Amy Franceschini began her professional life with an intense desire to become a photojournalist, but this was not to be her fate. According to Franceschini, a random conversation with a man at a party first cast doubt over her journalistic ambitions....
[more]Amy Franceschini began her professional life with an intense desire to become a photojournalist, but this was not to be her fate. According to Franceschini, a random conversation with a man at a party first cast doubt over her journalistic ambitions. He told her that she'd be condemning herself to a life of genteel poverty unless she chose a more practical career. After her graduation from San Francisco State University, she kept that casual advice in mind but persisted in taking an internship at Photo Metro. Ironically, it was at this monthly San Francisco photo publication that she finally turned her mind toward design. It so happened that Henry Brimmer, the publisher, needed a designer more than a photographer; his encouragement planted the first serious seeds of change. Her stepfather, a visual poet and publisher, further pushed her by sending stacks of submissions to his magazine, Kaldron. Between Brimmer and her stepfather, Franceschini learned all she needed to know about print design.
Some years later, Oliver Laude approached her about doing Atlas, a web-based magazine that would operate as a resource for photojournalists, designers, illustrators, and multimedia artists. Even though she had never seen a web site, she did have experience creating interactive projects. Atlas' original intent, as in the case of many success stories, was neither to get rich nor to start a business -- it was to function simply as a creative outlet. But thanks to Franceschini's accessible design work, the site drew raves, publicity, and, after a while, clients. She went on to found the Futurefarmers web design company and create elaborate web-based campaigns for major corporate players like Nike, MSNBC, and Switch Manufacturing.
Franceschini's early print illustrations capitalize on a hip, retro look, using endearing cartoonish figures, lots of pinks, and a sharp, witty sensibility underlying the naïve, playful façade. Her web designs are often characterized by clean lines, small markers, a straightforward interface, and her trademark charming animations. The Futurefarmers site is both functional and gorgeous; alongside its high-tech portfolio are Shockwave interfaces that offer a whole new meaning for the term "eye candy." Atlas Magazine also showcases her best creative work: adorable animated biomorphic creatures float past curlycue borders or intermingle with colorful bubble-letter texts. A fantastical vintage postcard feel is offset by futuristic spidery lines and quirky ASCII art.
These days, Franceschini still holds a place for photojournalism in her heart, but she's got a lot of projects going at once. Besides expanding her photography and web design skills, she also hopes to get into documentary filmmaking. As Amy put it in a recent interview, "I want to get to a place where I can hire people and not have to do as much hands-on work. Then I can focus on films, art, and photography. I like to have a lot of things of my plate."
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