Designer Cindy Kutikova on translating her ideas into a visual language

Graphic designer Cindy Kutikova approaches every project as a “challenge to discover something new”. Based in Prague and currently studying at The Academy of Art, Architecture and Design (UMPRUM), Cindy has the opportunity to explore her interests in history and contemporary design through various projects including brand identities, poster design and websites.

“Because I’m still a student, the core of my work is school projects, which can be fully implemented and realised. I like these projects because when you work within the school environment, you can work more freely, take risks and experiment. I don’t have any restrictions from a client,” explains Cindy.

Typography is a key part of every project but it often comes after the designer has fleshed out the concept. “It’s not like that all the time though. Sometimes I have a clear vision of what type I’m going to be using from the start. It all depends on the theme and context,” she explains. Cindy has been working with fellow designer Jiri Mocek on “several visual styles” which see the pair create posters and festival identities that are bright, bold and experimental.

Another recent project Cindy is still working on is the digitisation of a book by Czech graphic designer Ladislav Sutnur from the 1950s. “The output is an interactive webpage, which isn’t complete yet. I see potential in this project because books which have come out in limited prints or are very rare can be made available to the project with this idea,” says Cindy.

As her work develops, Cindy is keen to keep the principles of design at the heart of what she does. “I’m trying to transform the core of the assignment into a visual language,” the designer explains. “I care about a clear and coherent transfer of the thought and idea. I’m trying to point out and shed light on the very essence of things.”