Aya Kusumoto – UF Designers 2021

HEY THERE! MY NAME IS

AYA KUSUMOTO

Aya Kusumoto explores design work spanning mediums and aesthetics. While thinking back, Aya recalls family dinners, lively conversation, and perhaps an over-eager obsession with bugs. Each of these things can be found as inspiration in her current work, maybe a bit less emphasis on the bugs though. These family meals have inspired Aya’s passion for work surrounding food and hospitality—branding for local businesses and packaging design. Lively conversation has instilled her drive for collaboration and designing for the good of communities and speaking to those a part of them. As for next steps, Aya is moving back to Jacksonville, FL. There, she will continue to practice her fine art skills relating to photography and painting. While in Jacksonville she hopes to land a job with a local agency or work as inhouse as a designer for a restaurant.

BORN: Albuquerque, NM

FAVORITE TYPEFACE: Input Sans

FAVORITE HEX CODE(S): #9AB6FF

ZODIAC SIGN: Cancer

MORNING PERSON OR NIGHT OWL:
TRY to be a morning person but usually end up being a night owl :p

FAVORITE UFGD STUDIO MEMORY: Definitely late nights working in the studio before a project due date. Especially when we hit those witching hours and get a bit delirious.

DESIGN INSPIRATION(S): Aaron Douglas!! Really awesome Harlem Renaissance designer who created new visual systems inspired by background, history, and design norms at the time.

CHECK OUT MY WORK BELOW!

STEAMY'S LATE NIGHT DIM SUM

Steamy's Late Night Dim Sum is a conceptual Chinese Restaurant based here in Gainesville. I created character illustrations, restaurant collateral, and social media content.

WE WILL GO TOGETHER

We Will Go Together is a zine based on my personal family history. I used letters, photos, and watercolor paintings to tell the story of my family along with the strength of families overcoming distance.

STORY OF PLACE

Story of Place acts as a tool for UF Students to tell the story of the changing landscape of Gainesville due to the growth of the university. I interviewed 3 business and community members to act as case studies and used interactive maps to show the macro changes.