Good People of vitruta: Ester Saba
The newest member of Good People of vitruta is Ester Saba! I've met Ester dozens of times, but never had a planned encounter; our friendship has been entirely based on spontaneous meetings. Whether it was while she was working at Soho House, dining at Aheste, or having drinks with friends in front of Tavern. This time, we made a plan to meet intentionally! And of course, not in some far-off place, but still in Beyoğlu. After the photo shoot, we had a very enjoyable conversation at the beginning of a Friday evening, which we spent with our friends for about 8 hours. I hope you all enjoy this interview as much as we did!
Ester, welcome to Good People of vitruta! First, let's start with the classic question; who is Ester Saba? How did you start, how did you get to where you are today, and what are you doing now?
Thanks for having me! I moved to Istanbul about a year ago and I’m a graphic designer. I’m originally from Izmir. After high school, I went to London for university, where I studied product design at Central Saint Martins. After two years of working at an interior design office, I found myself as a graphic designer here in Istanbul. :) I’m someone who’s a bit indecisive and loves doing many things at once, so running my own business suits me very well.
How would you describe your time at Central Saint Martins? I’m sure it left a mark on you, influencing your work and life today.
Central Saint Martins is a school that values freedom, experimentation, and imagination. You can even see it in the way people dress (there’s an account called @thats_so_CSM that perfectly illustrates this). It’s also a place that highly encourages great ideas and research. It focuses more on teaching creativity than technical details. The most important thing it gave me for my work and life today is probably the courage to try new things and work across different fields. The belief that I can manage and get things done, no matter what, is something I picked up at St. Martins.
What influenced your journey to becoming a designer after university?
Toward the end of university, a friend of mine told me he was opening a café in Istanbul and asked if I could design its branding. At first, I said, “I can’t, I don’t know anything about this.” But then, after a bit of back-and-forth, we ended up designing Rawsters’ branding. That was my entry into the world of identity design. From there, one thing led to another. Moving to Istanbul also had a huge impact. As I met more people here, new projects started to emerge.
What inspires you in both your designs and illustrations? Where do you draw inspiration from when creating these works?
In my designs, I draw inspiration from old, nostalgic packaging, medicine boxes, and Art Deco patterns. I enjoy modernizing them and blending different styles. Additionally, the shop signs in various neighborhoods of Istanbul inspire me when it comes to typography. For my illustrations, I focus on everyday objects we use and see around us. I create still life drawings by combining random objects in front of me with different colors and patterns.
Since we're talking about illustrations, let's also touch upon the work you did for Selin Osmanoğlu’s Veraison as part of another Good People of vitruta collaboration. How did that partnership come about?
We were introduced to Selin through a mutual friend for another project. Unfortunately, we couldn’t move forward with that project due to the pandemic. At that time, Selin had the idea of branding Veraison, so we focused on that. An energetic branding that reflected the tone of Veraison’s communication came to life. It was such an enjoyable collaboration for me. While supporting the newsletter with illustrations, I also got to learn new things about wine.
We can transition from Veraison to the world of food and drink! :) Where do you love spending your time in Istanbul? What are your favorite neighborhoods, cafes, restaurants, and bars?
I really love the neighborhood culture, so I often find myself in Teşvikiye and Pera. My favorite cafes to work in are Sunday, Minoa, and Petra. For lunch, I go to Helvetia. As for restaurants and bars, my top favorites are Mürver, Yeni Lokanta, and Markus Tavern.
Are there any books, podcasts, or films/TV shows you've recently read, listened to, or watched that you'd like to share with us?
I highly recommend Simon Garfield’s book "Tam Benim Tipim", which delves into the design stories of typefaces. I’m also listening to a program from Açık Radyo called "Sanat Uzun İlham Sonsuz". It beautifully and calmly discusses art history and psychology. Lastly, I’d like to share Dogtooth, which has been one of the weirdest films I’ve seen lately. :)
I know you make the most of Rains' Backpack model by filling it to the brim for maximum efficiency. Are there any other brands at vitruta that stand out for you, both in terms of their identity and products?
Apart from Rains, the brands I really love at vitruta, both for their identity and products, are Vatka Co, Muni Bum Bag, Lar Studio, and Knitology.