Get to know Voiceworks designer Claire Summerville
Meet the newest Voiceworks designer, Claire Summerville!
Claire Summerville is a graphic designer and recent Bachelor of Design graduate based in Naarm/Melbourne. She is interested in the multidisciplinary dialogue that exists at the intersection of design, publishing arts and print culture. You can also find her in the book world, as a seasoned bookseller, library science student, and Collections Coordinator for the Melbourne Art Library, where she enjoys connecting people with printed goodies.
We sat down with Claire to find out more about her ideas and inspiration.
What drew you to joining the Voiceworks team?
The community! Voiceworks brings together such striking work from talented editors, writers and artists, and I’ve always been in awe of the camaraderie, openness to creative experimentation, and support that exists within its community of voices. It’s a truly special collaborative project that means so much to so many people, and I was really drawn to the opportunity to contribute to and honor that community!
Where do you draw inspiration from in your design and creative practice?
I draw so much inspiration from Melbourne’s print culture. There’s such richness in the local bookshops, book fairs (I love the Same Page Art Book Fair and the annual NGV Art Book Fair), zine fairs (Sticky Institute rules!) and the countless independent publishers making such cool work. I also have an excessive personal library of Frankie magazines, which I love to reference in my collage and editorial work. As a bookseller and a Collections Coordinator at the Melbourne Art Library, I’m constantly coming across art and design books that inspire new approaches to making and become part of my ever-growing archive of reference material. We’re so blessed to have so much printed goodness around us!
What do you like about designing for journals/magazines?
I love the tangible nature of designing for journals and magazines. There’s something really special about being able to hold your work in your hands and see it exist as a physical piece of media. I also love the collaborative nature of editorial design—being able to work alongside creative voices and find visual ways to facilitate and amplify their creative expression. It’s really rewarding to help bring someone else’s ideas into the world while contributing your own perspective along the way.
What kinds of art and writing are you most drawn to, and why?
At the moment, I’m really loving fibre arts and its curious relationship with digital pattern-making. Through my work in the book world, I spend a lot of time working with databases and systems, so I’m particularly drawn to the beauty of systems- and text-based art, and the creative possibilities that can emerge from them. Writing-wise, I love stories that feel like I’m reading about characters who are old friends, or places that feel like home. I’m a longtime fan of Melina Marchetta and Helen Garner for exactly this reason.
Claire has been working away on the design for Voiceworks #138 ‘Jock’, which goes to print next month! Subscribe before then to get a copy sent to your door.