We had the good fortune of connecting with Isabelle Chaligné and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Isabelle, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I definitely attribute my early creative interests to both my parents’ passion for the arts and different forms of craftsmanship. They both have the collecting bug; watching them analyse and marvel at every detail of an object helped develop my creative curiosity. My mother dragged my siblings and I across museums in Europe which opened my eyes to many forms of artistic expression. I think it was during a visit to Murano in Italy when I saw a glassblower at work that I became more conscious of design as a creative discipline. The possibility of creating something out of liquid sand and air, the challenge and excitement that comes with making something out of seemingly so little just set a spark in me to start making things of my own.

My understanding and appreciation for design grew further when I went to design school and learnt about the importance of the audience and their environment. It allowed me to move my work beyond the unique purpose of self expression.

I’ve always been a visual communicator; via my art and design work, I can shine light on certain nuances, unexpected details and connections. I have the ability to build excitement, nostalgia or create educational and community centred experiences which lies at the heart of my passion.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

In my work, I tend to be medium agnostic. I will experiment with engraving, print, installation, video but recently I have found myself wrapped into more digital projects.

A recent project that I’m proud of – I would say the Around Stadium app I worked on at augmented reality startup ARound. I helped design a lot of the game art and user interface for the shared AR app where we partnered with the Los Angeles Rams NFL team and SoFi Bank. On Christmas Day, I got to see my first static feature for an AR snowball fight activation. It was broadcasted on SoFi Stadium’s infinity screen with at least 50’000 people in attendance which was quite a surreal moment. It’s been really exciting to explore what AR can offer in bringing magical interactive moments to life for sports fans.

Recently I’ve been fascinated by the world of motion, 3d and digital simulation. During my MFA thesis at ArtCenter, I used game engine Unity to bring environmental simulation into traditional social media UI. I explored how an ambient representation of local lighting, weather, and other simulations of seasonal fauna or flora events could bring a different level of environmental awareness to the user; I then speculated how it could affect their usage.

Building my creative practice between LA, London and my hometown Geneva has allowed to meet and collaborate with really talented individuals; bringing other creatives’ visions to life through my visual design, video editing or art direction has been extremely fulfilling. I am only at the start of my professional journey but I’ve learnt that reaching out and connecting with your local creative community is so important. Design will always be a collaborative process and there is so much to learn from others’ experiences. LA also has a really exciting entrepreneurial buzz about it and that has encouraged me to create more self-initiated work.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

I fell in love with LA because of its outdoorsy options, a drive to Malibu to spend time at the beach and watch the surfers at El Matador and the hike between point Dume and Paradise cove are definitely a good start. I would stop by Old Place for their delicious bbq sandwiches and salads on the way back.

For a creative day, I would bring them to the Broad in Downtown, grab a bite at Grand Central market which has great Central American food stands and then head to the Arts District to gallery hop. As it is in the area, I would also get tickets at Secret Movie Film club where they show some classic 35mm films.

For a more relaxed weekend day, I would bring my friend to Arcana bookstore, a real gem for art and design books and then visit either the Los Feliz or Silverlake flea market for some good fashion finds.

Finally, for a good night out, I would take my friend East. I love going to car meets around Glendale to see low riders and other vintage cars. Then for going out dancing, I would bring them to Zebulon in Atwater Village or The Friend in Silverlake. As a big disco/80s fan, I would also offer to go to the Moonlight Rollerway on their Wednesday disco night. I hope my friend can still stand and gets some good rest after this!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

I remember Dr Juliette Kristensen explaining how education was a transformative experience in her life journey during a lecture at Goldsmiths University in London. There was so much creativity and exciting dialogue during my time at design school! My peers both at the Goldsmiths Design BA in London and at the MA in Media Design Practices at ArtCenter have brought me so much inspiration and support; they all have my admiration! I would like to give a special thanks to Clelia Anchisi, Louise Skajem and Elaine Purnama for their unique creative voices and loyal friendships.

My adventures in LA have also led me to make some special creative encounters, I would like to shout out Lauren Fisher and Joni Dobrov for their valuable mentorship as well as Nick Sanchez for taking the beautiful headshot for this article.

Website: https://www.isabellechaligne.com/

Instagram: @isasdesign

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabelle-chalign%C3%A9-363269a9/

Image Credits
Nicholas Sanchez: personal picture

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.