Hannah Bottino

The philosophy of art

Hannah has been encouraged to explore her artistic side since she was a kid — “We had an art room in our house, and now I realize that’s not a normal thing for everyone” — and it was while studying graphic design in London that she honed her skills and developed her personal style. When working on visual projects with DH clients, Hannah believes design should be dictated by the message behind it, and that process requires a lot of research, collaboration and a healthy dose of experimentation.

Drawing inspiration

Learning about art involves looking at a lot of other peoples’ work, and some of Hannah’s favorite artists include Lee Krasner (“Her abstract expressionism is some of my favorite”), Agnes Martin and Anni Albers, and she admires the work of graphic designers like Talia Cotton (“I really love her brain and thinking behind things”) and Paula Scher. She also takes inspiration from music, and it’s not uncommon to see her taking a long walk while listening to an album from beginning to end. Some of her favorite walking records: Joni Mitchell’s “Blue” and Tracy Chapman’s self-titled debut.

Hannah’s advice:

“Reflection is a part of the creative process that doesn’t get talked about enough. When you see an album cover or poster, it’s hard to know all of the things that went into it. But when you talk to other designers and walk through their process, you realize how important all those steps were in that process.”

A good bargain

When she isn’t working on eye-catching designs, Hannah is always on the lookout for eye-catching thrift finds. Her best recent thrift purchase: A vintage pair of Doc Martens that may or may not be authentic, but they’ve lasted a long time. “I used to thrift to find the craziest, coolest things,” Hannah says. “Now I’m looking for practical pieces that will last me a long time. As I become more sustainably conscious, I need to be sure I’m not consuming just to consume.”