Some days the work isn't on a screen. During Pesaro's year as Italian Capital of Culture I took frames, squeegees and inks into the town centre for a workshop on Massimo Dolcini's posters.
What I remember most isn't the result but the faces. People passing by stopped, asked, tried. Kids and adults with the same expression when they lifted the frame and saw the image appear.
The gesture before the file
I learnt screen printing at the Scuola del Libro in Urbino, and every time I teach it I'm reminded of something simple: graphic design started as a craft. Pressure, timing, mistakes. A crooked print teaches more than ten tutorials.
Working among people also changes how I explain things. No slides, few words, lots of hands. If someone leaves with a T-shirt they printed themselves and the urge to try again, the workshop worked.
What I take home
I go back to my desk with a reminder: behind every project there are people who look, touch and choose. Designing for them, and ideally with them, is my favourite part of the job.
