Inside Anna Gibson’s nostalgic fusion of handcrafted and digital design

It’s always impressive when a graphic designer is able to seamlessly blend handmade techniques into today’s digital-first landscape. London-based designer Anna Gibson does just that, whether that’s by beginning her projects with hand-drawn typography, scanning in elements to add texture to an editorial spread, or anything in between.

“The dominant subject within my portfolio is definitely music, which has been pivotal in my development as a designer,” Anna tells It’s Nice That. “Both working directly for the industry, as a source of inspiration and as an aid to help me get through projects from conception to final product.” Anna’s projects are often tinged in nostalgia; there’s a sentimental value to them that leans on culture references of the past. In part, this is due to Anna’s creative influences coming from “old design techniques that have been lost over the years,” placing emphasis on tactile and incomplete or imperfect visuals.

To place emphasis on this nostalgic yearning for imperfection in design, Anna avoids creating work that is too flat or digital looking by adding lots of texture. There’s a character to her work that makes all the graphics jump from the page. “I love anything that requires me as the designer to put emotion, thoughts and feelings into design or finding a way to portray a story,” Anna adds.