Sarah Lopez
Blog updated Dec 2022
etceteraillustration.com / @etc_etera_
Pronouns: She/Her
Where are you from? Jersey City, NJ
Identity: Black / African American, Hispanic / Latino
Languages: English, Spanish
Where do you currently work at? Freelance Designer / previously In-House Designer at Radix Media
How did you get into design? I studied illustration in undergrad, and one of my favorite parts of illustrating was, and still is, figuring out the composition. This led me to want to learn about graphic design.
One favorite book you've designed and why? Futures: A Science Fiction Series. I really enjoyed coming up with an identity that would connect titles by different authors, covering a range of themes. I liked the challenge of making each chapbook stand out on its own, while looking like it belonged in the series.
What do you like about being a book designer in publishing? I'm a book nerd! I love that I get to read manuscripts in their early stages, before the general public even knows that it's going to be a book. Designing books also introduces me to work that I might not have read on my own. The cherry on top is designing something that people will keep on their bookshelves and hopefully cherish for a long time.
Favorite book or current read and why? I’m currently reading Visions Magazine, a science fiction magazine based in the UK. It’s made up of short stories, essays, and illustrations, and each issue is based on a theme. Visions is beautifully designed, and they include writing from a wide range of disciplines. It’s been fun to see how the themes unfold as you read through the magazine. The theme for the most recent issue is Visions of Humanity. I just finished reading an essay by Amy Papaelias where she looks at the evolution of typography. She starts out with a brief history of print, weaves in emojis and variable fonts, and ends with a vision of the future where typography makes communication accessible to as many people as possible. Visions has a nontraditional approach to science fiction that I really enjoy.
Tell us a surprising fact about you? I went to a small, alternative middle school where we didn’t have grades. It’s a science focused school where students are encouraged to learn through experimentation. We went on a lot of field trips, and had to complete a self-directed project every 3 months. We also had a classroom in our local science museum.
What did you learn about publishing that you wish you knew before? How it operates and how all of the labor is divided. The inner workings are such a mystery to anyone who’s not in the industry, so it’s been an enlightening experience. I also feel lucky to be working with a company like Radix Media where we work collectively and are transparent about all aspects of the business. I think that it’d be hard for me to know what happens on the editor’s side, or how distribution works if I was working somewhere else. I feel like I’m learning a lot more than I would have if I was working with a different publisher, and am really grateful for that.
What's one goal you have for yourself in this industry? I'd love to design an art/coffee table book someday.
How do you over come a creative block? If I’m feeling stuck, I’ll usually do some more research and see if I can take a different approach. I also tend to start over a lot. Sometimes it’s easier for me to start fresh, rather than staying stuck on one thing. There are times when I go back to my original idea, and am able to work through the block because I focused on something else for a while.