Liyanna
Baloca

Featured by Studio916

August

2025

Was the child-like style in your art intentional or did it develop over time?

The common thread among the meme-like statements was positive affirmations. Silly ways of saying you're goated, or you believe in yourself. So, as I was making them, it was around the time that marked a year since I graduated from Notre Dame and I started reflecting on how many of the statements I chose are things I would tell myself a year ago in my senior year when I was a business major overloading credits just so I could cram in a double-major in visual communications. I wanted the creative life so badly, but it took me a long time to give myself permission. Once I did, I hit the ground running and kept telling myself it's going to work out because I am crazy enough haha.

So I ended up in my feels a bit as I went along with this project, and the child-like influence came in at the end when I started reflecting on the social media designs I would make for various internships, the drama club props I built in high school, the clothes I would spray paint in grade school, and the box of doodles my mom still keeps that I drew in kindergarten. Even as a kid, it was always in me, and I'm seeing it now, and I'm doing it now for that kid back then.

Is typography a usual focus for you, or was it just for this project?

Typography is actually something I am horrible at! Which is exactly why I wanted that to be the focus of this project. I find that I tend to gravitate towards photo editing, collages, and illustrations---slapping on typography last and as an afterthought. So I've really wanted to improve my skills this year and felt that if I had a project entirely focused on typography, it would really force me to think more intentionally about font choice and how to be playful with type. I also find in stickers I gravitate towards, I do mostly buy stickers with bold typographic statements I can identify with, and I buy them to stick in places where I can tell the world "this is what I like!" or "this is my sense of humor!"So I wanted the collection to use meme-like statements that others may resonate with. When I first posted them online actually, my friends DM'd asking if I planned to sell them too! So, definitely a good choice :)

What’s your favorite project from your graphic design career?

Very tough question! I'd say it's my last project I made in university as a speculative project for a cafe called The Daily Bird. I find most fulfillment in the research process and coming up with the direction itself honestly more than the act of designing. In my project, I found ties between the owner's own mental health recovery and how coffee in the Age of Enlightenment was a stimulant that may have contributed to overcoming the Great Depression where alcoholic beverages were more accessible than clean water. Historical insights like that really inspire me and allow me to connect the dots and reasoning for my execution, creating more than something visually appealing, but something with story and a vision.

How has your colorful, cartoon-like style shaped the messages you convey?

I like playing a lot with painfully bright colors, I think of it as a nod to MS Paint and "graphic design is my passion" memes with the use of comic sans and word art. Growing up on the internet, a lot of my early exposure to creative outlets was literally memes. It's silly, but it's literally graphic design. I'm really drawn to the idea of how memes are intentionally poorly designed, yet meant for mass audiences. It's totally contradictory to design principles---but it just works. And with that, I do want to keep challenging ideas of what "good" design is. And how something that looks ugly might be exactly what someone understands. Along the same lines, I grew up in the Philippines where objectively ugly tarpaulins would be plastered all over the city. But, as bad as they are, in a way it's part of the culture. It's just supposed to look that way. Recently, tarpaulins of artists were anonymously set up all over Manila, becoming a viral sensation just because it's delightful seeing western pop-culture conforming to uniquely south-east asian design. Like that's so silly! I just love "ugly" chaotic, colorful things.

Do you think monetizing art hurts it, or helps it in the long run?

I don't think it hurts. I think where it hurts is when the monetary value doesn't reflect the art's value. For instance, there are brands that put so much heart and soul into the work and truly hone their taste and vision, but there are also brands who emulate a trend going on, lacking the research and integrity to go deeper than surface level. Two brands creating art with different levels of depth are both going to sell their design on a hoodie for $80. And my issue is that when a brand that lacks depth can match the price level of one that does, it devalues real artists as if there's no difference in taste or vision comparing the two at all. Like, as if good textiles and quality printing is all that merits an $80 price tag, but really one's brand value is worth so much more than the other--- it's also measuring something so intangible at the same time. So in the long run, I think monetizing hurts art because thoughtful art and unintentional art are often priced the same reflecting quality of production, but not the intangible value of the art itself.