The Works Of Singapore Graphic Designer Melina K Are A Mix Of Chaos And Order
Purists might question the way Melina K upends design conventions, but her design POV has enamoured her to indie music acts and industry insiders around the world.
By Keng Yang Shuen,
This 28-year-old freelance designer who goes by the handle @epi.to.me on Instagram likes a mix of both chaos and order in her work. While her layouts usually start out clean and structured, she tends to add bright and clashing complementary colours, and layer on organic-looking visuals ranging from flowers to bolts of lightning. It’s an aesthetic that some design purists might baulk at, but it’s exactly what she thrives on. “Being able to communicate a message is key for good design, but I think artistic expression for a graphic designer is equally important, especially when most would have already been made to follow the ‘rules’ of designing when in school,” she says. (Fun fact: While she graduated with a diploma in visual communication and media design in 2014, it was her third choice for a course; her first was mass communication.)
It’s also a formula that has earned her commissions from cult indie musical acts and industry players from all over the world. (The self-professed audiophile enjoys creating posters in tribute to her favourite musicians and albums during her spare time.) Among them: Australian rock bands Sticky Fingers and Trophy Eyes, American chillwave electronic artiste Brothertiger, and the cult Los Angeles-based music collective/record label/clothing line Soulection. The last has its own radio show on Apple Music, with streetwear brand Stussy even having worked with it to release music.
How did you first get into the field of graphic design?
"I actually got into graphic design by accident – it was my third choice in polytechnic and I didn’t even know back then what a ‘visual communications’ course entailed. So it’s quite funny how this has grown to be what it is to me today, to be completely honest."
How long would you say you’ve been in the field?
"It’s been about a decade since, but give or take a couple of years because I took a break from it to pursue unrelated things. Back then in design school, I struggled quite a bit and wholly believed designing was not for me. I graduated with a diploma but was not confident with the subject at all. So I would say my training in graphic design actually did not stem from those years. But because of the certificate I held, I had little choice but to find jobs in the related field. I worked at a couple of agencies, thankfully with mentors that took me under their wings and taught me more about design. I also believe my own explorations in my own free time out of work heavily shaped me as the designer I am today."
How would you describe the aesthetic in your work?
"I like organic textures or elements incorporated into a structured layout, like a little bit of chaos in order. I feel like a piece of work is very ‘me’ when I have a pop of colour or subject overlaying the base design. It’s tough to describe in words."
A graphic designer or work that resonates with you and why?
"I really like the works of graphic designer-slash-illustrator Braulio Amado. I love that he designs without a ‘grid’ or a design rule that he’s sticking to strictly. I’ve had my works compared to his once and I can see that he has influenced a bit of my style – I think mainly it’s the use of bright complimentary colours though."
What influences or inspires your work?
"Flora and fauna are subjects that I usually like to incorporate into my works. Music plays a huge part in giving me some inspiration too."
Can you give me some examples of how your inspirations have translated into your work?
"The way nature has such organic anatomy – that’s something I subconsciously emulate through my designs, be it my font choices or graphic elements or visuals. I like to dabble in passion projects whenever I have the time, and both music and something related to nature are what I usually like to play around with because the design possibilities are endless."
What are some misconceptions about graphic design you normally encounter?
"That all that graphic design is concerned with are boring company logos and promotional banners. Or maybe that’s just what my parents think. They’re the only ones I find myself explaining what I do to, still, after all these years."
How would you define the discipline of graphic design?
"I think it’s all about the user experience, in visual form. I’d like to think graphic design is like meeting someone and forming a good or bad impression in the first three seconds. In the fast-paced world we live in, catching attention is so important and a good design helps a lot."
What is good design to you?
"Being able to communicate a message is key for good design, but I think artistic expression for a graphic designer is equally important, especially when most would have already been made to follow the ‘rules’ of designing when in school. As long as I get what the designer is aiming to convey, the job is done. That can be considered a ‘good’ design to me."
In an age where AI and social media channels rule, has graphic design’s role changed?
"I think the turnaround for designs is becoming shorter and shorter, what with social media becoming a platform meant for short attention spans and being all about the algorithm. There are pros and cons to that – one pro is that there are many more opportunities for work while a con is that design almost loses meaning because how impactful can something that lives on the Internet so briefly be? Nevertheless, Instagram has played such a huge part in my graphic design journey – I try to embrace the changes and it even pushes me to try and design with intention and hopefully leave some kind of impression to whoever sees it."
What are some recent trends in graphic design you’ve been seeing and resonating with?
"I’ve been seeing a lot of simple doodle-type illustrations paired with sans serif texts recently – I love how DIY it looks especially when these are incorporated into event flyers. I would definitely love to explore that in my own works; with my lack of illustrative skills, they could possibly be an advantage!
A version of this article first appeared in the July 2023 Graphic Design Edition of FEMALE