Iris Xie

RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN (RISD)

Iris Xie is a Chinese-American designer from Massachusetts. She is a graphic design major at Rhode Island School of Design. Her work takes a friendly and nostalgic approach, utilizing a love for humor, typography, and communication in order to create evocative and accessible works. She likes to infiltrate the disciplines of animation and illustration using a graphic design mindset, and marrying digital and analog techniques as much as she can. Recently, she has been tinkering in the realms of game design, machine embroidery, and poster design.

WHAT MAKES YOU FEEL INSPIRED?

Looking at the works of others that make my heart race. Getting in the zone with noise-cancelling headphones.

WHAT AREA OR AREAS OF DESIGN ARE YOU HOPING TO WORK IN OR SPECIALIZE IN?

Branding, illustration, animation, music videos, storytelling.

WHAT IS ONE THING THAT DESIGN SCHOOL HAS TAUGHT YOU THAT YOU DID NOT EXPECT?

Learning about how much time is necessary to spend thinking about your practice versus actually creating, recognizing that hard skills and tools for creation change all the time, realizing that thinking is ultimately more important.

WHO IS SOMEONE YOU LOOK UP TO IN YOUR FIELD? EITHER TODAY OR HISTORICALLY?

My very first design mentor, Claudia DePiante Vicin, who teaches me to seek personal truth.

WHAT ARE YOU READING/LISTENING TO/WATCHING?

Listening to Young Fathers and The Minimalists podcast, reading Severance by Ling Ma, playing Pokemon GO.