Tell us a little bit about yourself (Your name, what you do, your background, and where are you based?)
My name is Julian Lozano (pronounced who-lee-on) and I am currently a visual designer for an agency called Huge, Inc. I currently live and work remotely in Los Angeles! I previously was a product designer at AT&T working on video streaming and IOT apps. Other work experience includes smaller design agencies and fintech startups.
What are you currently working on? How did you get started in Visual Design?
I cannot share exactly the project we are working on but our current client has been Google. Other projects include doing visual design for LG.
How did you get started in Visual Design?
I started early in high school. My high school offered a strong digital media department and gave me the intro to using most design programs along with the basic principles. I was very interested in the artwork found on music cd covers and posters. After graduating high school, I attended Laguna College of Art & Design for Graphic Design + Digital media with an emphasis in Action Sports. I took internships within Column Five, Hurley, and Obey before graduating in 2015.
Is there any life story or experience that shaped you as an artist/creative?
In the summer of 2012, I did a lot of volunteer work for the local undocumented organizations. I used my skill sets to run design, photography, and video. With these skills I was able to help give voices to those who had stories to tell, especially those that didn’t have a path to citizenship despite living in this country most of their life. Since that moment, my passion to help others has grown and still continues to this day.
As a visual designer, we believe you have faced a lot of challenges working on different projects. What advice would you give to other designers out there to keep going? Even when you don’t feel like it?
There were a few projects that I didn’t feel brought the best of my visual design abilities. As a design professional, it will be common to be assigned projects that are just not interesting. When I don’t feel motivated, I remind myself that my design decisions and guidance can make a big impact on other people’s experience. My motivation for certain projects may be low but it is up to us as designers to create the best experience which I think is truly powerful. There will be many projects where decisions won’t go your way but as long as you bring out and show other thoughtful design solutions, those are ideas you can bring toward future projects! It goes without saying that I receive guidance from mentors and managers who have been available to discuss these types of topics which helped me whenever I got in a rut.
Where do you get your design inspiration from? What are some of your biggest influences?
Instagram has been quite an impressive tool to find some of my favorite inspiration! I have also been looking through are.na which is kind of a pinterest but for creatives, there are just so many unique boards that I do not see from anywhere else!
What would you say will be the future of design? Or the next big thing?
I am not too sure about this. All I can say is that mobile will still be triumphing over desktop in the digital space. Video streaming such as Tik-tok and Twitch have become the normal way to view content by Gen Z and it is important to pay attention to that trend.
Do you think art & creativity are important for our society?
Absolutely! As product designers, it is our task to create the best experience that impacts other people. Color choices, typography, images, visuals, motion, it all plays a big part of creating that best experience.
What are you currently fascinated by? (books, music, artists, places, blogs – anything that you find interesting/inspiring) How did you develop your style and what tips would you have for others?
I try to get inspirations outside of just design, so my interests have been getting involved in the local art community in Los Angeles. There has been an increase of Latinx-focused curated art galleries that pop up around South LA and in Downtown LA. It has been promoting some of the best artists that historically never received any spotlight until recently there has been better exposure of taking over the local community back.
How did you develop your style and what tips would you have for others?
I don’t really have my own personal style, I like to stick with the fundamentals of graphic design. Things like knowing which fonts to use with proper spacing, sizing, and compositions. The same goes with color and imagery. Knowing those will make any designer flexible in creating different styles for different projects.
How do you define success as a creative entrepreneur?
Finding a career that brings out the best of designers whether it’s working for a company or a client. Feeling empowered can be difficult to find and to this day I am trying to find that job that keeps me motivated creatively.
What would you like to be remembered for?
I really want to be working around human-centered projects that aim to help solve human social injustices, poverty, education, and mental health. If I can help anyone live a better life through design then that is how I want to be remembered.
Check out Julian’s work at: julianlozano.com
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