PARSONS SCHOOL OF DESIGN
Alexander Soukakos is a 22-year-old Greek-American multidisciplinary designer based in New York, NY. Born in Seattle, WA, he is currently completing his fourth year in Parsons School of Design’s BFA Communication Design program. His design practice centers heavily on design for music, focusing on album cover art and merchandise design, and extends to encompass custom typography and experimental lettering, editorial design, illustration, and 3D. His work has been featured in Billboard, Complex, and XXL Magazine, designing official work for prominent musical artists like Nicki Minaj, Megan Thee Stallion, and Jack Harlow. While primarily working in the digital realm, Alexander holds a deep appreciation for the tangible and tactile elements of design. Physical music mediums like vinyl records and CDs, analog making techniques, and a sharp focus on texture are through lines in his work.
WHAT MAKES YOU FEEL INSPIRED?
One of my biggest inspirations is vinyl record packaging. Growing up, my family collected vinyls– my uncle had a whole wall filled with shelves and shelves of them. The tactile quality of the records is still something that I am inspired by to this day, and I often find inspiration browsing the contents of record stores and taking pictures of designs I find (Generation Records in the Village in particular).
WHAT AREA OR AREAS OF DESIGN ARE YOU HOPING TO WORK IN OR SPECIALIZE IN?
Outside of my studies, I work in the music industry freelancing for various artists. Most recently, I worked with Republic Records on the album rollout for Nicki Minaj’s record-breaking “Pink Friday 2”, designing a variety of assets ranging from cover art to song visualizers to CD packaging. Post-graduation, I hope to further my career in this field and continue to blend my passions for music and design.
WHO IS SOMEONE YOU LOOK UP TO IN YOUR FIELD? EITHER TODAY OR HISTORICALLY?
One of my all-time design inspirations is David Rudnick– His distinctive experimental nature resonates deeply with my own aspirations as a graphic designer. His typographic work is particularly influential, pushing the boundaries of how text can be used as image itself. I am also constantly captivated by the works of Bryan Rivera and Travis Brothers. To me, they work as a team to exemplify the importance of innovation and creative risk-taking in design. Their daring use of color and composition, while challenging conventional design norms inspires me to employ more experimental approaches to visual storytelling.
WHAT ARE YOU READING, LISTENING TO, WATCHING (BOOKS, MOVIES, TV, SOCIAL MEDIA, MUSIC)?
Currently, I am listening to Pink Friday 2 (obviously!), as well as In The End It Always Does by The Japanese House. I’m also *slowly* working my way through reading Dune.
