Sophia Yeshi

Rock the Vote Campaign by Sophia Yeshi

Sophia Yeshi is a queer Black and South Asian illustrator and graphic designer based in Brooklyn, NY. She’s a digital native that discovered Photoshop at 12 years old while growing up in Baltimore, Maryland. Sophia created Yeshi Designs to shine a light on Black women, women of color, and folks in the LGBTQ+ community of all shapes and sizes that are bold, dynamic, and demand attention.

After graduating from the University of Baltimore, she spent several years cultivating social media strategy, growing brand awareness, and designing collateral for corporate brands. Now she works with beauty, fashion, lifestyle, tech, and media brands like Google, Instagram, and Refinery29 to create culturally-relevant work centered around topics she’s passionate about like climate change, mental health, body positivity, and self-confidence. She also teaches several courses available on Skillshare.

We spoke with Sophia to learn more about her path to a career in a design and illustration, where she finds inspiration, and her perspective on the importance of authentic, inclusive visual representation.

Hi Sophia! Tell us about yourself, how did you get to where you are today and what first sparked your interest in design?
When I was 12 I discovered Photoshop through a site called Neopets and, from there, I decided that i wanted to be a graphic designer. At the time, I didn’t really have a lot of people in the field that I could look up to, but I always liked art and once I found digital art I realized it was something I really liked and it came naturally to me. So, I started to explore graphic design over the years, primarily learning on my own and then I went to a magnet high school in Maryland with a specialized design program where i learned Photoshop, Illustrator, and Indesign. After high school, I went to the University of Baltimore, where I continued to study graphic design. A few years ago, I took the plunge and moved to New York and started freelancing full-time as a designer and illustrator. Today, I work on illustration and graphic design projects for brands.

Illustrator and Designer Sophia Yeshi

How would you describe your aesthetic and how has your design style changed over time?
My style is very bold and colorful - I typically use bright colors to grab your attention. My work very much stems from a personal place - most of it is inspired by my own emotions or something i’ve experienced, and usually I focus on themes that I think other people can relate to. For example, if i’m feeling like I have “imposter syndrome” one day or maybe I have some anxiety and something stands out to me about that experience, I’ll write down what I’m feeling and think about potentially using it in my work. Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of personal work, but in general I’m very selective about the types of projects i take on. I try to make sure that all of my projects feature women of color, Black people, the queer community - all communities that I’m a part of. I feel like there are so many artists out there that try to create work for lots of different types of people and I try to be very specific about the communities that I speak to.

When I first started out in this field, I thought I was going to be more of a traditional graphic designer. After I graduated from college I got a job and found that I wasn’t just doing graphic design - I was also doing social media, photography, video, and marketing work (and it was just me, fresh out of college). Doing all of those things sort of made me realize that being a traditional graphic designer maybe wasn’t exactly what i wanted to do anymore. I started to see illustration coming up more and more, and I was really drawn to it. The ability to really tell a story through illustration was something that I identified with, and over the past few years that’s something that I’ve really pivoted more toward. I still take on graphic design projects, but I think now i’m just more intentional about what I do take on and I make sure everything makes sense for me and for the brand I’m working with.

Are there particular themes you like to explore through your work?
I try to focus on joy, celebration, love, community, and a sense of togetherness. I like to show strength and empowerment, so any time I can touch on any of those themes, whether it’s through my personal work or through a brand partnership, I’m really drawn to those particular projects. When i’m able to create from an authentic place, that’s what resonates with my audience the most. Everything I do ties back to that - is this something I resonate with, is this a brand I want to collaborate with, etc. - these are all questions I consistently ask myself.

What are our thoughts on the power and importance of visual representation and inclusion in design?
It’s really important for people to be able to see themselves represented in media, from television to fashion and in between. In all of these different industries, it’s important to be able to visualize yourself there, to know your voice matters, and to know that you matter.

I think for so long we’ve only seen this “certain look” across industries. Growing up, I didn’t have a lot of representation in graphic design, in illustration - I didn’t see people like me that I could look up to, and I think for some people, they not have gone into these industries because of the lack of representation, right? When you see yourself represented, you can literally picture yourself in these places, which is critical.

If you’re currently a designer or illustrator, look outside of your comfort zone and what you automatically know as you approach your work. Also, it’s not necessarily your job to represent everyone - there are plenty of artists that do that. I focus on people of color because I think it’s a place that needs more representations and perspectives, so while you don’t necessarily have to do it all, I implore artists to ask what they’re adding to the conversation that’s missing. For example, if you’re a white artist and all of your work features the same type of person, then ask yourself what more could be said, or needs to be said. I feel like I’m filling a niche space that not many artists are right now, which is why I do the work that I do.

You’ve worked with a wide range of clients, from Google and Instagram to Converse, Adobe, and The New York Times. What’s your creative process like and how to you approach collaboration?
My process starts the minute that a client comes in contact with me. Once I connect with a client, I ask myself questions about the project including whether or not this is someone I want to work with, to make sure everything is in alignment. Once a project starts, it’s true collaboration between me and the brand. There are some brands that will just like say “Do whatever you want!” - but I think the best projects are when a brand trusts me as an artist and my perspective, but also has creative ideas and a team that also knows what they’re doing. That way, we can really bring out the best in each other and make sure I’m truly representing the brand.

Part of my process is finding inspiration. I’m really big on Pinterest and I get a lot of inspiration from that platform. I don’t just look at other illustrators, I also look at clothing, paintings, people, movement - it’s really nice to be able to see a variety of different images in one place. I actually create boards for most of my projects! As a creative, I’m also very much in my head - I have to be able to visualize whatever I’m creating in my mind first before i can really get it out, so sometimes I can take awhile and kind of slow down the process a bit while i’m trying to figure it out.

What’s been one of your favorite projects to work on so far?
I think my favorite project was the project I created for UPS for Black History Month. I was the first artist to ever have artwork on a UPS box and when I took on the project I didn’t realize that it was a historical moment. When it launched, it was covered in the news, including CNN, and all of these different places. The whole goal of the project was to support Black business and become a platform to provide resources, and to encourage people to shop with Black-owned businesses. It was a really wonderful project and UPS really trusted me, my vision, and my ideas. I loved the artwork and how it turned out. On top of that, my artwork got mailed to people all over the world, so that was really exciting!

Where do you find creative inspiration?
I’m really inspired by people that I know - friends, family, and the things that they experience. My work stems from such a personal place and I’m always thinking about the things that are happening around me and the conversations I’m having with people. I also get a lot of inspiration from modern art. As a kid, I would go to a lot of modern art museums and that’s what I was really drawn to. I’ve always loved bright colors and, for example, even if I saw a painting that was just completely made up of the color yellow, I would look at it and my dad would say “Oh, anyone can do that,” and I would say “No! It’s really cool because THEY did it.” I’m really interested in color combinations and how they can evoke feelings and emotions in people, and it influences a lot of my work. I’m also really inspired by media, movies, and fashion.

Do you have any favorite design resources?
I like AIGA’s Eye on Design blog and I actually used to use the Noun Project a lot when I worked as a corporate designer! I also really like Typewolf when i’m working on branding projects to find type inspiration. I use Siteinspire to see branding in context and obviously I love Pinterest, going to physical museums, and looking at patterns, textiles, and clothing. On Instagram, I like to follow other artists to see what other people are doing, which is really exciting.

What are you working on now?
I’m excited to share that I’m the first artist in residence at Wells Fargo and I’ll be working with them throughout the year to highlight small businesses, Black-owned businesses, and women-owned businesses. We’ve been busy creating remimagined “Open” signs that signal resiliency and honoring small business owners during the pandemic that were able to stay open.

I’m also going to be working with some other brands on some ambassador projects this year. I’m excited because it’s a way to bring energy and attention to work for a longer period of time than just a one-off project. Longer collaborations are something new that I’m exploring more.

Thank you for sharing with us Sophia! To view more of Sophia’s work, visit her website follow her on Instagram, and check out her Skillshare courses.

All images courtesy of Sophia Yeshi.