Five Questions with Jennifer Morla: President and Creative Director at Morla Design
Jennifer Morla’s first job was as an On-Air and Print Designer for PBS/San Francisco. Since then, she has received over 300 awards of excellence, and her work has been recognized by virtually every organization in the field of visual communication. Jennifer lectures and judges internationally, has taught at California College of the Arts for over 20 years, and is the recipient of the AIGA Medal and the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian National Design Award.
As we get ready to talk with and learn from her when she graces our main stage at In/Visible Talks 2020 on the topic “Making Ideas Seductive”, get insights into Jennifer’s creative process through her book book, Morla : Design—which features 150 of Morla Design’s print, branding, packaging, web, and environmental design projects—and through her answers to our questions below.
What is your relationship to the creative process?
“Intimate.”
How or where do you find inspiration?
“At art installations, avant garde theater, and opera, in museums and cities, and by just being curious.”
What was one of your biggest creative challenges?
“Allowing time for the creative process.”
When did you first realize you needed to be in a creative field?
“At 11 years old when I visited the design wing at MOMA.”
Who is one of your heroes and why?
“Jenny Holzer, the artist. Her Truisms (shown in her LED installation at the Guggenheim Museum) shed light on the consequences of our actions.”
Bonus Round: What are you reading now?
“I read about 50 books a year, all fiction. A recent favorite is The Overstory by Richard Powers.”