through the
cracks of the old
fabric.
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//27
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deep white
ENVIRONMENt AND BRAND DESIgn, 2019
The following pages show a number of designs created for a branded interior:
Deep White Spa, a holistic wellbeing space in Iceland for the wealthy,
ambitious and hard-working young traveller in need for a relaxing time. The
term Deep White is not to be taken literally, it is a term for cleanness of the
body and the mind, but it also refers to the richness of colours one can see
in white when looking at the ice and the snow covered surfaces of the glacier
surrounding this space.
IT MAY SEEM CONTRADICTORY TO CREATE A SUCH A DRAMATIC
ATMOSPHERE IN A SPACE OF HEALING AND RELAXATION.
HOWEVER, THE MOOD OF AN INTERIOR SPACE - HOSPITALITY
IN PARTICULAR - SHOULD BE DICTATED BY ITS ENVIRONMENT,
TRAVELLERS WANT TO BE THERE FOR A REASON. IN THIS CASE,
IT IS NATURE. ICELAND IS A VIOLENT LAND WITH BRUTAL
FORCES AT WORK, BUT IT IS WHAT LENDS ITS HEALING POWER
TO THE THERMAL BATHS TOO. THEREFORE I SEE IT SOMETHING
TO BE CELEBRATED HERE.
The logo is a simple take on the landscape, the letter “W”, and downward
arrows to point towards the depths. It is an easily repeatable pattern that
can be translated into many surfaces, such as the copper loop pattern on the
lobby carpet (<<right), or the parquet and stone tiles (↓ p a g e 7.)
The materials used are also the product of the local natural processes, the
wet area tiles are volcanic basalt and the wood surfaces in the treatment
rooms are locally grown pine and black birch.
//29
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Brand elements are consistent throughout the interior details as
well as the printed communication. The tiling of the walls and floors
matches the logo and the signature floor carpet, and all the printed
materials also feature colours originating from the reception carpet
(previous page). The arrows for the wayfinding signage systems are
reduced from the logo too.
Consistency of branding should never become
predictable while matching everything
together to speak the same language - the
role of textures and materials therefore
becomes enormously important here to provide
interesting surfaces in order to break the
monotony.
//31
37 gál izala str.
interior SURFACE PATTERNS, 2018
Gál Izala Street in Budapest is on the wealthy, affluent Buda side, and
under number 37 stands a grand villa in Art Nouveau style. Its history is
in line with city’s: having been destroyed by the world war and decades
of state-owned neglect, a new owner attempts to restore its old glamour.
These designs are my proposals for this project.
THE DESIGN ELEMENTS ARE ENTIRELY MY CREATION, BUT
THEY ARE IN LINE WITH THE ART NOUVEAU STYLE OF THE
BUILDING’S REMNANTS AND THE SURROUNDING AREA. ART
NOUVEAU IN HUNGARY WAS HEAVILY INSPIRED BY FOLK
ART MOTIFS SUCH AS TULIPS, AND THE TURKISH-OTTOMAN
INFLUENCE OF THE BUDA SIDE ALSO HELPS MY PATTERNS
FIT INTO ITS ENVIRONMENT.
32\\
//33
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Everything in the design language is a variation
of one or two elements, the tulips/onions and the
rectangles. It may seem restrictive to use the same
graphics over again in so many places, but they
can be used creatively in many clever ways to avoid
them seeming repetitive.
IT IS A TIGHTROPE WALK TO RE-
CREATE THE DESIGN ATMOSPHERE OF
A BYGONE ERA WITHOUT TURNING
INTO CHEAP NOSTALGIA. RELYING
ON A FEW DESIGN ELEMENTS IN
A DOMESTIC INTERIOR CAN ALSO
MAKE IT FEEL BRANDED, STERILE
AND LESS HOMELY. HOWEVER, USING
THEM IN CREATIVE VARIATIONS, AND
IN THE RIGHT MEASURES BRINGS
CONSISTENCY TO THE BUILDING AND
CREATES A CONVERSATION WITH ITS
ENVIRONMENT.
The main design elements are prominent features,
but only on a few hard finishes (such as railings,
plaster mouldings and glass windows), and a few
rugs, giving way for more contemporary purchases
(e.g. furniture and chandeliers) to elevate the
interior into the 21st century and make a suitable
home for many years to come.
//35
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LEt OP!
fashion prints, 2018
This is a small print collection sold with Print.One. I
designed it while living in The Netherlands - Let Op! Is
a Dutch phrase meaning “pay attention” or “look out”.
I thought it can be a good word-game with op-art, an
these prints also shout “pay attention” to their wearer.
I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN FASCINATED BY OP-ART
AND WHEN I SAW THE BOLD STRIPES AND THE
POLKA DOTS IN THE TREND FORECASTS FOR
2019-20, I IMMEDIATELY STARTED WORKING
WITH A COLOURFUL THEME TO EVOKE OPTICAL
ILLUSIONS.
The prints are intended for womenswear and accessories,
and the scales can vary to some degrees to make a complete
outfit or collection. While retro feels might be hard to
avoid with a trend that was so popular in the 1960s, I
tried to use contemporary combinations and colours that
fit into the late 2010 - taking “instagrammability” into
account too.
These prints are all available on
print.one/?s=Contributor:ZitaKatona
//37
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//39
THE LARDER
LOGO & SIGNAGE DESIGNS, 2018
These designs were created for an outdoor visitor centre
in Scotland, with several sub-brands, one of them called
“The Larder”, with a nature-embracing interior decor,
serving fresh, locally sourced food to go. All the existing
sub-brands use the typeface and imagery of the umbrella:
slightly traditional, but with a quirky twist with vintage
style illustrations given a significant role.
BOTH THE LOGO FOR THE LARDER AND THE ICE CREAM
SIGN FOLLOWS CLOSELY THIS VISUAL GUIDANCE. THE
BACKGROUND PATTERNS BRING FURTHER CONSISTENCY
INTO THE LANGUAGE, BRINGING TOGETHER DIFFERENT
FUNCTIONS FOR DIFFERENT TARGETS.
The A-board is aimed at visitors of all ages in a more
confined environment so more subtle colours were used,
while the ice cream sign was to attract mainly children and
young families. However, the visual language is common in
both and achieves brand consistency throughout.
CREAM
ICE
40\\
//41
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A YARN WELL SPUN
TEXTILE PRINT DESIGN, 2018
This print was my winning entry in the textile
print competition of New Lanark World Heritage
Site and Visitor Centre.
The brief was to design a pattern in response
to the theme of “Life and Work in New Lanark”,
in the branding colours of the Heritage Site and
the Visitor Centre.
I came up with the idea of
this collage of photos of New
Lanark and its environment.
The flowy waves represent
both the River Clyde shaping
the valley but also the
continuous flow of the yarn.
The waves are cut through
in even lines as the rows of
mills and houses emerge on the
riverbank, a representation
of the community of workers.
THE TITLE I GAVE TO
THIS PATTERN, “A YARN
WELL SPUN” REFERS TO
THE MANY STORIES TOLD
THROUGH THE COMMUNITY
OF MILL WORKERS, THE
UNIQUE TALES OF PEOPLE
WHO WORKED HERE. THE
PHOTOGRAPHIC, COLLAGE-
STYLE COMPOSITION OF
THE PATTERN STRENGTHENS
THIS IDEA.
//43
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Two additional designs were also created to accompany my brief
- one was more masculine and the other more feminine, in case
the Visitor Centre wished to diversify their product range,
although both could work on tote bags.
when it comes to branded patterns, I always
try to make sure the design elements are
separable and the theme can be continued
on other products too as a non-repeatable
pattern. this makes the design a complete,
extendable language, consistent with the
brand.
//45
motherwell
electrical
company
greetings cards, 2018
This is a custom Christmas card designed
for an electrical company to send out to
their customers. Christmas lights are the
textbook example of a serial connection and
I saw it as an opportunity to take a fun, but
still corporate, electrical take on festive
decoration.
I WANTED TO CREATE A FUN
INTRIGUE, A CARD THAT ITS
RECEIVERS WILL WANT TO OPEN WITH
CURIOSITY, WONDERING WHO IT CAME
FROM. I BELIEVE IN LEAVING ROOM
FOR THE AUDIENCE TO PLAY WITH
THE ASSOCIATIONS BASED ON THE
CLUES WE PLACE IN FRONT OF THEM.
I wanted to avoid visual clichés and still
make an informative, fun and festive card
that can be sent as reminders of good
business and to build customer loyalty.
46\\
//47
museum of
typography
poster design, 2018
This design was my entry to the Museum of
Typography competition in 2018. The poster is a
mathematical blending of two different asterisk
shapes, representing the evolution of type.
I picked the asterisk symbol
because it is international
- it is found in many
languages and it goes with
all characters. it is usually
used for the “small print”,
to explain details and add
further notes, which Is
fitting for a museum dedicated
to typography.
The composition is minimal and contrasted, there
is only two colours: ink and paper, reducing
typography to its essence of print. It is an
ancient symbol but this computer-generated
design references what typography became in the
21st Century.
48\\
//49
SCARBOROUGH FAIR
interior surface PATTERN DESIGN, 2017
This pattern was a response to an interview assignment for the role of
Surface Pattern Designer at Marcel Wanders which resulted in receiving
the job offer. The task was to create a pattern using either geometric
or floral motifs.
I opted for the geometric style because of my bold personal style,
and I created a flexibly usable pattern - the response to the brief
originated from my personal interest in the built environment. I
imagined this pattern to be used in a refurbishment project in one of
the plenty of abandoned or suffering hotels on the British seaside.
That’s where the elements come from: the late Victorian / Edwardian
aesthetics, but to avoid playing on nostalgia, I decided to bring
them to the 21st Century, which resulted in this intricate, almost
industrial, futuristic look.
WHEN CREATING A PATTERN FOR AN INTERIOR
DESIGN, I ALWAYS LOOK FOR A CONNECTION WITH THE
BUILDING. IF OUR PURPOSE IS TO MAKE THE VISITOR
FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THEIR SURROUNDINGS, THEN
IT IS IMPORTANT TO SHOW WHAT’S BEAUTIFUL IN
WHERE THEY ARE.
50\\
//51
52\\
//53
54\\
ANTHROPOCENE
//G R I D S
TEXTILE DESIGNS, 2017
Anthropocene was the title of my MA
project at Heriot-Watt University,
and the project’s aims were the
creation of textiles that are
inspired by the human age.
The ultimate aim was to create
interior textiles, to serve as
a functional response to the
challenges of the Anthropocene
by addressing place detachment
in urbanised homes and
by seeking sustainable
materials and production
principles.
I intended to achieve
this with three separate
collection of textile
designs. GRIDS is a
series of textiles
inspired by industrial
landscapes, structures
and networks. I was
interested in an abstract language,
to humanise them and make them
appear less intimidating.
USING THIS AGE AS
AN INSPIRATION, I
LOOK FOR A SOLUTION
THAT EMBRACES THE
PRESENT, CREATING
NOT ONLY COMFORT BUT
CONTENTMENT TOO, TO
RAISE ACCEPTANCE AND
CURIOSITY TOWARDS
OUR SURROUNDINGS.
//55
56\\
THEY ARE BLOCK-PRINTED WITH A SET OF
DIGITALLY DESIGNED AND LASER-CUT BLOCKS,
FUSING HIGH-TECH WITH THE MOST ANCIENT
WAYS OF PRINTMAKING. THEY ARE ALSO
OVERSTITCHED FOR AN ADDITIONAL HAPTIC
QUALITY TO THE BASE FABRIC. THE PURPOSE
OF USING ROUGH QUALITY JUTE IS TO SEEK
SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION PRINCIPLES AND
MATERIALS AND ELEVATE THEM TO THE MODERN
INTERIOR.
//57
ANTHROPOCENE
//bl o c ks
TEXTILE DESIGNS, 2017
A series of textiles inspired by brutalist
architecture, building blocks and town
layouts. I used Glenrothes, one of the
original of the four new towns of Scotland,
built mostly in a brutalist style, with raw
concrete residential and office buildings,
and many roundabouts, under- and overpasses.
I introduced negative layers as a means to
allow light and shadow to play a role in
the design. One way of achieving this was
devoré, applied as a screen overprint on
digitally printed silk viscose satin in a
corresponding pattern. Another was laser
cutting, which gives more prominent shadows
than devoré.
THE DIGITAL PRINTING
technique enabled TO
PRESERVE SOME OF THE
ORIGINAL DETAILS AND THUS
OPENS UP POSSIBILITIES TO
RE-INTERPRET ITS SUBJECT
MATTER AND FOR THE USER TO
FORM NEW BONDS WITH THE
BUILT ENVIRONMENT.
58\\
//59
60\\
//61
ANTHROPOCENE
//CRACKS
TEXTILE DESIGNS, 2017
A series of textiles inspired by industrial
surfaces and building materials, as seen in the
environment today: some in use, some neglected in
a post-industrial age.
THIS IS A CLOSE-UP VIEW OF THE
ANTHROPOCENE, EMPHASISING THE
TEMPORALITY OF THE HUMAN AGE AND
STRENGTHENING AN IDEA OF NATURE
THAT IS NOT SEPARATE FROM MAN
BUT ONE WITH IT, AS DECAY IS AN
ORGANIC, UNCONTROLLED, NATURAL
PROCESS.
Digital printing preserved the photographic
details, but a metallic finish was introduced to
the prints too, with copper colour. It matches the
industrial theme of the collection and the colour
scheme too: copper oxidises in green/blue shades
which further emphasises the corroding effects.
Applying it with a brush created a completely
randomised, organic effect. The metallic finish
also contrasts the coarse base fabrics well.
62\\
//63
64\\
WHAT IS PRESENT IN ALL THREE COLLECTIONS
IS ANOTHER VISUAL LAYER TO EACH OF THEM:
WHETHER IT IS POSITIVE IN THE FORM OF
EMBROIDERY OR OVERPAINT, OR NEGATIVE, AS
CUT-OUTS OR BURN-OUTS, THESE ARE TEXTILES
WITH DEPTH AND THESE ADDITIONAL QUALITIES
CONNECT TO THE USER ON A MORE DIRECT LEVEL.
THEY ARE NOT JUST PRINTS TO LOOK AT, BUT TO
TOUCH, FEEL, MOVE AND RE-INTERPRET - USE.
This was a complex research project lasting two years,
involving a lot of practical experimentation, visual research
and literature review, and received additional funding as a
Postgraduate Award from the Textile Society.
//65
the scottish
borders project
TEXTILE DESIGNS, 2016
Digitally printed and laser cut textiles inspired by
buildings of the modernist architect Peter Womersley,
found in the Scottish Borders.
THEY WERE PRINTED ON COTTON VOILE,
TO BEST ACHIEVE THE TRANSLUCENCY,
AIRINESS AND HUMAN SCALE OF THE
BUILDINGS, AND COMPLETED WITH LASER-
CUTTING TO CREATE CORRESPONDING
SHADOWS.
The colours are borrowed from Borders-based textile
designer (and Womersley’s friend and colleague), Bernat
Klein and a colour yarn sample from him was associated
to each of the six buildings visited.
66\\
//67
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//69
THE DUNDEE PROJECT
TEXTILE DESIGNS, 2016
70\\
Digitally and block printed patterns on jute and linen, inspired
by archive textiles of the Donald Brothers Ltd (a Dundee-based
company, growing out of the jute industry producing soft-furnishing
and interior textiles between the 1890s and the 1970s.)
There are 30 patterns, presented in 3 ways: the first swatch
book contains 10 seamless, digitally printed patterns on rough,
industrial jute (varying between densely and loosely woven). This
has won a commendation at the 2017 Bradford Textile Awards in the
P2 Category.
//71
The second book contains linen samples, to reflect
on the roots of Dundee’s jute industry, growing
out of the linen production. It also ties in with
sustainable production principles, which is further
emphasised by using digital printing.
The colour scheme, the tile arrangements and the visible
digitalness of these designs aim to re-introduce these past designs
into a contemporary context and make them fit into modern interiors
again.
72\\
//73
74\\
The third swatch book contains 10 block printed jute samples. They were
also created from photographs of the archive materials. The photos were
filtered with pixels, then vectorised, and were then cut out of plywood
with a laser-cutter. This process is an attempt of fusing the most
contemporary technology with the most ancient ways of printing, creating
a form of modern craftsmanship, and also a reference to the Donald
Brothers works, who used block printing up to the 1950s. Not all blocks
were created from photographs, there are some that reference the “tiledesigns”
as seen in the previous books. This serves a consistency between
all three swatch books, and also an opportunity for deconstructed,
playful prints with multiple layers of mixed elements.
THE PROCESS OF PRODUCING THE DESIGNS ENTIRELY BY
DIGITAL MEANS AND THE PIXEL REFERENCES IN THE
DESIGNS THEMSELVES ARE A REFLECTION ON DUNDEE’S
PRESENT, WITH digital design PLAYING AN ENORMOUS
ROLE IN THE CITY’S REGENERATION.
//75
PLANPAK LLC
BUSINESS PLAN & BRANDING, 2016
Products
CARDBOARD RANGE
Vision for the Future
FIRST STAGE
(2016 - 2017)
Establishing business and
supplier relations
Limit customisation services
to printing and sizing
Contributions (£10,000 +
assets), Loan of £15,000
Mailing boxes with foldable handles
1: “Small” - For a single piece of clothing, an A4 size box (210 x 297) x 60 mm width
2. “Medium” - For multiple items: a B4 size box (250 x 353) x 120 mm width.
3. “Large” - For shoes: A3 size box (297 x 420) x 250 mm width
4. “Boots” - For boots: 300 x 750 x 200 mm
SECOND STAGE
THIRD STAGE (2021 - )
Expansion into R&D
Envelopes /for accessories and smaller items/
1. B6 size - 125 x 176 mm
2. B5 size - 176 x 250 mm
(2018
Printable
- 2020)
with two colours, Seeking alliance dimensions with can be customised for orders over 500 units.
Expansion of customer research centres (e.g.
base Our to markets “Cradle-to-Cradle” other than Bioplastic Feedstock
policy: Making sure the end user disposes it in the appropriate container by printing the following:
fashion
Association)
Market Overview
“This PlanPak box is made of 100% recycled paper and has many more lives ahead. Please give it another one by putting it in
Expansion of customisation Additional funding from
services your PAPER and establishing bin”. a Scottish Recycling Fund
design team
(min £50,000)
UK has the biggest e-commerce market
Additional loan of £25,000
in Europe that is forecast to grow at
14.5% to over £67 billion in 2016.
Fashion ranks first in online sales
categories and expected to reach £14
billion in 2016.
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
With the average order value per
transaction being £55.76, this means
250 million parcels a year.
UK Retail Ecommerce Sales,2014-2019
billions of £, % change and % of total retail sales
£52.72
17.1%
13.0%
£60.36
14.5%
14.5%
£67.00
15.7%
11.0%
£73.70
17.0%
10.0%
2014 2015 2016 2017
9.0%
2018
£80.33
18.1%
8.3%
2019
Note: includes products or services ordered using the internet via any device, regardless
of the method of payment or fulfilment; excludes travel and even tickets.
Source: eMarketer, Sep 2015
£86.96
19.3%
Retail ecommerce sales % change % of total retail sales
76\\
This publication was designed during my Masters course in
Fashion & Textiles Design at Heriot-Watt University.
For the module of Entrepreneurship, our
task was to form a company and create
a business plan. Another student and I
decided to create a business plan for
an environmentally friendly packaging
company for online fashion retailers.
We wrote the business plan together, and
I designed the layout and the logo.
THE LOGO IS A
VISUAL PLAY: IT CAN
BE SEEN AS CUBE-
SHAPED BOXES, BUT
THEY ALSO FORM A
GEOMETRIC LEAF.
I printed our research on recycled kraft paper with green
inks to emphasise our eco-friendliness, and the logo was
laser-cut out of green cardboard for the cover.
PlanPak
plant-based and recycled packaging
solutions for online fashion retail
//77
ROADWORKS
FIBRE ART, 2016
These were created at a contemporary
textile art workshop focused on making
nets with water soluble fabrics. The
silver wrapping paper was supplied
and it reminded me of high-visibility
layers, which I completed with my own
fluorescent thread to re-create the
atmosphere of motorway and roadside
constructions, cones and working men.
78\\
//79
CAFÉ CONCEPTS
BRAND DESIGNS, 2015
These ideas were developed for a packaging company,
to create three separate branding for new cafés
opting for environmentally friendly packaging range.
For one of my ideas, I imagined a small, but friendly
takeaway café place which would serve paying guests
and also would work with local charities. I named
it “the brollie”, and used an inverted logo placed
on a rain drop background. These created a variety
of interesting shapes to play with throughout the
branding language.
80\\
//81
The second idea relates to the built
environment: the café would be opened
in a disused flax mill building which
had distinctive shapes and I wanted
to compliment it with a logo and an
industrial-looking typeface. I considered
the benefits of simplicity for the
packaging and menu designs, and kept costefficient
printing in mind too.
GOOD DESIGN SHOULD ALWAYS
BE DRIVEN BY CONSIDERATIONS
TOWARDS THE END USER, IN THIS
CASE, THE CUSTOMERS OF THESE
PLACES - HOW WOULD THEY USE
THESE DESIGNS? WOULD THEY
WANT TO MEET HERE? THESE ARE
IMPORTANT TO IMAGINE IN THE
PROCESS OF CREATING THINGS
THAT LAST.
82\\
//83
84\\
PAPER DRAGON
STITCH AND PAPER, 2015
This work is an exploration of combining
patterns and surfaces. It’s made with threads
and original Japanese origami paper which I
received from a friend as a gift.
The patterns were combined with singlecolour
papers in triangular shapes to resemble
origami folds, but the stitches are not strict,
the threads are left hanging, and there are
triangular holes too, to create a free, airy
effect that suits this abstract kite.
//85
ARTIFICIAL
GARDEN
DIGITAL TEXTILE DESIGNS, 2015
These designs were created for a public competition for an
unnamed fashion retail company. The brief was to create a bold,
bright pattern on the theme of “artificial garden”, for which a
moodboard was provided. Ten different ideas could be supplied to
the competition, so
I developed them on
two main separate
lines: opium
poppies blooming
and recycling old,
existing floral
patterns into this
artificial context.
THEY WERE ALL CONNECTED
WITH THE SAME IDEA OF
“ARTIFICIALNESS” THOUGH:
GRIDS, PRISMS, GLASS WINDOWS,
THESE MAN-BUILT GARDEN WALL
STRUCTURES PROVIDED THE
REPEATING ELEMENTS OF THE
PATTERNS.
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//87
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//89
90\\
KILL YOUR
GERMS!
TEXTILES AND PAINTING, 2014
This is a mixed media work that features
watercolour painting on adhesive fabric,
and drawing with stitch as well. It is a
finished hand study, so in the focus is a
pair of hands under a tap.
THIS WORK IS A STUDY,
MAGNIFYING AND EXAMINING A
SIMPLE ACT WE ALL CARRY OUT
COUNTLESS TIMES A DAY WITHOUT
THINKING. I’M INTERESTED
IN REPETITION AND HOW EACH
TIME A SEEMINGLY MEANINGLESS
ROUTINE TURNS INTO SOMETHING
DIFFERENT.
It could also be an interpretation of the
metaphorical meaning of washing hands,
from crime and corruption, and the title
is an ironic reference to the dirty and
run-down environment of this act of
cleansing, how clean can we get if there
is rust and mould all around us?
//91
NATURAL PHENOMENA
POSTER DESIGNS,
2014
This was a competition entry for
Typography Day 2015, and the brief was to
create a typographic poster using one or
two words expressing nature, in my native
tongue. This meant I had to use Hungarian
words, and in my entries I turned to
commonly used phrases that contained the
word “nature”. The words for “natural
phenomena” are on the opposite page
poster. THE TYPOGRAPHY WAS INSPIRED BY MY
TRAVELS TO ICELAND WHERE IT IS
POSSIBLE TO OBSERVE MANY EXTREME
NATURAL PHENOMENA. THE LETTERFORMS
SEEM TO BE FORMED BY THE CRACKING
OF ROCKS OR ICE, WITH A VERY SHARP
CONTRAST THAT REFLECTS ON THE
HARSHNESS OF NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.
The letterforms are part of a process of vast
natural forces at work, almost being crushed. This
seems to compromise legibility but it is an engaging
design that requires attention.
92\\
//93
PICKLED
SCISSORS
LOGO AND LABEL DESIGN
+ PRODUCT RANGE, 2014
I created this logo design for my product range
made of re-dyed and recycled textiles - consisting
currently of mostly soft-furnishings.
THE TERM “PICKLED SCISSORS” COMES
FROM A HUNGARIAN PHRASE, FOR WHEN
A PIECE OF CLOTHING IS IRREPERABLY
STAINED AND THE ONLY FOLKLORE ADVICE
TO GET IT OUT OF THE FABRIC IS TO
USE “PICKLED SCISSORS”. ITS ENGLISH
TRANSLATION IS FONDLY QUIRKY, AND IT
FEELS SUITABLE TO USE THIS PHRASE
FOR PIECES OF FABRICS PEOPLE CAN’T
USE ANYMORE.
I used a simple icon for a pair of open
scissors with bright yellow, to represent the
acidity of vinegar, associated with pickles.
The bright yellow and the X-shaped scissors
together form a very definite and sharp
design that signifies the kind of waste that
could be a start of something new again.
94\\
//95
PYLONS
CARDS, BAGS AND CUSHIONS, 2014
This series of images came from a textile design project
I started a few years ago. I developed them into more
simplified drawings and applied them on greetings cards,
cushions and canvas tote bags.
IT IS A VERY SIMPLE, MODERN
AND FUN IMAGE PAYING TRIBUTE
TO THESE STRUCTURES THAT BRING
ELECTRICITY TO OUR HOMES.
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//97
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//99
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CRACKS
TEXTILES AND STITCH, 2014
This work was created at a textile art workshop. This
is an independent exploration of creating new surfaces
with stitch, and with the threads I had with me, I
associated to a cracked, battered, mouldy surface, the
collapsing walls of a derelict building.
THE MONOCHROMES OF THE DARK
BLACK AND GRAY WERE BALANCED OUT
WITH VIBRANT GREEN AT PLACES,
REPRESENTING MOSS COMING THROUGH
CRUMBLING WALLS. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN
INTERESTED IN THE CYCLES OF DECAY
AND HOW QUICKLY LIFE APPEARS IN
“DEAD” PLACES.
This work intends to reflect this cycle and the
textures reflect on the different layers time has laid
in a place, a section of this it is taken out of its
context and examined through stitch.
//101
102\\
//103
(On previous page
spread):
UNDERGROUND
CORRUPTION
INFOGRAPHIC DESIGN, 2013
(COMPETITION ENTRY, 2 ND PRIZE)
This was an entry for the “Visualising Corruption”
competition organised by Transparency International
UK, and I was awarded 2 nd prize for this. The brief was
to design an infographic, based on some of the reports
published by TI UK.
My work is showing
a general pattern
of corruption in
bidding for a
I BELIEVE A GOOD
INFOGRAPHIC DESIGN HAS ITS
POWER IN BEING ABLE TO
REVEAL SOMETHING VISUALLY,
THAT MIGHT NOT BE SO
CLEARLY SEEN OTHERWISE.
public contract,
and my purpose
was to show how
- while its participants gain - damage is
caused to fair competition. I have used the
London Underground map as a visual reference,
not only because it is a classic example
of great infographic design, but also it
works as a symbol that corruption often
goes undetected and it is mostly happening
under the surface.
104\\
Having grown up in Hungary in the 1990s, I have witnessed
corruption on many occasions and I’m very aware and
suspicious of it, I think corruption is at the very root of
many serious environmental problems and human rights abuses.
Despite this, I was very surprised to find that even typing
in just the word “corruption” in search bars of major UK
newspapers resulted in news reports almost only from abroad
- it seemed to me that this word means something distant,
that happens elsewhere to the British press. Corruption is
very rarely mentioned or referred to by the UK media as a
major element of fraud or other crimes, and I was trying to
address this with my infographic.
My other observation that is specific to
the UK is its advanced societal culture
of clubs and societies, that on one
hand is an encouraging and prosperous
environment for creating business, on
the other hand it lacks transparency
and could also be a fertile ground for
nepotism and corruption. I wanted to
raise awareness to all this, in the
simplest way visually possible with my
design.
//105
106\\
WORLD PROSPERITY INDEX
COVER DESIGN, 2013
(COMPETITION ENTRY, 2 ND PRIZE)
This cover design was an entry for the “Prosperity
Illustrated” competition, organised by the Legatum Institute,
who publish an annual global report of the world’s most
prosperous countries. The brief of the competition was to
design the cover of this report and illustrate prosperity,
bearing in mind the nature of the ranking.
Prosperity itself is a complicated subject and I had
several different ideas in my mind, and I intended to
present them the simplest way possible,
I TRULY BELIEVE IN SIMPLICITY AS THE
GREATEST TOOL IN VISUAL COMMUNICATION,
BECAUSE IT ALLOWS THE VIEWER TO ASSOCIATE
FREELY AND MAKE CONNECTIONS THEMSELVES. IT
IS ABOUT TREATING THE AUDIENCE AS EQUALS.
In my entry which won 2 nd prize, I presented prosperity as
growth and wellbeing, but I also connected this idea to the
world of charts and rankings in a playful way. I had further
ideas to make the same visual connections, in all of my
entries I challenged myself to tell the words “Prosperity
Indexed” in the most simple, most understandable way visually
possible.
//107
108\\
THE LITTLE MERMAID
DIGITAL PATTERN, 2013
(COMPETITION ENTRY)
This was my entry to the digital
fabric design competition of DIY
couture. The brief was to create
a textile design digitally,
around the theme of
“Immense depths”, two
digital moodboards
were supplied with
many different
images (mainly searelated),
to inspire
the fabric design.
I aimed for a modern,
digital look with
the glowing, neon
effects that can also
be perceived as the electric
and glowing creatures living
underwater. The sparkles could
also be seen as the Moon
reflecting on the surface of
the water.
MY ENTRY WAS
INSPIRED BY DEEP
SEA CREATURES, SUCH
AS JELLYFISH. THE
PACIFIC OCEAN AND ITS
ATOLLS HAVE ALWAYS
BEEN FASCINATING
TO ME AND I WANTED
TO CREATE A PATTERN
THAT EXPRESSES THIS
COLOURFUL WORLD.
//109
110\\
CONSTRUCTION
FABRIC PAINTING AND EMBROIDERY, 2013
This is a series of stitched images: my
experiments of layering fabrics. I have dyed
them by hand and printed them with found
objects, then stitched them together and drew on
them with thread.
I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN FASCINATED BY
CRANES AND METAL STRUCTURES THAT
ARE BUILT TO BUILD. I APPRECIATE
THEIR BEAUTY BUT I ALSO WANTED TO
EXPLORE THEIR FUNCTION OF BUILDING
AND HOW THIS LARGE-SCALE PROCESS
OF CREATING NEW SPACE WORKS.
I view it as a constant circle of destruction
and construction, as functional things never
last forever, they become redundant when they
lose their original purpose and this decay and
destruction is a ground for rebuild and this is
what I wished to study with these works.
//111
DANCING IN SPACE
(THE PLANETS)
DIGITAL ILLUSTRATIONS,
2013 (COMPETITION ENTRY)
This was my entry to The Cheltenham Illustration
Awards in 2013. The brief was to create an
illustration to Gustav Holst’s composition “The
Planets”, but also applying the theme of memory.
The composition is a modernist work, consisting of
seven separate pieces, each representing a different
character, a different personality attributed to a
certain planet. They also make a continuous line in
time, starting with youth and finishing with old age.
MY RESPONSE TO THIS FEATURED
DANCERS, AS I IMAGINED THE
PIECES OF MUSIC DANCED ON STAGE
BY DIFFERENT CHARACTERS. THE
FIGURES ARE MADE UP OF FLUID
LINES, INTERWOVEN INTO THEIR
ENVIRONMENTS, CREATING A MAP-
LIKE SURFACE.
They also show a slight resemblance to
bacteria in petri-dishes, that could signify
a search for new life elsewhere. The theme
of memory applied here is of childhood, the
resemblance to marbles and the bright colours
represent this.
112\\
//113
NO-TRAINERS
ADVERT DESIGN, 2013
This series of images are parody advertisements mocking sport
gear adverts. My problems with these are their over-the-top
nature and the seriousness it’s taken with. Some even attributes
toxic chemicals to their products such as “mercurial vapour
shoes” as a selling point and often have exaggerated claims
that they are made of “energy boosting fabrics” or that it
“hydrates better than water”. I find these insulting and I
also really miss the humour from advertising in general - I’m
particularly against taking things seriously when it’s based
on pseudo-scientific claims.
I THINK CLICHÉS KILL CREATIVITY AND IT’S
IMPORTANT TO REFLECT AND RECOGNISE WHEN
AN IDEA BECOMES ONE. THESE DESIGNS INTEND
TO SHOW WHAT I THINK ARE TIRED CLICHÉS IN
BOTH VISUAL DESIGN AND BRANDING LANGUAGE IN
GENERAL. I OFTEN USE HUMOUR IN MY DESIGNS,
I BELIEVE A SLIGHT WINK GOES A LONG WAY
WITH BUILDING TRUST IN A BRAND.
LIFE UP YOUR SPICE!
PACKAGING DESIGNS, 2013
This is not technically a commercial design, as I have created this
labelling system for my home spice rack, because I was unhappy with the
standard supermarket packaging. I think they are quite uniformed, and I find
it hard to distinguish them, even if they have the name clearly written.
TO REPLACE THEM, I HAVE MADE THESE COLOURFUL LABELS
THAT MARK THE COLOUR OF THE SPICE AS WELL AS THE SHAPE
AND I TRIED TO MAKE THE ASSOCIATION OF THE FLAVOURS
EASIER.
I used a bold font to make space for the play on colours and shapes of the
herbs. The fonts are also large enough to wrap around the entire jar, so
they can be instantly recognised without turning them around.
116\\
//117
118\\
THE TYPOLYMPICON
POSTER DESIGN, 2012
(COMPETITION ENTRY, 3 RD PRIZE)
This poster was designed as an entry for the ArjoWiggins
Conqueror Typographic Games, prior to the London Olympic
Games in 2012. I have received a bronze medal in the
competition and my poster was featured in the September
2012 issue of Creative Review.
The brief was to create a sport-related typographic
poster featuring the sentence: “It’s not what you win,
but how you conquer it”.
IT IS A SIMPLE SENTENCE THAT LEAVES
A LOT OF SPACE FOR VISUAL PLAYS, TO
EMPHASISE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
WINNING AND CONQUERING. IN MY ENTRY
I WANTED TO KEEP THIS SIMPLE AND
OBVIOUS, BUT WITHOUT TURNING TO
CLICHÉS.
I played with the “I” in the word “win”, as it can be
read as a Roman number one, as the first place. This
displays a sense of glory and I have placed it on a
flag. Achievement, however, is independent from this,
and happens on the ground. Again I intended to play with
the typography and I have taken the Q to be the centre,
with its tail illustrated as a high jumper. With the
colours and the graphic elements, I wanted to create an
athletic atmosphere and emphasise motion.
//119
GRADUATION CEREMONY
EVENT IDENTITY, 2012
After finishing my Graphic Design course, the
Interactive Design Institute and the University of
Hertfordshire have organised a graduation ceremony
for all the e-learning graduates at Edinburgh Castle.
Prior to the ceremony, there was a competition amongst
all the design students and graduates to design the
identity of the event itself, which I won.
MY DESIGNS ARE BASED ON THE
ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS OF THE ENTRY
GATE OF EDINBURGH CASTLE, TAKEN TO
BASIC GEOMETRIC ELEMENTS IN BRIGHT
COLOURS.
The printed material consisted of a castle pass,
a seat sign and a graduation brochure, in brand
consistency with both the Interactive Design Institute
and the University of Hertfordshire.
120\\
//121
122\\
BAD NEWS
(ARAL SEA)
POSTER DESIGN, 2012
(COMPETITION ENTRY)
This poster was designed as a competition entry
for “The Future We Want - Drop By Drop” postercompetition
which was part of an EU-funded
international project themed around the shortage of
freshwater our planet is facing.
IT IS COMMONPLACE THAT WE CALL OUR
FORESTS “THE LUNGS OF OUR PLANET” WHICH
IS WHERE MY IDEA CAME FROM. I THINK OUR
LAKES AND RIVERS ARE ALSO VITAL ORGANS
OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND I WANTED TO PLAY
WITH THIS IMAGERY.I have researched satellite
photographs of the shrinking of the Aral Sea, which
has virtually completely dried out, solely due to human
activity. I re-drew them and presented them as MRIscans,
because I wanted to raise the alarm. People feel
more worried about their human, physical health than
the long-term health of our planet, even if the two are
connected, and I wanted to show this link. I titled the
work “bad news” because it is what a doctor would say
if these were real scans of a vital organ.
//123
PORTS
PRINT DESIGNS FOR GIFTS, 2012
I created these images of my own photographs of
local coastal towns and villages, to be used on
T-shirts and cards. I tried to create a tonguein-cheek,
overdone summery atmosphere with the
bold choice of colours and retro typography.
There is some humour in Scottish fishing
towns appearing in the style of Pacific
surfing paradises or French riviera towns.
MY PURPOSE WITH IT WAS TO
ENTERTAIN, AND TO CREATE NEW,
FOND THOUGHTS FOR THESE PLACES.
I originally intended them to be made into
postcards, but they are fitting tote bags
and t-shirts too, so I made them available on
my Society6.com profile on a wide range of
colours.
124\\
//125
126\\
ANYWAY, ANYHOW,
ANYWHERE
ADVERTISEMENT DESIGNS, 2011
I made these posters for a brief during the last year at
my Graphic Design course, for a competition of the Young
Creatives Network.
The challenge was to create a campaign for P&O Ferries
targeting mainly budget airline travelers. I kept the campaign
visually strictly within the company’s branding guidelines,
using the colours, typefaces and styles I have seen on their
website and in previous campaigns, but I changed the language
and I took on a more direct approach.
I took the line “Anyway Anyhow Anywhere” from the popular
song, which is an obvious exaggeration applied to a ferry
service, BUT MY IDEA WAS THAT THE COMPANY COULD
TAKE ON A BRAVE COMMUNICATION APPROACH,
IN A TIME WHEN THERE IS SUCH A GENERAL
PUBLIC DISCONTENT WITH THE RESTRICTIONS AND
UNCOMFORTABLE SERVICES OF AIRLINE TRAVEL.
I intended my graphics to sympathise with the complaints of
airline travelers and offer them the comfort and freedom of
ferry travel instead. I have taken commonly used phrases and
icons to get the ideas across instantly.
//127
128\\
INDUSTRIAL
DIGITALLY PRINTED
FABRICS FOR FASHION, 2010
I have created these digitally printed fabrics for a
self-produced collection, on viscose jersey and cotton
voile. I designed them for clothing and accessories,
with the intention of keeping a continuity in textile
production after my graduation in 2010.
THEY ALL FEATURE ELEMENTS
OF THE SCOTTISH INDUSTRIAL
LANDSCAPE AS IT CONTINUES
TO INSPIRE AND INFLUENCE MY
WORK. I have created these patterns
entirely digitally of my own photographs.
I wanted to correspond with the current
trends of Autumn/Winter 2010, when
photographic patterns were featuring in
many collections.
//129
130\\
//131
CUPPA
PACKAGING DESIGNS, 2010
This was a commercial brief during my graphic design course. My
idea was to create the branding of a new range of coffee and tea
products, sold for young adults. I named it CUPPA and created an
informal verbal and visual language to appeal to young consumers.
I DECIDED TO BE VERY DIRECT, GIVING A FACE TO
THE PRODUCT, WITH EXPRESSIONS ASSOCIATED TO THE
EFFECT AND FLAVOUR OF THE DRINK.
They strengthen a friendly attitude to the product and make it
instantly recognisable. I took extendability into account to make
space for a wide potential range of products and I tried to make
an environmentally friendly design as well by creating a fully
recyclable cardboard pack.
132\\
My research on packaging designs
has found that most of the words
on tea and coffee packaging
emphasise the health benefits,
or the place of origin of the
product, words such as “classic”,
“pure”, “rich”, and “smooth” were
associated with these products.
I was looking for something
different, a bold, direct language
that was already in place on
other products (shower gels, soft
drinks), I aimed to bring this
audience close to my coffee
and tea range.
//133
“ABERCALDY”
COLLECTION OF TEXTILES AND
CLOTHING, 2009
I created this collection of textiles during my
internship at the Glasgow School of Art’s Centre
for Advanced Textiles in 2009. The influence was
obvious,
I WAS NATURALLY INSPIRED BY CHARLES RENNIE
MACKINTOSH AND HIS WORKS. I WANTED TO
INTERPRET HIS DESIGN ELEMENTS INTO A LOOSE,
CONTEMPORARY URBAN ENVIRONMENT AND I PRINTED
THEM ON JERSEY FABRICS TO CREATE A COSY,
COMFORTABLE COLLECTION OF CLOTHES.
134\\
//135
AFTER I FINISHED MY INTERNSHIP AND THE FABRICS
WERE READY, I mADE THEM INTO SIMPLE GARMENTS.
THE SHAPE OF THE CLOTHING WAS DELIBERATELY LEFT
STRAIGHT AND LOOSE TO EMPHASISE THE PATTERN AND TO
MAKE THEM COMFORTABLE.
When the garments were ready, I asked my friend, Katalin Dovydénas to
wear them as my model, and other friends, Réka Raffay and Gabi Vígh for
their help to make professional photographs under my styling directions,
and when the photos were ready, I created a brochure of them, using the
graphic elements of my patterns.
136\\
//137
PLANT
Publication design, 2008
The idea for PLANT was born from a series of photographs by
my photographer friend, Réka Raffay. She took a series of
pictures of indoor plants for a photo study, and I asked her
to use them, to develop them further into typographic pages.
It was greatly influenced by early ‘00s,
minimalist graphic design, and I have
too, used bold colours and Helvetica as a
helping tool to achieve visual simplicity,
but I also intended to make it selfindulgent
and design-centred, as I was
interested in how indoor plants, as parts
of an interior design can be applied to a
two dimensional space.
It was featured as part of a Photography-Typography exhibition
in the Contemporary Architecture Centre of Budapest, Hungary
in 2009.
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//139
140\\
EMPTY SPACE (FOR KINGOMAR)
EP COVER AND TYPEFACE DESIGN, 2007
As a student I was keen to practice my design skills
and I approached unsigned bands on MySpace to offer
them artwork designs for free. I created this artwork
this way in 2007 for a Liverpool-based music group
for their first EP. They needed a logo and I created
a typeface for them which I named “Empty Space”.
The music was similar to Kasabian’s I thought and to
correspond with the electronic sounds in the music, I
wanted to create a minimalist look for them.
I WAS EXPERIMENTING WITH THE MINIMUM
AMOUNT OF LINES THAT ARE NECESSARY TO
READ A TEXT.
To do this with the font body would have made the
text illegible so I used a bold body with outlines
instead. The result was this typeface which I used
for other projects later.
//141
142\\
RKK Identity
Logo design and identity, 2007
This is a new identity I created for the School of
Light Industry and Environmental Engineering at
Budapest Tech (now University of Óbuda). This was a
brief at the European Digital Media Management in
2007. I used patterns and pictograms to express the
nature of light industry and to attract creative
students.
With the logo I wanted to express
serial-production and industrial
processes, which are at the core of
light industry engineering: I played
with the positioning of the letters
to make it look like a part of a line
of logos printed serially, complete
with crop marks which, in the logo,
could be associated as a + sign.
The school has several faculties specialising
in printing, packaging, textiles, composites and
environmental engineering which I expressed with
commonly used icons on the poster explaining the
application process. I got awarded for this work
at the EDMM.
//143
BIRTHDAY CARD
GREETINGS CARD DESIGN, 2007
I HAVE MADE THIS LITTLE BOOKLET FOR
A FRIEND FOR HIS BIRTHDAY IN A BOLD,
CHILDREN’S BOOK STYLE. I WANTED TO
CREATE A LITTLE GAME, THAT ENDS WITH
THE BIRTHDAY WISHES.The story is simple,
I hand-cut each page in the middle, shading and
shrinking towards the last one, depicting a different
source of light until the last page, which is a
birthday candle, containing the customisable birthday
message.
144\\
//145
QUALIFICATIONS
Fashion & Textiles Design MA,
Heriot-Watt University, Galashiels //2017
Graphic Design BA (Hons),
University of Hertfordshire &
Interactive Design Institute //2011
Product Designer in Light Industry Engineering BSc,
University of Óbuda, Budapest, Hungary //2010
AWARDS
New Lanark Textile Competition, 1st Prize // 2018
The Textile Society, Postgraduate Student Award // 2017
Presitigious Textile Award (Bradford Design
Competition P2 category)
Commendation // 2017
Visualising Corruption, Transparency International UK
2 nd prize // 2013
Prosperity Illustrated, The Legatum Institute
2 nd prize // 2013
The Conqueror Typographic Games, ArjoWiggins
3 rd prize // 2012
CONTACT
T: +44 (0) 7909 15 00 78
E: postbox@zitakatona.com
www.zitakatona.com
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© ZITA KATONA 2022