Aaron Dawkins
If you’ve ever wondered who the creative brains behind the branding and website design of waa.berlin are, then let me introduce you to Aaron Dawkins and Louise Matell, the duo behind AARISE — Berlin-based creative agency for graphic design and art direction. I had a dream of what I envisioned waa.berlin would look like and AARISE brought that to life with their cool fonts (that they outsource to Berlin-based type design agency Dinamo), soft tones and minimalist aesthetic. Originally from Brighton in England, Aaron moved to Berlin over six years ago and hasn’t looked back since. Let’s get to know him a bit better!
How did you know that Berlin is the right city for you?
Berlin gives me space to breathe and to be who I want to be. When I was living in England, there was a lot of social pressure, pressure from work and the culture I grew up in. For me, England always seemed to be moving quite fast and was always quite demanding. When I came to Berlin I felt free. It was a fresh new environment. Interestingly enough it immediately felt multifaceted - in Berlin you can be busy if you want to, or you can also live a peaceful life. I love that there is choice and both choices are equally good and supported here.
But you still work between Berlin and London?
Yes, AARISE is now an international studio. We have clients in London, Berlin, Switzerland and Canada. However, when it comes to typefaces, we really enjoy working with Dinamo, a type design agency based in Berlin. We try to use their fonts on most projects.
How does Berlin influence your creative work?
That's a big question. To be honest with you it does just by living life here. I moved to Berlin from Brighton and London six years ago. People I met, experiences I had and my working relationships with people in Berlin genuinely inspired my work. Since I moved to Berlin I have always been in collaborative work, and mostly with women. Plus working alongside another person keeps my creativity and inspiration going. You learn from each other and challenge your own perspectives.
Aaron, who is your Woman Author of Achievement?
One person who always sticks out is my old boss from London, Lizanne Hay. When it came to playing roles and being the boss, she simply ticked all the boxes. She was kind, caring and supportive when she needed to be, but she could also kick your ass when work needed to be done. The perfect combination!
If you had to pick your favorite WAA Podcast episode, which one would it be?
I really enjoyed the conversation you had with Anne Philippi (E.09). It’s really nice to hear someone being so proactive when it comes to depression, mental health and psychedelics.