A new design for the newsletter

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Who are you?
Hi, I'm Timo. Previously I was jokingly known as Philautia's promo gay, but since my board year ended I started in the communication department to make everything from posters to social media posts a little nicer.

Where does graphic design come from?
Graphic design has been a hobby for a long time. Formerly in Paint, then (longer than I care to admit) in Microsoft Word, and now in Affinity Publisher. I've always been creative, I used to draw a lot, build houses in Sims 2 and dream of having a camera. Unfortunately, my skills in that regard did not grow with me. My drawings never got beyond stick figures, my Sims skills ended with the purchase of a Macbook, and my movie ambitions came to an abrupt end when I saw the prices of all the supplies. Still, I needed something to tangibly express myself, which became graphic design. I used to design websites and programs for myself, until I could finally put my skills at the COC to good use!

Designed in Microsoft Word?
People often underestimate the power of Microsoft Word. Almost everything that has a Philautia logo on it, even the Philautia logo itself, is designed in Word! I am still very proud of that. Why Word? Word and I understand each other. It works as I expect it to, it's very tangible, and it has a surprising amount of features for a program that many people only know as a word processor. Other designers thought I was crazy, but were amazed at the designs I could make with it. Still, at some point it was time to learn more. After a short and unpleasant foray into inDesign and Photoshop, I came across Affinity Publisher and that's where I do all my designs these days.

How do you do that?
I like to look at beautiful things. A beautiful design brings me peace and makes me happy. On the other hand, I find asymmetrical things difficult to look at. When I see a book lying crooked in a conversation with someone, I keep focusing on it in my head. That way I also look at my own designs. People quickly like it and I want to try at least two more shades of gray before I'm at peace with it.

What's on the agenda at the communication department?
At the communication department we are open to questions from everyone! I really enjoy thinking along about logos, corporate identity, posters, folders, you name it! We also have a number of good people in terms of marketing and IT. Please contact us if you are curious at communicatie@cochaaglanden.nl

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[language_start language=en]

Who are you?
Hello, I am Timo. I used to be known in the Philautia board as the promo-homo, but since my time in the Philautia board ended last year I've started working in the department of communication. My aim is to make everything from posters to social media posts just a little bit more beautiful.

Where'd you learn graphic design?
It's been a hobby for a long time. When I was little in Paint, then (for longer than I'm willing to admit) in Microsoft Word and recently in Affinity Publisher. I was always creative, I used to draw, build houses in the Sims 2 and dreamed of owning a video camera. Unfortunately, my skills did not grow along with me. My drawings never went much beyond stick figures, my Sims design skills ended when I bought a Macbook and my moviemaking ambitions came to an abrupt end when I saw the prices of the necessary equipment. The only thing that gave me the creative outlet I needed became graphic design. I used to design websites and programs for myself, until I was finally able to make use of my skills productively at COC!

Designed in Microsoft Word?
People frequently underestimate the power of Microsoft Word. Almost everything that carries a Philautia logo, including the Philautia logo itself, was designed in Word! I'm still very proud of that. Why Word? Because Word and I get each other. It works as I expect it to, is very tangible and has a surprising amount of features for something most people only know as a text editor. Other designers called me crazy, but they fell quiet when they saw the designs I was making with it. However, all good things must come to an end. When it was time to learn something new, after a brief unhappy stint with Photoshop and inDesign, I landed on Affinity Published. The same software I still use today.

How do you design?
I like to look at beautiful things. A beautiful design brings me joy and calm. Conversely, I find an asymmetric image very difficult to look at. If, for instance, I am talking to someone and spot a book that's out of place, I keep focusing on it in my mind. That's the same way I look at my own designs. When people say they love it, I still have to go through one or two minor tweaks to the shade of gray used to be at peace with my choices.

So, what's next for the department of communication?
The department of communication is really open for questions from everyone! I really love helping with logos, branding, posters, folders, you name it! Don't be afraid to contact us if you're curious at communicatie@cochaaglanden.nl

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