Description:

In a world where digital design often feels cold and uniform, this project pushes back by reintroducing warmth, texture, and imperfection into visual storytelling. Inspired by Spanish photographer Ouka Leele’s emotive, handmade approach and shaped by an exchange in Madrid, where traditional art and vibrant street culture sparked new creative directions, it blends craft and contemporary design to create something deeply human.

At its core is a bilingual book that merges formal information with personal stories in both English and Spanish. Photographs by Ouka Leele and myself are printed in striking black and white, then hand-painted in bright colour, with stitching that creates bold, graphic shapes threaded directly through pages and tracing paper overlays. These tactile interventions invite the viewer to slow down, notice details, and embrace the beauty of imperfection.

By contrasting digital precision with handmade nuance through stitching, paint, and carefully chosen typefaces, the project challenges the polished sameness of online content. It reminds us that design can and should make us feel, connecting us through materiality and cultural fusion.
This work encourages designers and audiences alike to embrace imperfection, celebrate process, and find meaning in every layer, proving that even in a digital age, humanity still belongs at the heart of design.