Claire Boon Is The 20-Year-Old Graphic Designer Finding Beauty In Chaos
Graphic designer/music fanatic Claire Boon melds her deep passion for music and typography into wildly dynamic works.
By Keng Yang Shuen,
For this 20-year-old designer, music has been a constant presence throughout her nascent career. She first stumbled into the field of graphic design through collaging apps such as PicCollage when she was 12 and on the lookout for programmes to create fun backgrounds for song lyrics. “Thanks to my parents, I grew up exposed to a lot of music – soul, house, jazz and other genres,” she says. “There’s just so much you can draw from music: the lyrics, the production, the overall feeling – that was what prompted me to DIY music posters for different musicians, songs and albums. Being able to associate colours, fonts and styles with music helped me to experiment with new ideas and expand my capabilities as a designer.”
The musical influence continues today. Boon – now a fresh graduate of Singapore Polytechnic’s Experience & Communication Design course – regularly posts tributes on her Instagram account @phrawgcraft to the artistes she adores (names include BTS, Sabrina Carpenter and Phum Viphurit). These usually come in the form of posters that respond to their recordings, and if the artworks come across as delightfully chaotic explosions of colour and squiggly, experimental typefaces, it’s because they’re also meant to reflect Boon’s personality and state of mind when digging into these earworms.
Her refreshing artistry and honesty have led to commissions by up-and-coming British indie rock band Lovejoy as well as local Gen Z streetwear label Mamastore. She’s also behind the lively, seemingly glowing illustrations that grace the cover of this magazine, created to echo and highlight the coffee bean-inspired jewellery featured. For her, graphic design can truly enlighten. “During the height of the pandemic, I lost touch with who I am and that caused me to struggle with designing for almost nine months,” she says. “To me, this little journey of finding out who I am as a designer has been the best achievement, above any accolade.”
How did you first get into the field of graphic design?
"I started playing around with design unknowingly in 2016. I was 12 years old or so when I stumbled across collaging apps like PicCollage and started exploring how to make fun backgrounds with quotes or song lyrics. They were really terrible but that’s how I started out, I didn’t even know that what I was doing was called designing! From then on, I started to try out different styles, ranging from messy mood board collages to simple layered images. This was how I hone my skills in matching colours, playing with fonts, et cetera. These are now some of my favourite things to do when designing now. I enjoyed fine arts when I was a lot younger but I was never really skilful at it – which saddened me a bit back then. When I discovered design, it felt like something had been unlocked within me and I was able to tap into my creative juices and make something unique. Furthermore, I want to use my talents to help others; I can do just that with design, using skills that I've picked up over the years to help people express themselves and their brands creatively. I took a risk to pursue a career that isn’t as encouraged in our society today – as compared to one in STEM or law or medicine – but I can't deny how happy designing makes me feel."
What's your training in graphic design like?
"Although I started exploring design around seven years ago, I've only been in the field for two years. During the height of the pandemic, I lost touch with who I am and that caused me to struggle with designing for almost nine months. My turning point was when I really took hold of whatever chance I could to step out of my comfort zone in this field. As for formal training, I studied Experience and Communication Design at Singapore Polytechnic. I just graduated in May and will be continuing my design studies at university this year. School helped me to learn about design outside of the phone apps I had been used to since young and I started understanding design skills and principles on a more professional level. However, it did feel suffocating to work on school projects sometimes, which is why I turned to my own pursuits outside of school as a sort of therapeutic release. This helped me to discover my own identity and interests in design, as well as build my own special niche outside of the limitations of school and typical design standards."
How would you describe your aesthetic?
"I’ve heard people say that my style is like an organised mess. I think that describes the general extent of my aesthetic quite concisely. I love bright, loud, contrasting colours. I love filling the nooks and crannies of my posters with tiny elements like shapes and words. I love layering my works over and over, stretching and blending them within an artboard in order to create depth with the textures. I add circles into almost everything I do too — they bring a little sense of completion to my works. Dynamic typography and layouts are pretty present in my works too, especially in my music posters. I also like working with images, layering them within my works and even cutting them up physically to make collages out of my collection of printed books and brochures. There’s a touch of illegibility that my personal works are constantly filled with, which sometimes causes a bit of confusion to some. I’ve grown to really enjoy making my posters chaotic and a bit hard to read, just for the fun of it. My style tends to lean more towards being maximalist instead of something simpler but I like to see it as an expression of my thoughts and the way I see the world. Thus, my works are always personal and have a chunk of my own personality seeping through the pages."
Is there a graphic designer or work that resonates with you, and why?
"The works of PrettyOddType – or @pot_works on Instagram – have been resonating with me the most recently. Their typography is just so impressive and I really enjoy seeing how they experiment with the flow of each letter. The combination of Korean and English typography that they do really challenges me to consider varying possibilities and pushes me to create more out-of-the-box typography myself, such as working with intricate t0 loopy to strong block letters, I find myself growing an even greater interest in typography looking at their works! I also especially love how they also take inspiration from music in their works. It resonates with me because I too draw a lot of reference from music so it encourages me to keep on exploring new ideas in my designs. As someone who has been trying to experiment more with different languages in my works, their works keep me motivated to be less afraid when attempting typography with languages such as Chinese, Korean, Thai and more. I have so much respect for them and what they do."
What influences or inspires your work?
"Music is my biggest inspiration for the most part. Thanks to my parents, I grew up exposed to a lot of different genres of music like soul, house, jazz, and more. Their music tastes shaped mine and now the songs and albums I listen to all hold a special place in my heart. There’s just a lot you can draw from music. The lyrics, the production, the overall feeling – I draw a lot of connections from that and with all these thoughts in mind while appreciating each song I shuffle, I had to find a way to express that visually. That’s why I started making music posters, based on different musicians, songs, and albums. Being able to associate colours, fonts and styles with music helped me to experiment with new ideas and expand my capabilities. It’s through these posters that I grew the most as a designer and as a person, learning more about my preferences and quirks when it comes to music and design. On social media, where I put out my personal works, I like to post these posters to celebrate the musicians I listen to as well as to show others how I felt while listening to them. There are so many different types of music out there so I pretty much have a non-stop flow of inspiration to draw from when wanting to try out different ideas and styles. It helps me to keep trying something new while also building up on my love for music and appreciation for all of the effort that goes into the production of each song. It’s also really nice to see people agree with how I chose to represent each song or album through my posters. There’s a nice, supportive community that keeps me excited to create and that itself inspires me so much too. Knowing that there are a few people out there who like the same things you do is a very fun feeling and it motivates me to keep designing to bring joy and connection to people all over the world.
Other than music, I get inspiration from past experiences that I have gone through. In the collages I make by hand and in the zines I design, they are usually based on different doubts or uncertainties that cross my mind. Design is a tool for my self-expression, in both the good and the bad. Using symbolism to insert meaning and emotions into photographs has helped me to make sense of my past and bring out a cathartic release that helps me to understand myself better. Rather than feeling embarrassed or confused by my emotions, choosing to harness them as inspiration has helped me to create raw, heartfelt works that continue to inspire me to be open to embracing tougher conversations and simplify the emotions into my works."
Can you give me some examples of how your inspirations have translated into your work?
"Whether it’s through posters that visualise the feelings that whole albums and EPs evoke in me or just based on the vibes of a single song, creating them has helped me to sum it all up into a form that you can visualise on a screen or piece of paper. I call it fake synesthesia. Some posters that really are visualisations of music into designs that I have I made are my Free Nationals album poster and my Smoke Sprite song poster. I also made a collection of pieces that are based on different genres of music that I use as my Spotify playlist covers. These are really pretty much my perception of different types of music and how I would picture them visually through bright striking layers of shapes. As for being inspired by emotions, I wear my heart on my sleeve so my thoughts and feelings easily seep into my works as I keep creating. An example is my Collector’s Guide zine, which is a collection of collages I made by hand with my collection of brochures, old magazines, National Geographic issues from the '90s, hand-outs and more. I use these collages as a way to make sense of different doubts and emotions I feel, like an experience I had of being objectified by a stranger or the thought of losing my memories one day. When I encounter unfamiliar emotions and thoughts, releasing them into my collages helps me to create art out of uncertainties and helps me to see the negative emotions as opportunities for exploration instead. It’s through working out my feelings that I’ve made some of my favourite works. Collaging is a tedious process, working around size limitations of different cut-outs and snipping tiny pictures out of the pages can lead to a lot of self-reflection so naturally the emotions just flow right into the end products. Inspiration comes to me from all around so I can’t just limit myself to just these two main factors but these examples sum it up relatively simply."
What are some misconceptions about graphic design you normally encounter?
"Some of my friends who aren’t familiar with design have asked me if the look of the original idea will always end up looking like the final draft. Is making a design just about having a good, solid idea in one’s head and easily executing it in a flash? In my opinion, this doesn’t happen very often. The reality is that the design process can bring the starting idea through a whole expedition in order for it to end up the best that it can be. For example, in my own personal work, I like to go with the flow when it comes to my ideas. Half the time my inspirations look nothing like the end results. When I add textures and layers to my posters, it can end up looking like a whole different piece entirely. This ebb and flow of improvisational ideas is what makes design so much fun for me and it always feels really satisfying when the multiple revisions and brainstormings are worth it at the end of the day. Another misconception is that you need powerful computers or the latest software in order to make good designs. As I mentioned just now, I spent the starting few years of my exposure to design through phone apps that had limited fonts, colours, and basically no effects to play around with. It was these limitations that got me to think outside of the box and find ways to work around these boundaries in order to make something unique every time. Admittedly, I do see the importance of certain software in pursuing design and my MacBook definitely gets hot and blares its fan whenever I try to open a 3D software but I’ve learnt to make the most with what I’ve got. Devices and software are tools to aid in design but at the end of the day, having the creative eye for it doesn’t come from machines so I try to focus on that rather than the features of different advancements."
How would you define graphic design then?
"I see graphic design as a way that we can harness various different elements like text, colours, et cetera. in order to bring a message across effectively. In my opinion, it all boils down to expression at the end of the day – an expression of yourself or your brand or whatever you want to convey to others. As much as there are principles and standards set in place, I find them to be particularly restrictive when it comes to being authentic in what you want to say. Trends and aesthetics aside, what story can design bring? What narrative can be sewn into each piece? I think too much emphasis is placed on trying to hard sell through design or appealing to each generational trend cycle. At its core graphic design to me tells a powerful, visual story that brings change, sparks influence and stirs emotions. It’s an interesting tool that I still don’t know a lot about but I think it has a huge hold on the world we live in and what we choose to do with that influence is important. It’s hard to really define, but I think navigating design outside of the rules can help me to be more authentic with what I do so I really see it as a way to help and express at the end of the day."
What is good design to you?
"When I come across designs that go out of the box, it really stands out to me and lingers in my head for a while. When you come across something that’s unexpected, it’s impactful, isn’t it? I find a lot of beauty in creativity, I think that’s where this appreciation stems from. Being unique and original is difficult, I mean we draw inspiration from everything and everywhere, and it’s hard to come up with a totally original, one-of-a-kind idea. But I think that when people disregard the conventional and bring out something fun, I’d say that those are designs that I remember more. Memorable works are designs that have latched their message into your head so I’d consider that as a job well done. I think that if you can bring across your design’s message and story in a way that sticks in someone’s head for a long time, that’s more than worthy of being considered a good design already."
What would you say are your biggest/proudest achievements to date with your practice?
"Personally, it would be the fact that I was able to figure out my individual style and identity as a person through design! During the height of Covis-19, I lost touch with who I was and that caused me to struggle with designing for almost nine months. Burn-outs are a regular occurrence for creatives, I’m sure many of us have had our fair share of down periods, but this one lasted for ages and as I was also struggling with my mental well-being, it felt like a whole chunk of my identity had disappeared. As I worked through this period by focusing on my faith and regaining my confidence in what I enjoyed and stood for, it helped me to see design as an outlet for my thoughts. My personality started to be reflected in my works, which is where all the chaos and colours started to unfold in my posters and designs. My practice so far has helped me to love myself, quirks and all, and has helped me to forge a greater appreciation for the work we live in, teaching me to take inspiration from all the joy and talent that surrounds me everywhere I go. Having a solo booth at the Singapore Art Book Fair 2023 was also something I will continue to be proud of for a really long time. It was quite a huge undertaking for me to juggle planning for it along with different commitments but it turned out to be such an eye-opening experience that I will hold close to my heart."
In an age where AI and social media channels rule, has graphic design’s role changed? Has these technological factors affected how you work as a graphic designer?
"As a whole, graphic design’s role may be seen as something less important to clients and more of something that you can whip up by typing keywords into an AI’s search bar but the humanistic, personal touch that designers bring into design can’t be replicated. Well, AI and social media channels will only continue to grow. Maybe over time, these advancements might make it harder for the work of designers to be appreciated. Maybe instead it’ll lead to people valuing works from human designers rather than AI designers. Maybe social media might one day start finally valuing the work of creatives in the algorithms. You never know what could happen. I have no idea what it’ll be like in the future, but as much as it’s a scary thought, technology will continue to be created with the intention to aid or help people. As a designer, it’ll be more comforting to focus on how I can make use of these advancements to assist my work. Graphic design is adaptive work that pushes creatives to constantly adapt to new trends, new softwares and new strategies. Even though AI and social media algorithms might challenge the role that graphic designers have, they can also push us to be more intentional in learning and growing in our craft. I won’t say that these technological factors have been something I’m worried too much about because I am confident that my own weird style will only grow more authentically over the years. And if that itself can let me shine, people who value that will support me as a creative. Maybe it’s naive to think that way but I'd rather be hopeful than worry about it."
What are some recent trends in graphic design you’ve been seeing?
"I’m not the most up-to-date with what are the current trends but I’ve been seeing a rise of large, handwritten typefaces that are really intricately done; its really impressive! They blend the line between design and illustration which I really enjoy – especially those that are a bit hard to read. I think people can be really hard on others for being illegible in design but using the medium to create pieces of art is so admirable and I hope people can put aside those limitations in their head and just use design to let loose! Works by @bits.px and title cards made by @__.vani are some works that I have been obsessed with recently. Writing your own type brings another layer of personality into one’s works and I find that to be particularly charming so I’m always on the lookout for funky words and typography. I don’t know if this is a recent trend but I still quite enjoy stretched type, sue me. Honestly I find it a lot of fun…I don’t understand the discourse surrounding it. Also, are gradients still in? I find it quite hard to pull off a good gradient so when I see someone use it in a satisfying way, I love it."
How would you describe the current state of Singapore’s graphic design scene? ?
"I would say that Singapore’s graphic design scene has been pretty interesting. For a while, I didn’t know a lot about it because I started out designing in a more international community so I was quite unsure of my place within Singapore’s scene. Over the past year, I’ve grown to be less fearful of stepping out of my bubble and have learnt so much from the many talented graphic designers in Singapore. I still get pretty intimidated by the community because I find it hard to see where my style fits with others in Singapore but it’s been really fun seeing how like-minded people can gather to appreciate similar interests and share a passion for design together. I’m seeing more and more people embrace their personal styles and share that with others in Singapore so that always inspires me to be unabashed in being myself in my works too. It’s also great that there are more events and avenues in Singapore for creatives to share and sell their works. It definitely helps to introduce more people to graphic design and unite like-minded Singaporeans. I think more can be done to dilute the trend-chasing culture that graphic design or art/creative events have, though. I do see some people go just for the sake of the “hype” which defeats the purpose of appreciating design and art in general but it still brings exposure to the arts so maybe that’s not so bad too. In general, I’d say the scene is growing, which is great, and I too am growing warmer to my fellow graphic designers in Singapore too. I’ve met many people who are truly so inspirational and I’m always on the lookout for what they do next. I love Everyone who’s part of the @summer__summit and @variegated.friends collectives on Instagram. People such as @kool.type and @333dashi are local creatives whose styles I really admire at the moment too."
A version of this article first appeared in the July 2023 Graphic Design Edition of FEMALE