An Interview with Graphic Designer Aurelia Tauscher

Dots + Pixels has established itself as a digital hangout for creative professionals to gather, learn, and share their love for all things designing digital inkjet. But print is truly the best medium to demonstrate and showcase what graphic artists and designers can achieve with digital inkjet, which is why Dots + Pixels wanted to create a print piece to inform and inspire designers to push the envelope of what they can create with inkjet.

The Dots + Pixels ‘mini mag’ — under the theme of you did what with inkjet? — takes its design cues from handmade zines, employing unique typography and the illusion of mixed media, showing that, these days, you really can do anything with inkjet. The content of the mini mag brings the essence of the website into the print space, complete with practical how-to articles to help guide the inkjet design process.

Graphic Designer Aurelia Tauscher was the brainchild behind the mini mag’s look and feel, and she recently gave us a behind-the-scenes look at how she put the design concept together and what she hopes designers take away from the piece.

This print incarnation of Dots + Pixels feels consistent with the branding and vibe of the website while also feeling like its own thing. How did you strike that balance?

I took some design cues from the Dots + Pixels Desk Pack, particularly some of the stylized elements. But I also wanted the vibe of the magazine to be consistent with the website and the Dots + Pixels brand, which uses a lot of fun, whimsical icons and big, bold colors. I definitely wanted the look and feel of the magazine to be unique and fun without detracting from the educational content.

Are there certain elements of the magazine that you think are particularly unique or will really hit home with designers?

I think the icons and the way we use them really grab the reader’s attention — for example, the mouse and pen and pencil, which are all playful and kind of set the tone for the whole piece. I also wanted to bring in the squiggles and pixels because they are a big part of the overall brand, website, and newsletter. I think the large blocks of color and the halftone shapes and patterns help simulate a screen print look and vibe that’s pretty exciting.

Let’s talk about any finishings used in the mini mag. What was the thought behind incorporating finishings into this piece?

I definitely wanted to include some kind of finishes into the design, especially because finishings are one area where digital inkjet really shines and allows designers to produce really interesting or innovative work. The cover of the mini mag uses a soft touch finish for a smooth look and feel, which I think is a nice contrast to the interior pages.

The size of this mini mag is also kind of interesting — it’s not quite something that fits in your pocket but it’s also not as big or as cumbersome as a traditional magazine. How did that come to be?

My goal was for the mini mag to be something that could sit on a designer’s desk without being in the way. I wanted it to be a piece that could easily be picked up and leafed through and actually used. I felt there had to be some utility to the size, something was easy to navigate…maybe something like a reference book that a designer can flip through pretty easily to find the information they need.

An Interview with Graphic Designer Aurelia Tauscher About the New Dots + Pixels Mini Mag

This print incarnation of Dots + Pixels feels consistent with the branding and vibe of the website while also feeling like its own thing. How did you strike that balance?

Are there certain elements of the magazine that you think are particularly unique or will really hit home with designers?

Let’s talk about any finishings used in the mini mag. What was the thought behind incorporating finishings into this piece?

The size of this mini mag is also kind of interesting — it’s not quite something that fits in your pocket but it’s also not as big or as cumbersome as a traditional magazine. How did that come to be?

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