Who are you?
Jackie Littman. Multidisciplinary designer, originally from Baltimore.
What do you do for a living?
I’m a designer at Sosolimited, where we create interactive installations and digital experiences that go beyond the screen. I design and art-direct graphical systems, interfaces, generative artworks, and data visualizations.
How long have you been in the field?
I studied set and costume design in undergrad, but soon realized the theatre life wasn’t for me. In the years after college, I designed graphics at children’s theatres and in some other tangentially-creative jobs, trying to find freelance gigs and build a portfolio. I went to back to school at MICA for my MFA in Graphic Design, which filled in the gaps in my education and skills and got me excited about the possibilities of designing for digital interactivity. I’ve been with Soso ever since.
Why did you get involved with AIGA? Why should someone become a member?
I became an AIGA member to meet other local designers and participate in design-minded events. I’ve been volunteering over the past few years, creating graphics for talks and recently helping to plan the Trivia Night at Firebrand Saints. You should become a member to meet amazing designers in all stages of their careers, and to attend a happy hour where the majority of people can identify the typeface used on the menu.
What advice would you give your past self?
Don’t shy away from doing what you want to do, even when it seems like pursuing it will make things complicated or messy. If it’s worth the effort, make the effort.
Describe your creative process. What are the major steps?
At Soso, I’m lucky to participate in a creative process that usually involves a team of people working together, start to finish. We research and get to know the brief or challenge really well. Then we’ll go wide, coming up with lots of concepts and ideas and looking for inspiration. After some decisive editing, we’ll propose concepts for an installation or interactive to our clients and ask for their feedback.
Once we’ve figured out a direction, it’s time to produce, having design critiques and checking in with each other along the way. And finally, after it seems like it’s all done, documentation! Many people only experience our work through the photos and videos we post online, so great documentation is key to getting more opportunities.
Anything else?
We have a few new projects that we are installing in Boston this fall that we’re really excited about. Follow us on insta for some sneak peeks!
Where can we find your work? Any projects you want to highlight?
You can find my work on Sosolimited.com or on my personal website. Some of my favorite Soso projects that I’ve worked on are a social-media-powered innovation clock and an app that transforms anything you say into a mesmerizing artwork on your TV.
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