Newcomer 2019, Luzia Hein

Luzia Hein (*1990) lives and works in Hamburg. She studied Graphic Design in Mainz and Hamburg and gained her master's degree with distinction in 2017.
Her focus is on lettering, design in space and corporate design. She also works on graphic patterns and their interdisciplinary use in various media. In her master's project Linie zu Fläche she combined sweeping wall pieces and lettering and developed a catalogue for the exhibition.
She now works as a freelance graphic designer and also as art director at the bag label CHI CHI FAN in Hamburg.

A few questions to Luzia Hein:

You are a Newcomer Finalist at the German Design Awards 2019. What does this award mean for you and your work?

Being one of the five finalists at the Newcomer Awards is an honour for me and motivates me for my upcoming projects. It shows me that I am on the right track and is great recognition of my work.

In your work Linie zu Fläche you combine sweeping wall pieces and lettering. What exactly is behind this and what inspired you to come up with this idea?

For my final examination piece Linie zu Fläche I combined two disciplines that are close to my heart: graphic patterns, their large-format use in space and the design of lettering. I developed an exhibition for which I printed wallpaper specially using screen printing and installed this in a small gallery in Hamburg. In keeping with the graphic shapes of the wall pieces, I designed the Piet typeface, whose individual glyphs are likewise made from a fine line and a broader surface. This work was inspired by the former entertainment complex Aubette in Strasbourg, which was designed in 1928 by Jean and Sophie Arp and Theo van Doesburg. Various design disciplines are combined here, from spatial design to furniture and type design.

In your portfolio you have various projects. Which is particularly important to you and why?

The design for the open-air cinema in Frankfurt is a project I am passionate about. I was involved with this from the start and developed the entire corporate design. Over the last five years we have created a different mood for every new season and a new key visual that goes with the choice of film and the new event location. I enjoy supporting projects in the long term and continuing to develop them.

What does good graphic design in the 21st century mean for you?

I think it is important that graphic design in the 21st century isn't just for men. Women are still underrepresented in the industry, whether with respect to female role models, jury places or speakers at design events. That's why I'm delighted with this year's Newcomer Finalists, as many women are being cast into the limelight.