Speaking with Designer, Alberte Grene Due

Alberte Grene Due is a multimedia designer who lives in the Danish countryside. She has collaborated with Azutura to create a series of wall stickers featuring her incredible astrological star signs.

In our latest interview, we spoke with Alberte to discuss how she became a designer, how she juggles parenthood and a busy work schedule, her interest in astrology and much more.

Keep reading to see what she had to say and for a chance to see her amazing designs.

Hi Alberte, thanks for taking the time to speak with us. Can you start off by introducing yourself and telling us a little bit about your life?

Yes, well my name is Alberte and I am 28 years old. I live in Denmark in a big red wooden house in a small town, in the countryside on fairytale looking Funen. I live with my husband who I have been with for almost 8 years and my 1½-year-old daughter.

How’s quarantine life going? Has it affected your productivity?

The first lockdown in Denmark didn't really affect my life as I was home on maternity leave. But now, like all other people, I think it is quite boring and depressing to be so isolated.

On the other hand, it is actually nice not to have ten thousand appointments scheduled in the calendar and be able to use that time with my family and in nature.

How and when did you first become interested in design?

My mom works as a technical designer at LEGO, so all my life I have seen what she can create with a computer and Illustrator. It was very exciting and I was really fascinated by it - I dreamed of being just like her.

Additionally, I have always loved to paint and be creative, so I have always created “art”. Now, I just do it digitally on my computer.

How do you juggle your work as a multimedia designer, your artworks and being a parent?

It is not easy, but luckily my husband accepts that this is what I want, so he is good at taking care of our daughter and helping around the house when I am in my creative process.

Can you walk us through your creative process from coming up with an initial idea through to the final design?

It starts with an idea popping into my head. Then, I spend a lot of hours, days and months to concretize the idea.

Then, the visualizing starts. It can take a long time to get it right and end up with a result I like. As an artist, you are often your own worst critic.

What inspires your work?

Nature and my everyday life.

What drew you to the subject of astrology?

I have an ambivalent relationship with the sky. It fascinates and scares me because I do not fully understand the universe. So, to try to understand it, I have spent a lot of time looking up at the stars. When I tried to find my zodiac sign in the sky the inspiration hit me.

What advice would you give to an aspiring designer?

Find and develop your own style and be true to it.

Have a reason behind every design decision - colour, theory, which fonts work together etc. I found this to be very important as it’s then it is easier to explain to clients why you have done what you did and you know your design will work.

If you weren’t a designer, what career path would you have pursued?

Actually, I started my career as a truck mechanic, but I became allergic to formaldehyde which is used in the industry. I had to change my career and tried to pursue one of my dreams - to become a designer. I have always enjoyed working with my hands, so it would be a career in some form of craftsmanship.

What’s the future looking like? Anything big on the horizon?

Nothing special - just making posters and trying to become a well-known designer.