Gilda Martini

Illustrations from Gilda’s “Pre-Columbian Fauna” icon collection

Gilda Martini is a graphic designer and illustrator born in Santa Fe, Argentina, a city surrounded by rivers with an immense diversity of flora, fauna, and cultural influences. Gilda has a special preference for projects related to the environment, human rights, valuing indigenous peoples, sustainability, new materials, but above all projects that allow her to work with and meet people who inspire others and contribute their time to make the world friendlier.

Hi Gilda! Tell us about yourself - how did you get to where you are today and when did you first become interested in design and illustration?

As a child I was in love with my toys and children's books. I remember every week reading a thousand times a new edition of a weekly magazine called Anteojito, which was waiting for me at home when I returned from school. My mother always encouraged my creativity by playing with me, taking me for a walk, dancing and singing along with me. As a teenager I used to visit a friend at her father’s home where her dad worked as a cartoonist for “El Litoral”, the oldest newspaper in my city. Every time I saw Bianfa’s (as he was known) workspace, I felt like that's what I wanted for my adult life – and indeed here I am. For the past 15 years I have been working doing what I love the most in this world: designing and illustrating.

Designer and Illustrator Gilda Martini

“Listen to many stories, hug your friends and don’t forget to tell your loved ones how much they mean to you.”

How would you describe your aesthetic and how has your design style changed over time?

Without a doubt the experience at the Public University paved the way for me to find my own graphic style and the topics on which I would like to work. Ever since I learned that graphic design can be a tool for change, I have tried to work on projects around activism, awareness, collective causes and the preservation of our habitat. I like to challenge myself and look for innovative ways to adapt the tools, the context and the timelines to my style, my feelings and, why not, my humor.

How did you discover Noun Project and what led you to start designing icons?

A few years ago at the university they gave us a practical project on the redesign of the Argentine banknotes for which I developed a set of icons to represent the native Argentine fauna in danger of extinction. In doing so I discovered this mix of passions: the design of icons and the appreciation for the ancestral. I designed this first set of icons inspired by the drawings of animals found on ceramics, leather, stones, textiles and various objects created by pre-Columbian civilizations from about 10,000 BCE, until the European colonization of the Americas.

Icon sets from Gilda’s Noun Project profile: Dulces, Fauna Precolumbiana, and Vulva.

What’s your favorite subject matter to explore through design?

Tenderness is my favorite topic. I like to work on projects that make a positive impact on the planet and in people’s lives. Philanthropy, activism, flora, fauna, mental health, social justice, but above all things that are soft and make me smile.

What’s your creative process like and how do you approach creative collaboration?

I like to say my creative process starts with myself falling in love with the project I’m beginning to work on. I think it is important to be able to empathize with the client's needs and my approach can vary in this process. Generally I do a lot of research on the topic, exchange many ideas with the client and then reflect it all on a mood board which results in 3 graphic proposals at last.

What’s been one of your favorite projects to work on so far and why?

In October 2018, the Pictoline platform joined forces with UN Women to propose its “Girltober” illustration challenge, which consisted of illustrating a woman daily in order to bring attention to their work and their lives. The call encouraged women from all types of businesses and professions to be represented, from doctors, actors, and journalists to “women you admire.” In total, there were 31 women that I selected and illustrated for the challenge, and as I went through the process, I discovered I was able to “iconify” the faces using my illustration method and style.

Once “Girltober” ended I continued illustrating women. I took them to several exhibitions and some of the pictures grew further away from the digital medium to materialize in prints and even hand-embroidered by fellow artists.

Transcendentalas is a project I am very fond of because it highlights the stories of women throughout time, from places around the world, who inspire me to continue creating and making my own.

Where do you find creative inspiration? Do you have any favorite design resources?

I like to be inspired by everyday life, walk through antique fairs, review and create memories, anecdotes, flavors and aromas. I like to visit museums and galleries of all kinds, from the largest to the smallest. I’m also inspired by the work of others like for instance the Spanish speaking podcast “from creative people to creative people” Grupo de autoayuda de dibujo.

What advice would you give to artists and designers just starting out?

Illustrate and write a little every day. There’s something to actually doing anything as meaningless as it seems which is helpful on days when we find ourselves uninspired. In addition, go observe and explore your surroundings. Listen to many stories, hug your friends and don’t forget to tell your loved ones how much they mean to you.

What are you working on now and what’s up next for you?

Recently I’ve been working with Mirá Mamá on several interesting projects and also on relaunching my website, Litoralita.

Thank you for sharing with us Gilda! To view more of Gilda’s work, download her icons on Noun Project, check out her Dribbble page, visit her Website, and follow her on Instagram.

Gilda was nominated by Noun Project. All images courtesy of Gilda Martini.