Annik Troxler
Switzerland, with the support of The Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia
See also Personal exhibition on Typomania 2019
Annik Troxler is a Swiss graphic designer born 1979 in Willisau.
She studied graphic design at the ECAL in Lausanne; now she works in the cultural field and teaches at the Basel School of Design.
With a strong focus on content, narrative and visual quality, Annik Troxler creates posters and visual identities that use typography and images in unusual ways. Her design methods combine a significant use of playful techniques and experimentation but a strong connection to the minimalistic functionalism is still apparent.
Since 2008 she has lectured and taught workshops in Europe and abroad and she has won several prizes around the world.
Interview:
https://eyeondesign.aiga.org/annik-troxlers-jazz-posters-are-as-wild-as-a-charlie-parker-solo/
Interview for TDC
What is your starting point for a project?
My starting point is always to draw and jot down ideas.
I do a kind of brain-storm-sketches that also include techniques or possible colours I could use for a certain project. Normally I develop a lot of different directions and then I start with the one I most enjoy.
Do awards competitions matter? Why?
I doubt that awards competitions matter to get interesting jobs as a designer, but I think it’s a good opportunity to show your recent work to other designers from the same field and I appreciate to see recent designs collected in the catalogues.
What design principles do you work by? Live by?
I try to always start new.
I love to surprise myself.
I attempt to not limit myself to a single style.
I try to tell or show an idea within the context of the project.
I like to transmit happiness in my designs.
I try to remain up to date and not old-fashioned.
What do you most dislike about your profession?
The market is very competitive and therefore there are not many exciting jobs where you can show your true qualities. Sometimes it also feels as if there is a lack of courage to find new and surprising soloutions. I would like to see more diversity and unexpected results.
What do you most value in a designer?
I appreciate designers that are able to transport social, political and ecological issues through great visuals.
What is your motto? I love to feel a prickle when I get really into a design – although sometimes I need to search a long time...
