Graphic Design, Illustration & Art Direction

Product Designer (UX/UI), Illustrator and Art Director.

Educated at Camberwell College of Art, and with over 15 years experience in branding, illustration, UI/UX, art direction, motion and film projects for clients such as Avios, United Nations Women, British Airways, Eurotunnel & Maserati.

I take responsibility for all aspects of the design from research and first sketch through to implementation to drive all stages of the process, from designs for apps, websites to glassware, art posters or animation. Infographics for Eurotunnel have been printed in The Guardian newspaper, and I have lead the art direction for a digital film for Maserati. 

Pixeldrink has just launched to showcase the eco products that I have produced for hospitality business' having seen a gap in the market for bespoke reusable drinkware, to help solve the problem of single-use cup waste. They use custom designed illustations that have been used in poster campaigns and social media marketing. More info and visuals at www.pixeldrink.com. Next will be a series of illustrative artworks that will be coming very soon!

If you have a project in mind or wish to discuss an idea or how to refresh your business presence , please contact me at info@yaiza.co.uk

A multidisciplinary approach incorporates elements of graphic design, illustration, animation, psychology, advertising, copywriting, UI and UX to produce pixel perfection with insightful design. 

I have a strong understanding of technical fundamentals in software product design and proficiency in associated toolkits such as Sketch, Lottie, Figma, Protopie and Adobe CC

I design with sustainability in mind, and how the outcome of a project will affect the environment. There is room to develop a more eco solution, and if we address these issues at the start, it avoids drastic changes in the future. 

Function adds value, and defines the longevity of a product, business or campaign.  I can carry a vision through the entire product life cycle and add a cherry on top!  I enjoy seeing the positive influence design can make on the environment and in peoples lives.

Check out illustrated drinkware at www.pixeldrink.com

I am happiest working in the studio trusting in the design process to bring ideas to life. 

Having worked on a number of different projects for fast paced agencies as well as small start-ups, government bodies and established corporate business’ I am able to ask the right questions to diagnose the problem. I can call on my experience to deliver solutions that work effectively and add the finishing design touches to make it beautiful. 

If you would like to know more about me, or would like to meet to discuss a project, please get in touch! It could be the start of a great journey together. 

yaiza gardner senior designer based in Whitstable

graphic design, whitstable, kent, illustration, freelance, yaizagraphics, 

Working with Full Event Production to launch an illustrated Eco cup for the Whitstable Oyster Festival to reduce single-use plastic. 

After approaching Full Event Production with a concept for a more eco-alternative design solution we worked together to produce an illustrated cup to showcase the events at the Festival. 

After producing three sketches of ideas this design was produced and the cup launched. I also made a limited edition set of tote bags for sale during the festivities in local shops and at the market stall.

The creative process starts with a consultation to finalise the brief to be clear what is to be illustrated. Three designs were sketched out in black and white to show a rough style and composition before adding details later on. Once a route is chosen for the final cup design it is refined with colour options for approval before production.

The chosen design mixes the history of the festival with the events happening on the day. The front features the famous landing of the oysters which is a big event that is re-enacted every year.

The Oyster Festival is just one event that sees plastic cups littered amongst oyster shells and bursting out of bins. The hospitality sector is moving towards more sustainable options and I can guide you through the process. 

A disposable cup is used for an average of 20 minutes before being discarded, and is one of the greatest pollutants in the world.

I can work with you to make the transition from single-use plastic to reusables for your establishment whether it be for a festival, pub or live music venue. There are methods to make it work and in the long run it will reduce the impact of your plastic waste, and over time the public will embrace the change.

Eco cup and brand design for the old neptune pub in whitstable by yaiza gardner

the old neptune, pub brand, eco cup, graphic design, hospitality, design, restaurant, menu design

A poster for children illustrating facts about the Channel Tunnel with accompanying map of Europe.  A simplified version featured in The Guardian Travel Guide.

The poster had to appeal to children of school age and be fun, engaging and incorporate a series of facts within the illustration. An accompanying map had to be included on the reverse that used colours and illustrations from the main poster. 

I proposed 2 designs, the chosen incorporated an illustration of the tunnel that I had designed for a previous project.

The challenge was to design each element to hold copy, keep the train cross-section separate and also keep the composition balanced and engaging.

Once the elements were finalised, the facts were put in place with a timeline positioned at the top, and some illustrations were pulled out for advertorials.

infographic design advertorial for eutounnel by yaiza gardner

infographic, illustration, graphic art, complex design, composition, digital design, diagrams

Management and production of an illustrated Eco cup including a menu redesign, art direction, product photography, posters and social media campaign.

Dating from the early 19th century ‘The Old Neptune’ Whitstable, or ‘The Neppy’ as it’s affectionately known is one of only a handful of pubs to be found on the beaches of Britain and uses single-use plastic cups for drinking outside.

With an increasing disdain for single use plastics,  I wanted to offer an alternative solution to reduce the impact of plastic waste.

The solution was to produce illustrated reusable plastic cups that use a deposit system instead. Patrons pay £1 with their first drink to receive their own Neptune cup, they get their deposit back when the cup is returned to the bar. The cups are screenprinted with a fine illustration and can be kept as a souvenir or returned. Either way, the drinking experience is much improved, as is the impact on the environment.

Once the illustration had been mapped out, the next step was to work it onto the cup itself. This process takes a little time to get the balance and composition right, but overall it was a great result.

Oxford Blue, which features on the windows of the pub, was chosen as the colour for the screenprint and for the base colour for the menu design.

The menu utilised pink and green hues within the illustration, and the inside was kept clean with line work breaking up the copy.

The cups take approximately 3 weeks to manufacture. The next step was to direct the shoot for the product photography incorporating the pub in the background on a sunny and not too windy day, which in this country is difficult. The shots were taken at sunrise and sunset to benefit from the best lighting and reflections.

Entry for the The Association of Illustrators (AOI) in partnership with London Transport Museum

With ‘London Stories’ as the theme, whether fact or fiction, I created a quirky illustration based on the Thames Monster stories that have circulated around London since the beginning of this century.

It is quite unknown to most Londoners that their sleepy river actually has a history of serpentine creature reports. The earliest established sighting of this creature was in 1923 by the famous captain Haselfoot and crew whilst aboard HMS Kellet, in a part of the Thames Estuary called Black Deep. The creature they saw was said to have a long neck.

Using a vibrant colour palette and an established landmark of exceptional engineering, Tower Bridge was the obvious choice as a gateway for the Thames Nessie.

Whether fact or fiction, the illustration style is of pure fantasy, with some elements of Tower Bridge and its surroundings in keeping with how it is today but with a fairytale edge.

Yaiza Gardner's poster design for transport for London AOI entry 

graphic design, TFL, illustration, yaiza gardner, poster design, 

An illustrative, versatile approach to branding a home for children with Autism and learning disabilities.

Swan Children’s Homes is a sister company to Swan Independent Living (providing residential accommodation for asylum seekers). The brief entailed designing a logo and an illustration style for their new care home.  The design was to convey the experience and reputation they have for caring for children,  combined with the swan motif from the Independent Living logo. The use of font, colours, brand graphics and style would be applied to the new, therapeutic children’s services materials and support any future homes styling. 

The natural landscape and the natural habitat were key in supporting a brand style that would also work for the specific audience of children in care. Researching colour and the best practice in autism design, I used a palette with low arousal colours, using no patterns, and positive natural imagery for children with autism and learning difficulties

The palette has a balance between grey, blue and green while avoiding stimulating colours to evoke calmness for children with Autism. The colours were used to guide the feel of the Swan logo.

The brand logo and identity should be recognisably similar to Swan Independent Living but using the blue/grey colour palette. Using the swan design as a guide I created a calm, caring aesthetic with a picture book style. Images are uncluttered using natural landscape features and fun shapes understood by children such as clouds and trees. The designs below were earlier concepts exploring composition and colours playing with single or multiple swans.

Nearing the project's completion the name changed to ‘Swan’ and the chosen logo was adjusted. It uses a single swan motif against a serene blue background surrounded by a pleasant landscape. Versions were adapted for dark backgrounds and a guidelines document with the colour codes, the Biggle Corner illustration and fonts helped steer the design of the website.

The softness of the colours combined with the natural imagery creates a relaxed and calming feel to the brand. The colours chosen can be mix and matched to give flexibility to designs.

Logo, brand design and stationary for Swan children's homes, illustration

Swan children's homes brand, logo design, autism design, 

Digital creative direction, UI and app icon design for Periphony

APP ICON/ LOGO
UI UX SITE DESIGN
ART DIRECTION

Periphony is an app that plays high order Ambisonics files with head-tracked
binaural rendering on iOS and macOS for audio professionals. Once the App was nearing completion I worked with the app founder and creator Ollie Larkin to offer creative support including name generation, strategy, logo / app icon, website design and creative direction. 

The chosen logo incorporates 4 key elements that define the story of Periphony. As the App is for headphone only playback, this was the chosen visual to use. The headphone is formed from the 'O' of the typography, and also resembles a volume button. If the icon is rotated this transforms into an apple Airpod which are commonly used to transmit the spatial sound from the Periphony renderer as well. The fixed points resemble the sound planes of the geodesic dome structure used in 3D sound production, as well as communicating the spatial sound effect. These are all glossed with the electric blue colour within the app interface.

The client was nearing completion working with a developer to build the app and I was brought in to consult on further creative direction, UI and iconography. Originally the UI was in black and white so we introduced an additional electric blue colour to the WAV visualiser. This gives the brand look a bit more punch and in terms of UI styling and works well for overlays and buttons. Blue is a prominent colour in visualisers that use RGB colours for sound scapes.

Working with the client to decide on brand names Periphony was born. I developed the app icon, typography, brand and website style. Some of these key themes stood out during the concept stage:

Headphones only app 
Works on ipad, phone + desktop 3d sound 
Renderer not player - this would rule out any play button imagery
Fixed sound spots - could define a circle pattern
Human generated experience - add a human visual element.

The concepts stage revealed a number of routes, I narrowed them down to a selection to present the client. As the app is a renderer not a player, the play button was scrapped. Key themes were headphones, a circle shape, contrast and a 3D element. Particularly ‘Pod Play’, ‘Spatial human’ and ’Love the Lebedev’ which were front runners.

Through ambisonics research and client questionnaires, I started to draw the imagery which we could use for the icon.

Other routes explored using the headphone and how we can convey the spatial sound element with a circular device or Geodesic dome structure.

An unusual idea that came to me when I was trying to conjure up creatures in the shape of an O. I wanted to add a human quality though but also make it playful and silly. I started by just adding arms and legs to O shapes and came up with this graphic. It uses more of a serif typeface and is more classic, it also has connotations of Humpty Dumpty who also appears in Lewis Carrolls through the looking glass. 

Produced from a series of drawings when I was making odd little creatures using the O. It is a curious image, and when applied to beer mats, and by adding some additional legs, it looks like it has been squashed onto the surface. 

logo, brand design, spatial audio, yaiza gardner, art

A new start-up company needing a visual language for quick expansion.

Nexio are a start-up facilities management company, and the purpose of their branding was to show they are modern, progressive and reliable. They needed an identity system which would allow scope for more logos to be designed as they expanded their services, and were consistent in look and feel. I took inspiration from the X of Nexio. By cutting the X in half an arrow shape is created. This device was applied to create various different patterns which could then be applied to the various companies. The arrow could then be manipulated into multiple logos to create an iconic and simple branding system.

The logo within the business cards is created with a die cut. Then layers of coloured card are cut into sections to make up the logo. Example below for Boomerang.

The responsive website is a hub that holds all the information relevant to each of the services. It needed to be clean, easy to navigate and modern. The imagery that I chose to represent the various services was used as a background for each of the pages, and the logo created a striking graphic as well as an additional navigation system on the right as you scroll down the page. I enjoyed working with the developer adding the animation touches and video that enhances this digital platform.  

Infographic posters for Eurotunnel illustrating 
how the tunnel was built and how it works today.

I had to illustrate 2 different illustrations but only using Eurotunnel's brand colours, and the circular device of the logo showing the tunnel being built, and how it works today in terms of the tunnel structure. The Illusrations had to be different in content but work together when positioned side by side. I meticulously studied the history of the build, and the mechanics of the tunnel in order to create an accurate representation but with a style that was unique and interesting. I added little details to create more of a story around the image, similar to a history picture book, that would also appeal to children.

The circular device was the starting point to build the illustration around it. The Boring machine that was used to carve the tunnel creates a striking presence in the image and I used more of a freehand style for the spiral that surrounds it to suggest the idea that it is in motion, and the tunnel is being created. The other is used to show a cross section of the earth in order to see how the tunnel works within the ground through a fish eye style lens.

There are intricate scenes or details within the illustration that create a quirky and modern aesthetic.

Once the illustrations were complete, the typography was added to the outer circular device with interesting Eurotunnel facts.

A bright colour palette and fresh new website for a bespoke lighting company.

A highly technical lighting solutions company needed a fresh new look that was modern and vibrant. A bright and varied colour palette was created especially for Rako using airbrushed splashes of colour on the Rako blue. This was applied as a filter for imagery and across the website which utilises subtle motion and parallax, including bespoke multi coloured text, transitions and a full screen search facility. I designed icons for each of their products which creates a modern feel throughout the site. 

Once the colour range was created, different colour spectrums were applied to the cover and inner pages.

The responsive site uses gradients throughout, applied to text, imagery filters or as a vibrant rollover effect. When viewed on mobile, the vibrancy of the site shines through with very little change from the desktop site. 

Custom Designed Product Icons

website design and UI for Rako lighting solutions by yaiza gardner

UI, interface, website design, digital design, yaiza, 

Film and website campaign promoting the new Ghibli car.

Maserati needed a digital campaign that was unique and communicated the sophistication of the brand. A film was produced, including a bespoke soundtrack along with email campaigns and a website. The black and white film communciates an ordinary day of 3 professional lives contrasting work and play – An entrepreneur, a doctor and an architect/designer showing them in their morning, work and evening routines. Whilst their day is ordinary, the characters have individuality, style and passion, in keeping with the drivers of the Maserati. They strive to be centre stage in their lives, and after a hard day, let loose in their Maserati. The campaign message 'Lets Play' was pivotal in communicating this message.

'All the world's a stage & all the men and women merely players'

We are all writers in our own life story so why not take centre stage in a Maserati, this is where the theatrical notion came about and this would support the Shakespearian quote in the film. The actors in the film are seen to lead busy, successful lifes and after their day, let loose in their Maserati. This is a cinematic snapshot of their professional working day.

The first part of the film has a theatrical black and white feel. The actors are rarely seen to show their face to highlight their anonymity. The black and white footage contrasts well with the high paced car footage in the second part. Working with production company Other Finger films on the first part, the succession of short clips have a romantic, dreamlike quality, beautifully shot.

David Warner, a highly respected TV, theatre & film actor was chosen to voice the poem.

This was written by myself, and I wanted to add a poetic, dramatic and theatrical feel to the narration using words that highlight success and drama. David Warner was the perfect choice.

The morning stirs with sights and sounds,
Finding our rhythm in the morning routine.
Every second writes the script of our day.

The world's stage is full of players.
We have our exits and our entrances,
however delayed.

Yet we do not watch from behind the curtain,
We seek the spotlight and shout our own story.

Everyday we perform, challenge and revolutionise,
In the roar and thrust of life.

It takes conviction and hard work to be the best.
That's our story, the gift of success.

But, sometimes we need to stop,
throw caution to the wind and drive our own way.

So when our day of challenges comes to an end.
we look forward  to the power of playtime

The production of the music had to unique,  produced only for this film. It communicates a different mood for the first and second part, building in drama. Working with sound designer Tom Whitaker and Sebastian Memmot, an epic and modern soundtrack was created unique to Maserati.

art direction, maserati, motion graphics, yaiza gardner, graphic design

Digital Illustration for a ticketing campaign.

A commission for a digital campaign proposal using a paper cut out illustration style. The piece had to be fun, unique and engaging using key elements such as landmarks, and transport. It also had to be scaleable for all social media platforms including Twitter and Facebook, as well as work as a banner on their site.

The image was designed to be translated across all the Social Media platforms.

Perpetual Motion White Night Digital Animation

Oxford Baroque won the Brighton Early Music Festival's Live competition.  They needed a digital animation to  be projected during their performance, 

Using the theme night and day. The birds fly on a dream like journey through skies, thunder and across the sea using the October skies I had photographed in Whitstable. 

The film was projected inside St Bartholomew's church in Brighton, and copies were made onto DVD. 

The music ranged from Monteverdi to Bach, this music has short repetitive structures and this was mirrored in the animation with looping sequences, and repetitive motion.

A brand identity for a film production company.

The company requested a logo and style that utilised the the Eye of Providence which depicts an eye often enclosed in a triangle and surrounded by rays of light or Glory. The production produces documentary content that is anarchic, intelligent and rebellious so the challenge was to create a striking alternative that is inspired but does not directly replicate the 'eye in the triangle' image. A range of versions were presented, with a thorough exploration of typography, mark making and image styles. The chosen logo shows the eye in the triangle in reverse where the triangle is put inside 'the eye' using a circular, Escher style device. The 'rays' are the shutter in a camera lens that engulfs it. A true reflection of the power of concept in logo design.

The concept stage was a thorough exploration of the themes that could be utilised and reflected in the identity.

Label and logo design for Oddly beer brewery

logo, brand design, brewery logo, yaiza gardner, art

Branding for a small batch brewery company that needed to be interesting and unusual.

Oddly is a small batch brewery producing quality beers with interesting names such as Vipa, or Rhia. A proposal was put forward to re-position the brand into an area which was more in keeping with its name. An area that is high in competition, the branding needed to stand out and be curious and unusual. A great project to work on, I created a series of ideas that re-inforced the Oddly name.

I wanted to create an iconic image that would be interesting and entice curiosity. The creature had to be curious in itself and instantly I thought of a squid or an octopus. I wanted to change something about the creature to make it appear interesting. At first I drew a squid, but it seemed a little too creepy. As I started to draw another design, more like an octopus, I noticed that I had only given it 6 legs, and by changing this key fact about the creature made it itself odd. The symmetrical device creates a striking graphic for the brand, with the legs entwined around the typography. 

Thinking about curious folk tales and stories, one that particularly came to mind was Alice in Wonderland. In Carroll’s nonsense, animals and things behave almost like people, and talk almost like them too, among many other oddities. When grasshoppers appear in dreams, these have been interpreted as symbols of freedom, independence and spiritual enlightenment. I wanted to create a scenario using the 'O' of Oddly and incorporate it into an illustration. A penny farthing is in itself a unique mode of transport, those that ride it quite eccentric, the shape works well with the O and when it is ridden by a grasshopper conjures up images of nonsense, magic and mystery - similar to Carroll's work.

The oddly legs visual came to me after drinking a lot of beer, sometimes it works to heavily research the product.

An isometric visualisation showing key facts about Eurotunnel, how it works and how it was built. 

An Isometric projection is a method for visually representing three-dimensional objects in two dimensions in technical and engineering drawings. I used this technique to create an infographic poster and short animation that communicated interesting facts about how the tunnel is built and how it functions. In order for a design to appear three dimensional, a 30 degree angle is applied to its sides, using an isometric grid I mapped out various sections that would animate and incorporate typography.

Using an isometric grid, I had to visualise in 3D and illustrate particular areas to include useful facts. This included a pet island, with pet escalators, moving cars and lorries, and concrete sections merging to form the tunnel. Each section has a basic construction which once animated comes together to create a surreal 3 dimensional world.

The possibilities are endless with this form of animation and illustration combined. Easy to create quirky gifs from the animations within each section.