Isabel Moranta is an award-winning Artistic and Design Director recognized for her conceptually wealthy and visually putting work. Primarily based in Canada, she has served as Artwork Director at Locomotive and Design Director at Monks, shaping digital experiences and defining model identities with innovation at their core.
Now working independently as a Design Director, Isabel collaborates with main businesses and types comparable to Balmain, Ecco, Nike, Apple Music, Toyota, Estée Lauder, Amazon, Munchkin, Unattainable Meals, Instrument, Publicis, Nordstrom, Resn, and Lively Idea.
Her inventive follow spans editorial design, typography experiments, visible storytelling, and branding. Pushed by a ardour for pushing design past conventional boundaries, Isabel weaves artwork, literature, language, and digital media into her considerate compositions.
With a refined aesthetic sensibility and multidisciplinary strategy, let’s now be part of Isabel as she walks us via her most compelling tasks and artistic course of.
Featured Work
Portfolio 2024
For this portfolio, I embraced a bolder, riskier artwork route whereas preserving the essence of my earlier website, which nonetheless holds that means for me.
Collaborating with Yannis Yannakopoulos, we drew inspiration from post-rock music and literature. Bands like Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Silver Mt. Zion guided the aesthetics, with visible cues echoing their haunting, expansive tones. I additionally infused parts from literature—my tutorial background is in English Research, so I needed that to be represented. A quote from Virginia Woolf options prominently, symbolizing my love for phrases. After all, no portfolio can seize every thing you like, however I needed this one to really feel each skilled and deeply private—a spot that doesn’t simply showcase my work however looks like my very own.
At its core, this portfolio is a tribute to my love of typography. A daring serif instructions consideration, set in opposition to a minimal, typically fragmented monospaced typeface—an intentional distinction that creates pressure. This duality runs all through the location: publicity and concealment. The blur impact, obscuring each my work and my picture on the About web page, mirrors this steadiness—a manner of holding a part of myself simply out of focus whereas embracing the enjoyment of being seen throughout the design group.
The paradox continues with typography—the assertiveness of uppercase daring serifs clashing in opposition to the understated, fragmented monospaced letters. The underground obscurity of post-rock finds a poetic counterpoint in literature. This portfolio is, in some ways, a inventive exploration of these contradictions.
Blimp
The Blimp is a dynamic music catalog showcasing the most recent releases, interviews, movies, and extra. Initially conceived by Yannis Yannakopoulos a decade in the past, the location not too long ago underwent a recent redesign—only for the enjoyable of it—by each Yannis and me. When he invited me to collaborate on his private challenge, I couldn’t have been extra excited. The Blimp advanced right into a digital area that looks like a love letter to music and design, infused with the uncooked, atmospheric power of the post-rock bands we each admire. The end result is an ideal concord of vibrant momentum and moody, immersive aesthetics—like a visible soundtrack of the music we each like dropped at life.
One standout function of this challenge is the intro preloader, which cycles via a rotating number of album covers for an interesting first impression. One other playful contact is the crimson scribble mouse impact, which feels spontaneous and dynamic with each interplay. The Blimp was designed to be greater than only a music website—it’s an area the place guests can visually and emotionally immerse themselves on this planet of sound.
Toyota
I used to be invited to be a part of this challenge by the extremely gifted Champ Panupong Techawongthawon, proprietor of Please Name Me Champ Studio Inc.
Titled Past Limits, the video is a celebration of the energy, resilience, and plain coolness of Paralympic athletes. With a daring, dynamic shade palette, it brings their awe-inspiring achievements to life, capturing their indomitable spirit. By way of putting visuals and compelling storytelling, the piece challenges preconceived notions about means, redefining what it means to push boundaries. Greater than only a tribute, it’s a reminder of the limitless potential of the human spirit when fueled by willpower and braveness. It was an incredible challenge to be a part of, and I’m particularly grateful for the chance to collaborate with Toyota as a shopper.
Balmain
Whereas at Monks, I had the chance to guide the Balmain Magnificence challenge—an e-commerce platform designed to seamlessly translate the model’s high fashion essence into the digital area. From idea to execution, each element was meticulously crafted to mirror the luxurious and refined world of Balmain Magnificence, delivering an immersive purchasing expertise that embodies magnificence and class.
Due to the collaboration between Balmain Magnificence and Monks, we created a putting digital house for his or her new magnificence line, staying true to the design language of their iconic vogue model. Working intently with the exceptionally gifted groups at Monks, Balmain, and Estée Lauder, we constructed a platform that brings Balmain’s visionary aesthetic to life—sharing their magnificence merchandise with the world in a manner that feels simply as daring and splendid because the model itself.
Ideas and Explorations
Past the tasks I work on, I additionally love creating ideas and explorations. These explorations assist me step away from shopper work, permitting me to disconnect and discover a sense of calm and pleasure. There aren’t any briefs, no deadlines—simply me, my time, and my eagerness to create. I consider this sort of inventive train is one thing extra folks ought to strive. Creating purely for the sake of it, sharing with out concern of judgment, and having fun with the method with out strain—there’s one thing liberating about that.
Temporary Biography and Profession Highlights
My profession began on this planet of language and the humanities, rooted in a background in English Research and North American literature. Over time, my ardour for creativity and communication led me to shift into design, the place I now attempt to carry a mixture of views from my earlier experiences.
That basis in language and literary research formed how I strategy design—it taught me to assume critically whereas crafting compelling visible narratives. As for what I get pleasure from, I’m drawn to the fantastic thing about editorial design and print, the place storytelling meets visible magnificence. Typography, particularly, fascinates me—its means to convey emotion, construction, and that means by no means will get previous.Â
In some ways, my previous nonetheless informs my work. It’s not about abandoning who I used to be earlier than design however carrying these influences ahead, letting them evolve. I’m grateful to have discovered a career that not solely brings me pleasure but in addition permits me to discover the identical inventive territories I as soon as beloved, now via a unique lens.
Inspiration
I discover inspiration within the issues that carry me pleasure or stir one thing in me—it would sound cliché, but it surely’s true. Movie is simply as essential to me as design, possibly much more. Whether or not it’s a film that strikes me or leaves me unsettled, tales are what gasoline my creativity.
I’m additionally deeply impressed by music, artwork, and every thing I encounter in day by day life. And naturally the design group and the unbelievable work they put out continuously push me to discover new concepts and refine my abilities.
However on the core of all of it, inspiration comes from inside. It’s not nearly what we eat, however how we take up it. True creativity comes from studying to shut our eyes, have interaction all our senses, and see from inside—as a result of that’s the place emotion is discovered.
A Message to Readers
Relatively than studying numerous abilities, decide to mastering the one that really excites you. Focus on what you want essentially the most and benefit from the course of to grasp that talent; no person must be good at every thing. Benefit from the means of deepening your experience, as a result of nice issues typically come from a little bit of obsession. Be intentional about the place you make investments your power.
Please be happy to succeed in out—I genuinely recognize it when folks begin a dialog on Instagram or LinkedIn.
