Cindy Ianniciello , graphic designer and founder of the company Superwise regularly works with Kotmo, playing an essential role in creating innovative, stylish, and eco-friendly products. Here, she explains her role as a graphic designer in more detail. She also shares her thoughts on the current status of women in business.
What kind of clients and mandates do you have?
Currently, I have a lot of clients in the restaurant and hospitality industry. I've also worked with various hotels before. I work mostly by word of mouth. Many of my new clients are referrals from previous clients, which is a good indicator for me because it means they appreciated my work.
Can you explain your creative process from start to finish?
With Kotmo, I mainly offer my vinyl cutting services. However, this is a service that I offer in parallel to my clients. Since I support several types of clients, the process really depends on the field. Most of the time, the client has an idea of what they want. I therefore ask them to send me reference or inspiration images in order to fully understand their expectations and to guide me in the creation. Sometimes, the client is less precise about their needs and the result they want to achieve. It is therefore my responsibility to ask them the right questions to guide the next steps. Following this questioning, I will be able to present them with 2 to 3 possible options, after which they will make their final choice.
Where do you see yourself in ten years?
My goal is to have a graphic design and visual strategy studio with a team of approximately 7-8 qualified people. I want the studio to be active in the advertising world. I have already worked in this field. It's a very broad market that often requires large teams. That's why I'll use graphic design to break into it, since it's my specialty.
Is there any field you would have wanted to explore if you hadn't started in graphic design?
Actually, I didn't start my career in graphic design. I started in applied arts. My program was mainly focused on contemporary art. I slowly moved towards graphic design. I did, among other things, exhibition catalogs. I think I've already explored another area of interest in that way. Maybe I'll return to it one day? Applied arts still interest me a lot.
Do you think your field of work is accessible to both men and women?
In 2018, I think so. There are a lot of graphic design studios founded by women. Obviously, there aren't as many as by men, but I agree that there's good accessibility. It's not perfect. Of course, we want to achieve equality, but I think that today, in graphic design, it's much better than in other fields.
What do you think are the essential qualities of a good leader?
I think you have to be a go-getter and not be afraid to take risks. At the same time, I think that to be a team leader, it's important to have unifying qualities. You have to be like a "coach." It's not so much about having a specific talent in a specific area, but rather about coaching the people around you and motivating them to be better.
Who are your role models as independent and inspiring businesswomen?
A woman I really admire is Paula Scher. She's a really famous graphic designer. She worked in the world of graphic design when it was still very much a male-dominated field. She's now a partner at Pentagram . I think she's really exceptional because she succeeded in a world dominated by men. I also really like Phyllis Lambert, a great architect. She also worked in a world where men were omnipresent. She worked very hard to assert her beliefs and thus encourage social housing.
Superwise, a studio to know
Cindy Ianniciello , graphic designer and founder of the company Superwise regularly works with Kotmo, playing an essential role in creating innovative, stylish, and eco-friendly products. Here, she explains her role as a graphic designer in more detail. She also shares her thoughts on the current status of women in business.
What kind of clients and mandates do you have?
Currently, I have a lot of clients in the restaurant and hospitality industry. I've also worked with various hotels before. I work mostly by word of mouth. Many of my new clients are referrals from previous clients, which is a good indicator for me because it means they appreciated my work.
Can you explain your creative process from start to finish?
With Kotmo, I mainly offer my vinyl cutting services. However, this is a service that I offer in parallel to my clients. Since I support several types of clients, the process really depends on the field. Most of the time, the client has an idea of what they want. I therefore ask them to send me reference or inspiration images in order to fully understand their expectations and to guide me in the creation. Sometimes, the client is less precise about their needs and the result they want to achieve. It is therefore my responsibility to ask them the right questions to guide the next steps. Following this questioning, I will be able to present them with 2 to 3 possible options, after which they will make their final choice.
Where do you see yourself in ten years?
My goal is to have a graphic design and visual strategy studio with a team of approximately 7-8 qualified people. I want the studio to be active in the advertising world. I have already worked in this field. It's a very broad market that often requires large teams. That's why I'll use graphic design to break into it, since it's my specialty.
Is there any field you would have wanted to explore if you hadn't started in graphic design?
Actually, I didn't start my career in graphic design. I started in applied arts. My program was mainly focused on contemporary art. I slowly moved towards graphic design. I did, among other things, exhibition catalogs. I think I've already explored another area of interest in that way. Maybe I'll return to it one day? Applied arts still interest me a lot.
Do you think your field of work is accessible to both men and women?
In 2018, I think so. There are a lot of graphic design studios founded by women. Obviously, there aren't as many as by men, but I agree that there's good accessibility. It's not perfect. Of course, we want to achieve equality, but I think that today, in graphic design, it's much better than in other fields.
What do you think are the essential qualities of a good leader?
I think you have to be a go-getter and not be afraid to take risks. At the same time, I think that to be a team leader, it's important to have unifying qualities. You have to be like a "coach." It's not so much about having a specific talent in a specific area, but rather about coaching the people around you and motivating them to be better.
Who are your role models as independent and inspiring businesswomen?
A woman I really admire is Paula Scher. She's a really famous graphic designer. She worked in the world of graphic design when it was still very much a male-dominated field. She's now a partner at Pentagram . I think she's really exceptional because she succeeded in a world dominated by men. I also really like Phyllis Lambert, a great architect. She also worked in a world where men were omnipresent. She worked very hard to assert her beliefs and thus encourage social housing.