’10 women – 10 stories – 10 Marylène Madou pieces’: a documentary series by photographer Annabella Schwagten.
In this series, we’d like to introduce you to Jedidja Samyn. Jedidja is a graphic designer who helps organizations and companies with a strong visual identity and publication designs. She invites us in her warm and cosy work place, and a lustrous printed curtain catches our eyes immediately.
Jedidja knows what it takes to start as an independent designer.
‘’To take the leap is the hardest but also the best thing you can do.’’
As a successful creator, she designs books, corporate identities, magazines, catalogs, and more, all with a contemporary focus.
Everyday Inspiration
Success is driven by inspiration, and Jedidja enjoys spending time outdoors. The flower garden she created is growing profusely: the more she picks, the more it grows. Garden work is something she finds relaxing. Yet like many thriving women in the business world, she also gets her inspiration from thought leaders in her industry.
‘’As a graphic designer, I find the working method and vision of Irma Boom very inspiring. What she does with ‘the book’ as an object is both innovative and groundbreaking. For example, she created a book for the textile artist Sheila Hicks with an entirely white cover. Unprecedented in the world of book design!’’
Career
Every career path has its special moments to remember. For Jedidja, it was the very first book she designed.
‘’Such a great moment when the very first book I designed for a client arrived on my doormat. I had to get used to how it looked in real life, but it was very satisfying to finally have it in my hands.’’
In the future, she plans on expanding her design agency and working with lots of great clients.
”I would also like to further develop and publish my master project, which was selected for, among others, the Wanatoe Prize.” An important prize for young designers in the area, congratulations on such an achievement.
Favorite project
How do you pick your favorite project when there are so many? For Jedidja, the corporate identity for jewelry designer Kristy Bujanic is definitely high up on the list. Being able to work with many beautiful materials allowed her to design a strong, contrasting and recognizable visual identity. An identity that helped Kristy Bujanic to be recognizable and appealing for the right clients.
Jedidja owns two Marylène Madou scarves and is wearing a silk twill square in the Vintage Strawberries and Jungle Birds print. On the second picture, she stands in front of her own art work, a graphic collage in gorgeous purple hues.
