in Design Humility

From conception to execution, design is not just about how things look and feel but, essentially, how they work. The expression of a brand through the language of design can be seen in every aspect of Kuriosis, from that first impression on the website to the final feeling of excitement when a customer opens their package and countless details in between.

Graphic design, in its simplest definition, involves bringing words and images together to communicate effectively. Design thinking solves problems in business not only through the look and feel of a website, a sign, a catalogue, or a poster but in how they function, communicate and, at the end of the day, and probably most importantly — how they make you feel.

It is with this thought process that Kuriosis was changed over the course of a year. In early 2021, Nico Tracey started working with Kuriosis, which was, at that point, a company mainly focused on archival images, vintage posters and historical lithographs from encyclopedias and old books.

Working with Creative Director Maryna Bittencourt’s support, Nico helped bring Kuriosis into the present. With a new effort focused on collaboration with contemporary artists, under the newly founded Support Living Artists initiative; the creation of multiple new & dynamic poster series’ that aimed to speak to a broader community and the injection of design principles into the fabric of the company. It was a very different world to the agency set-ups that Nico was used to — but the steep learning curve and the culture shock came with an equally cherished sense of autonomy, confidence & creative freedom.

With any young business, things can change dramatically from one day to the next, the implementation of new systems and standards through design worked well together with the existing ethos of continuous improvement to transform an already successful company into an even greater competitor with a clear point of difference & unique offering in the landscape of European wall art companies.

With a background in Visual Communication Design, graduating with First Class Honours from the Institute of Art, Design & Technology in Dublin — Nico has experience working in design in Dublin, New York and Berlin, as well as her freelance practice.

Nico’s work playfully embraces both design and fine art, a line constantly crossed through her love aff air with both, visual communication and analogue media. This contrast allows her to thoughtfully cultivate great ideas, beautiful typography and unique image-making into engaging visual content.

Old & new, analogue & digital, sound & vision — Our daily lives are made up of so many opposites, juxtapositions and re-imaginings of old trends and familiar nostalgia. The following pages explore the curious creations of collages, posters, and image-making Nico has produced during her time at Kuriosis, with some behindthe-scenes insight into the process that allowed them to be.

Through her work at Kuriosis, Nico is always trying to honour the future whilst constantly paying homage to the past — heroes and idols, the greats of science, art, design and, well, to be honest, everything in between. With this passion and diligence, Nico creates fresh communications and new work with an original perspective.

So, open your mind and take a trip with us through Nico’s journey through the weird and wonderful world of Kuriosis and explore her process, collections and many other things conquered in the last year.