Our guest this week is the award-winning graphic designer, illustrator and educator, Shanti Sparrow. Originally from Australia, Shanti now lives in New York where she's Global Head of Teaching at Shillington, which teaches the next generation of graphic designers.
With her design work, her style is vibrant and bold – something she describes as "loudly minimal", and her expressive typography, grid experimentation and confident colour palettes create memorable and iconic designs. She specialises as a conceptual designer and collaborates with many not-for-profit clients that create awareness and raise funds for important humanitarian, environmental and research-based causes – something she's especially passionate about.
As an illustrator, Shanti's style involves scanned textures, vector patterns and digital collage. Her subjects mainly involve animals and nature. These enchanting characters all have names and background stories and are inspired by her travels.
And finally, as an educator at Shillington, she is dedicated to shaping and supporting the next generation of designers. She champions inclusivity and diversity in the creative industries.
Here, we talk about her childhood and varied background, we find out why she gives her illustrated animals names (and why they're so traditionally British), and we talk of how the world is changing fast and for the better.
