Ciara Paterson

I have been studying at MMU for four years now and it has taught me a lot about myself and design. I find a lot of inspiration in mid-century modern aesthetics and I specialise in vector graphics, I'm captivated by the simplicity and precision they offer. Julian Opie's timeless designs and Yinka Ilori's contemporary flair deeply influence my work. Fascinated by colour, shape, and systems, I strive to create harmonious compositions that blend tradition with innovation. Through my designs, I aim to distil complex ideas into visually compelling forms, bridging the gap between creativity and functionality.
THIS IS THE PLACE I finally found my style
Dalton Maag's challenged us to design a typeface inspired by a buildings architecture of our choice, I decided on Farnsworth House, famous for its modernist architecture by Mies Van Der Rohe. Drawing from its transparent exterior and the era it represents, I crafted a typeface emphasising transparency and modernism. I used horizontal lines to represent transparency as they allow backgrounds to shine through the letters, when these transparent geometric shapes intersect they become solid black shapes. This design mirrors the architectural language of the Farnsworth House, embodying modernist aesthetics with a nod to its iconic structure.
Dalton Maag's challenged us to design a typeface inspired by a buildings architecture of our choice, I decided on Farnsworth House, famous for its modernist architecture by Mies Van Der Rohe. Drawing from its transparent exterior and the era it represents, I crafted a typeface emphasising transparency and modernism. I used horizontal lines to represent transparency as they allow backgrounds to shine through the letters, when these transparent geometric shapes intersect they become solid black shapes. This design mirrors the architectural language of the Farnsworth House, embodying modernist aesthetics with a nod to its iconic structure.
Dalton Maag's challenged us to design a typeface inspired by a buildings architecture of our choice, I decided on Farnsworth House, famous for its modernist architecture by Mies Van Der Rohe. Drawing from its transparent exterior and the era it represents, I crafted a typeface emphasising transparency and modernism. I used horizontal lines to represent transparency as they allow backgrounds to shine through the letters, when these transparent geometric shapes intersect they become solid black shapes. This design mirrors the architectural language of the Farnsworth House, embodying modernist aesthetics with a nod to its iconic structure.
Dalton Maag's challenged us to design a typeface inspired by a buildings architecture of our choice, I decided on Farnsworth House, famous for its modernist architecture by Mies Van Der Rohe. Drawing from its transparent exterior and the era it represents, I crafted a typeface emphasising transparency and modernism. I used horizontal lines to represent transparency as they allow backgrounds to shine through the letters, when these transparent geometric shapes intersect they become solid black shapes. This design mirrors the architectural language of the Farnsworth House, embodying modernist aesthetics with a nod to its iconic structure.
Inspired by synesthesia, where senses intertwine and create a unique perceptual experience, I aimed to capture the convergence of sight and sound within the design. The focal point of the cover is the round shape of an eye, mirroring the iconic form of a vinyl record. This is designed to seamlessly link the senses of seeing and hearing. To enhance the synesthetic experience, I introduced G.F Smith’s new colours arranged in rings within the eye, as if the viewer is peering into a portal of colour that transcends the boundaries of individual senses and serves as a visual rep- resentation of the synesthetic journey. Incorporating a record player needle into the design was a deliberate choice to symbolise the act of both hearing and seeing the music. I imagine as the record spins on a turntable, so does the eye within the design, creating a mesmerising ‘portal’ illusion.
Voodoo Ray" marks the impressive debut single by Gerald Simpson, known as A Guy Called Gerald, released in the vibrant atmosphere of the UK's acid house scene back in 1988. In a unique exploration of the song's essence, I recorded nine students visual responses, each engaging in automatic drawing synced to the music, capturing their individual interpretations within the first 90 seconds. Combining segments from their diverse responses, I crafted a unified visual narrative by making graphics/symbols of small segments of their drawings and putting them together in a timeline. I have presented this in a fold out booklet.
Voodoo Ray marks the impressive debut single by Gerald Simpson, known as A Guy Called Gerald, released in the vibrant atmosphere of the UK's acid house scene back in 1988. In a unique exploration of the song's essence, I recorded nine students visual responses, each engaging in automatic drawing synced to the music, capturing their individual interpretations within the first 90 seconds. Combining segments from their diverse responses, I crafted a unified visual narrative by making graphics/symbols of small segments of their drawings and putting them together in a timeline. I have presented this in a fold out booklet.
In collaboration with Manchester Art Gallery, our project addressed the challenge of an overcrowded furniture archive. During our audit, we noted a significant number of broken and distressed pieces, leading us to conceptualise an exhibition promoting the art of visible mending. "Accepting Defeat," -the exhibition celebrates the beauty of imperfection by encouraging the preservation and enhancement of broken furniture through visible repairs. The promotional poster for the exhibition embodies the essence of this concept through a minimalist graphic approach. Through simplicity and clarity, it invites viewers to explore the exhibition's message of embracing imperfection and celebrating the beauty of restoration.
For the brand identity of the Artificial Intelligence Museum situated within the distinctive Toast Rack building in Fallowfield, I crafted a logo that incorporates the building's unique architecture. The logo features the hill shape of the building forming the 'A' in "Artificial," with four stacked copies of this 'A' shape gradually decreasing in thickness. This design symbolises the concept of AI as clones of humans, reflecting the museum's exploration of artificial intelligence. The poster is promoting a exhibition hosted at the museum about the controversy of AI art.