Designer interview: Anna Santana

Today’s interview is with Anna Santana, a web developer, print designer, and an artist from San Diego

When did your interest in design first start and how did that come about?

I don’t know how it came about. I remember I was 12 years old and I would see designs on some quilts, mats, table décor, etc and I drew what I saw. I would add extra designs to it like a curvy line here and there. Then I just started taking parts of designs I saw and put them together.

What steps did you take to get to where you are now as a designer?

I don’t know about the steps, I just kept on drawing. I actually stopped sketching some designs until the middle of my senior year of high school. I had an art class and I was trying to re-discover myself through art. I would draw up random things and make them into collages. There was a student in my class that would do these abstract, pattern, sort of like “trippy” huge art pieces. I wanted to do the same thing he was doing so I did. The only thing I didn’t like is color. I felt like it ruined the piece. So I stayed with only black and white. I also started putting in my designs that I use to draw when I was like 12 years old. I was really happy of the way they came out. So I just kept it going till now. Hahahaha

How would you describe your style?

Pattern, design, linear, form, repetition, and rhythmic

What kind of designer do you want to be known as?

“Parallel to none”

What are you working on currently?

Doing more pieces. I’m trying to do them one at a time in a patient manner. I’m inspired every minute.

What advice would you give emerging designers wanting to build their portfolios?

That’s a good question… Experiment. Open your mind. Look around and watch what other designers are doing. If you encounter some people criticizing negatively to your work, who cares! Take the criticism. Be nice about it and ask questions like ‘How would this be improved?’ or ‘What do you want to see?’. But never lose yourself as a designer. Listen, watch, and talk to people to see what they like and want to see. There’s some people out there who will like your work, hire you as their designer, etc.

What would be your dream design gig?

I have a few actually. Hahahaha. My dream would just be called on all the time for projects. Like to be called out of nowhere and get asked to have my artwork in a museum, a billboard, somewhere in an ad, and/or provide my artwork so companies could use it for decoration. Pretty much everywhere. I like to work with people and make things happen.

Looking ahead, what are your major goals for the next couple of years?

Push my work to be on clothes and used as decoration. Mostly be put on walls in people’s homes, pillows, curtains, etc.

If you were a pattern, what kind of pattern would you be and why?

Ahhh that’s another good question. Some kind of pattern just full of stripes. I really like stripes because they’re used for simple things.

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Anna Santana is a web developer, print designer, and an artist from San Diego, California. She received her Associates degree in Graphic design from Platt College San Diego and earned her spots in the graphic design field. She recently received her Bachelors degree in Web design from Platt College San Diego as well. When she’s not designing for clients, she spends her free time drawing patterns and is inspired to show them to the world soon.