Lea Petrine
Lea Petrine
Hi Lea! Could you tell me a bit about yourself?
Hi! I’m a Norwegian graphic designer living in Copenhagen. I work with both printed and digital projects, mainly within culture, lifestyle and creative industries. I have an experimental design approach, and I love to play around with different disciplines!
When did you gain an interest in graphic design?
Coming from a handicraft family I enjoyed drawing as a child and attended painting lessons, ceramics courses – I even loved folding origami. As a tween the internet was booming and I got the hang of Photoshop and set up my own website and joined a community where we shared HTML codes and hosted design competitions. The challenge usually was to make website headers with pictures of celebrities, if you won you got an award you could put on your own site, so cute. I both hosted and won a lot of challenges. Totally Y2K internet aesthetic!
I guess I’ve always had a creative mind and after studying Art, Design and Architecture in High School I realised graphic design was where I could explore my interests within both digital and printed medias.
What are your favourite types of projects to work on?
I love making visual identities from scratch! You know, those projects where you shape a brand both conceptually and visually, and create a universe based on the values and their stories.
Always purpose over profit, is the rule I go by. I highly enjoy working with clients with whom I share values, I believe the best projects are the ones that can inform, inspire and in some way have a positive impact. Previously I’ve based much of my work in critical investigation by questioning existing norms and standards. Design can and should be more than aesthetics!
Copenhagen is seen by many as the design capital of the world - from graphics, architecture, fashion to furniture - with a typically modern aesthetic. Do you often find inspiration from your surroundings?
Absolutely! Copenhagen is a vibrant city full of inspiration, it feels international yet Nordic. After living many years in Oslo I was craving a new city and new inputs. I got that in the meeting of new people and the creative scene in Copenhagen. The city leaves me feeling free, and It’s always something happening here – from vernissages, to book launches and underground techno parties. I’m surrounded by friends who almost all work in a creative field, such as architecture, art, film, music or fashion. I often work and collaborate with them, so they inspire me a lot!
Your work is so beautiful, as well as versatile in style! How would you describe your aesthetic?
Aw, thanks, that’s kind of you! My aesthetic shifts and evolves through the different people and projects I work with, however I strive at always keeping my playful approach. My visual language has always been sort of expressive and I love the idea of visually surprising the viewer. As a person I can be quite reserved, but through aesthetics I feel I can express myself. Whether it’s in clothing style or design projects.
During my graphic design studies I found it hard to follow guidelines, comply with rules and using grids, I just wanted to experiment and play around. One of the teachers once told me ‘It’s really ugly, but it’s really you’ – I took it as a compliment!
As a professional with more experience I’ve cleaned up my creative chaos. Since I work within different graphic disciplines such as books, animations and websites, and with different brands and clients, I’ve learned in which project to be playful and which ones require more structure.
What are the biggest challenges you face as a young designer?
As a designer aiming to be purpose-driven, it has sometimes been hard finding the balance between working with those meaningful projects and making a living. When I was a newly graduated, I thought I had to say yes to every freelance job, thinking it was a good opportunity. Now I will rather do non-profit work for causes I support, live for less or have a side job, than compromise with my values.
Luckily, I have built some lasting relationships with clients sharing my values, and I’m always open for new collaborators and connections who does!
What is your dream job?
It is to start an intersectional feminist & norm critic design studio with like-minded people and together do cultural projects with a social impact.
Finally, do you have any new / exciting upcoming projects?
I’m currently designing a wine label for my good friends and owners of the wine bar ‘Vivant’ in Nørrebro, here in Copenhagen. I previously did the bar’s visual identity so it is fulfilling and fun to take it one step further and also put my mark in the design of the products they sell. Vivant is a lovely and queer friendly place with many regulars, I will do my best to capture their vibes and the overall vibrant atmosphere in the design of the wine label!
