Interview with Birgit Palma – Fight For Kindness 2025 Guest
Birgit Palma is an Austrian illustrator and lettering lover. She works in the sweet spot between modern avant-garde illustration and lettering, with a love for surrealism, bold colours, and abstract geometry. She has shared her knowledge at design festivals around the world, and her geometric, colourful style has attracted clients such as Adobe, Adidas, Samsung, Wired, and more.
"I used to be very intimidated by typography, all the rules felt so restrictive and rigid. Nowadays I see letters as dynamic shapes, as visual containers which can be manipulated to convey emotion and expression."
How did you bring your signature style into your poster? When working on a message that carries emotional and social weight, how do you find the right balance between expressive visuals and typographic clarity?
With the artwork "Take your time," I initially focused on the idea — it is a personal reminder to be kind to yourself. Once the message is set, it often guides the process. I treat typography and illustration as equal, and search in between letter and visual shapes for the opportunity to introduce my idea. The challenge is always finding the right balance between bold, expressive visuals and clear typography, but I've found that when the core idea is strong, the rest falls into place naturally.
Over the years, how has your perception of letterforms changed—from something functional to something expressive or even emotional?
My perception of letterforms has gone through a complete transformation over the years. I used to be very intimidated by typography, all the rules felt so restrictive and rigid. Nowadays I see letters as dynamic shapes, as visual containers which can be manipulated to convey emotion and expression. They're not just for reading; they're an invitation to be creative, a combination of shapes that can be played with just like any other element in a design. This shift has unlocked a whole new world for me, allowing me to merge words and illustrations, creating a deeper, layered message without changing the written word.
How do you approach the expressive potential of typography in your work? In particular, how do you letterforms to evoke emotion and give depth to the messages you're communicating?
I've come to see typography as both a visual and strategic tool. One does not rule out the other. We perceive with the eye, but the message itself touches the heart. It's the tiny nuances, the changes in the form of letters, the tone that can add additional meaning and emotional depth in a message. And those implemented changes are always dictated by the initial idea of the artwork, not the other way around.
"Kindness and empathy are essential in today's design practice. In a world of fast-forward, 'fast food' design, it's easy to forget that there's a human on the other side of the screen perceiving your message."
In a global initiative like this, many designers choose to work in English to reach a broader audience. Others lean into their native language or script, to connect more deeply with their culture. Both approaches carry unique strengths. How do you navigate this choice? Do you feel one has more impact than the other?
After 20 years of living in a multicultural environment, I've come to deeply appreciate the small, beautiful nuances of native languages as something which makes life and people special. Letterforms from different cultures carry similar inviting nuances, which makes me want to explore other cultures in a visual context and try to understand them. For me it's important to create artworks in languages other than English, first to conserve one's roots and explore others, but also for people to see and appreciate the richness of life. I'm totally aware of the risk of misinterpretation, but I'd rather cross that border than stay on the safe path, that's the richness that lies in that exploration.
What role do values like kindness or empathy play in your design practice today?
Kindness and empathy are essential in today's design practice. In a world of fast-forward, 'fast food' design, it's easy to forget that there's a human on the other side of the screen perceiving your message. I believe a great design goes beyond the visual and connects with a person on an emotional level (from heart to heart). It's basically about remembering that the messages we send can touch someone's heart and create a connection.
This interview is part of the Visual Voices for Change 2025 Fight for Kindness Annual book
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