26.12.2022 Views

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.

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.



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


16\\


//17


18\\


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.

26\\


//27


28\\


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


30\\


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


34\\


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


36\\


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


38\\


//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


42\\


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


44\\


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


68\\


//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.

86\\


//87


88\\


//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.

96\\


//97


98\\


//99


100\\


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.

138\\


//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

146\\



© ZITA KATONA 2022

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!