“I love creating art that provokes dialogue.”

How often do you come across a design that makes you stop in your tracks and think for a bit? When we were looking for an artist for our Lovely Humans NFT project, we came across Seon Thompson’s profile and were instantly taken by his minimalist yet thought-provoking designs. Seon is a multi-disciplinary artist, graphic designer, and teacher from the twin island of Trinidad and Tobago. His work combines graphic design elements and fine art techniques to create a visual experience of the Caribbean aesthetic. Over the course of working with this lovely human, we better understood the aesthetics that go into NFT designs and why some things work better than others. In a chat with GLEAC, Seon spoke about what drove him to tie up with GLEAC and the designs he draws inspiration from. Take a look!

GLEAC: What made you want to design NFTs for GLEAC’s Lovely Humans project?

Seon: I love creating art that provokes dialogue so when I was asked by GLEAC to create illustrations for their Lovely Humans NFT project, I immediately jumped at the opportunity. I was further locked into the project when I found out that the NFT would be used to connect the buyer with an industry expert. As a designer/ teacher, this education and learning component (of the project) speaks to my core skill set.

GLEAC: How do you plan to set GLEAC’s NFTs apart from all the other NFTs present out there?

Seon: The idea was to create a minimalist illustration of each mentor that could be recognized by persons who really know the individual. Highlighting the recognizable features of the person without putting in their eyes and nose, forms a major part of the mystery while drawing the viewer to figure out who the person in the illustration is.  

GLEAC: What’s the one challenge that you are facing while designing GLEAC’s NFTs?

Seon: The only real challenge for me is having to simplify and illustrate the facial features of numerous persons, while still capturing the individuality of each person. I see this as a good challenge since I get to appreciate how diverse we all are when it comes to our facial features. From varying textures of hair to different mouth shapes and smiles, we all are truly lovely humans.  

GLEAC: What, according to you, sets a good design apart?

Seon: A good design is not just about pleasing aesthetics. It is also about the content, usability, and purpose of the design. A good design should be able to answer these three questions: Who are you designing for? What are you designing? Why are you designing it?

GLEAC: What, according to you, makes GLEAC’s Metaverse project unique?

Seon: I believe that the utility aspect of the GLEAC NFT project is what puts it in a class of its own. The marriage between the visual and the function of the NFT provides the buyer with added value that can transform their lives in a real and tangible way.

GLEAC: How did you get into designing NFTs?

Seon: About over 10 years ago I started a project called “50 Proud” that celebrated 50 local icons in my country through minimalist portrait illustrations. The project caught the eyes of Sallyann who was launching a Social Enterprise venture and wanted to incorporate my illustrations. Fast forward to 2022, Sally remembered the work I did on her previous project and thought it fitting for GLEAC’s Lovely Humans NFT project. And thereon began my journey into designing NFTs.

GLEAC: Which NFT designs have made you stop and say ‘wow’? Could you share pictures?

Seon: I love the Modernist NFT project for its distinctive pop art style. As someone who studied fine art I really love how the artist captures and celebrates the human form.

The NFT art of Nicholas Huggins is also very creative and thought-provoking to me because of his focus on highlighting the Caribbean experience. As an artist from Trinidad and Tobago, I can really relate to his work.

GLEAC: Can you list the hard skills v/s soft skills required for your job?

Seon: The hard skills include Design Thinking, Typography, and Design Software Proficiency. The soft skills needed are Creativity, Communication, and Problem-solving.

GLEAC: What are the pros and cons of your career?

Seon: There are several pros. For instance, I get the unique opportunity each day to communicate ideas visually that could transcend language. Also, every project I work on allows me to learn so much about the world that we live in. If I had to state a few cons, I’d say that sometimes I find it hard to detach from work. I may be looking at a restaurant menu and focusing more on the design instead of the actual food options. Also, as designers, at times our work and contribution is undervalued and overlooked.

GLEAC: Apart from designing, what are your hobbies?

Seon: I really enjoy all things creative so you can find me dabbling in photography, videography, painting, and sculpting. But what I really love doing lately is gardening. There is just something about being able to nurture a seedling into a plant that can produce fruit.

Seon is designing the NFTs for our ‘Lovely Humans’ pilot project which is all set to go live on the 15th of October 2022! Visit http://lovelyhumans.io/ to learn more!