real talk: ramisha sattar
introducing: ramisha sattar, the creative designer behind chappell roan, the CHANI astrology app, and even some of phoebe bridgers' tour merch.
This week for trendfriends real talk, we’re spotlighting a creative who you may know from her work as the creative designer for popstar Chappell Roan. Ramisha Sattar has been cultivating the zeitgeist for a while; when Sattar was 14 years old, she began making graphic designs for the cult-followed online magazine Rookie, founded by multi-hyphenate talent Tavi Gevinson. Sattar has even been responsible for some of the designs of Phoebe Bridgers’ concert merch and is the design director of the astrology app CHANI.
Below, we talk with the creative mind behind so much of the imagery we see within pop culture on her craft, her inspiration from drag queens, and, of course, what song she has on repeat.
What's your backstory? How did you get into graphic design?
I got into design because I was part of Rookie Mag; I used to do illustrations and stuff for them. Oh, I was like 14, which is crazy. That's ten years ago, and then from there, because I was always into design, I used to knit as a kid. I've tried every craft in the world. But then I really liked digital art when I started working at Rookie. And then, in college, I majored in motion graphics and liked design and production, so I learned a little about animation.
What are your main sources of creative inspiration? How did you get into motion graphics, like prints, and creative designing sets for live performances?
I learned how to code on Tumblr, how to animate on my DSI flip Nintendo, and then graphic design on Microsoft Paint. My main inspiration for design is seeing what everyone around me is making. It's like, oh my god, anything's possible.
I remember I used to think animation was the most daunting thing. When I just sat down and learned it, I was like, Oh my God, you can teach yourself anything with YouTube and the internet.
How did you start doing design for Chappell Roan and Phoebe Bridges and become a part of their musical journeys?
So for Phoebe, I actually just loved [her album] Punisher, and I posted some designs during quarantine. I was just designing for the music because I love typography and designing for other people's songs. I made some fun posters for Punisher, and then Phoebe and Phoebe's team [reached out and] were like, can we make merch?
So, Chappell and I are really good friends, and she reached out to me about making merch because we connected when I was living in L.A., and we started making merch together. We've done some other fun things, like vinyl design, physical packaging, and live stuff.
I know that in a lot of Roan's music, she cross-references drag culture. Does that inspire a lot of your graphic design?
Yes, I love Juno Birch, my favorite drag queen. Like they're my desktop wallpaper, I'm now staring at the corner of them [on my computer]. Trixie is so fun to see; the makeup, fashion, and campiness of drag remind me a lot of 2010s pop, which I feel like we lost, but it's coming back with [the style of] Katy Perry and Lady Gaga coming back, it's super fun to see silly, bold pop visuals taking over again. Things don't have to be that serious.
How did you develop the visuals for her [Chappell Roan's]Lollapalooza set?
I break it down by song because each has its own little world, but it's all very cohesive. And I'll make a mood board for the song, HOT TO GO! I was like, there has to be burgers, there has to be french fries. I make a little collage kit of all the pieces that should go together. From there, I start playing with the music and figuring out when things should be cued because I've seen her perform so many times. I know the choreography in my head of when she will hit certain marks. Every time I would see her live before we had the stage visuals, [I already had them] in my head, I could already see what needed to be back there for stage projections.
What is your creative process like?
I do a lot of collage art, and that's the basis of all my designs. The first thing I do is find the main image I want to work with, and then from there, I bring in little collage pieces in a collage kit. But I usually start simple: this is the image that I want to work around, and then bring things around it to make a world.
What designers and eras most resonate with you?
Right now, I'm very obsessed with using textiles in collage art. A lot of Indian block printing and I go around a lot of textiles in [the eras] of the 60s and 70s; I love the pops of color and how bold everything was like 1970s Dolly Parton.
How is the astrology app's design process different from your other work?
I don't know a lot about astrology, so I'm always, constantly learning from the astrologers around me, and just Chani [the founder of the app] herself. Everything has meaning and we have to be very particular about what colors we choose to tie back into elements of each sign. Astrology is like a science and everything has to be very intentional.
What is the song you have been listening to on repeat?
I'm obsessed with the little girl who voices Megan in that robot movie. She started making music she's— like a little country star—and the song is called 6ft nothing.