Steph Dutton

Steph’s unique style uses the medium of cut and paste. Through focusing directly on a specific subject or story, she commonly uses a single context to find related images and creates harmonious visuals to complement the arrangement.


Creatively, I think it’s really important to take breaks and go back to the work with fresh eyes – often I’ll spot something that’s missing or figure out a solution to a problem. Artist block is a very real thing but I’ve figured out that you just gotta keep making. Most of the time mistakes and the weird stuff I make for a laugh tend to be the things that spark new ideas.

Personally, I believe communication and honesty are key! I am very lucky to have a wonderful and supportive bunch of friends and family and always talk to them when I encounter a problem. Making a list/plan helps and breaking things down into smaller parts so it doesn’t seem like such a huge problem that you have to deal with. I find that a lot of my ideas for designs come from the personal obstacles I encounter, using them as a source of inspiration and transforming them into something creative and positive is always helpful.

Is there anything you find difficult about creating a piece? If so how do you overcome it?

Sometimes I spend too much time on a piece and start to overthink it and question everything about it – this is why it’s important to take breaks and have different options rather than focus on one design.  I also worry way too much about whether the client will like the design or not and I get very anxious before sending it over but I’m learning to be more confident in my own work and most importantly have fun whilst making it.

Where do you usually find inspiration for your designs?

I collect books on psychology and body language, I’ve always been fascinated by the way people communicate – both physically and verbally and I try to express those connections in my designs. The diagrams within these textbooks also have a huge influence on my work. Most of the time my ideas come from me trying to unpick my often anxious mind!

Explain a bit about the design you created to help us raise awareness of plastic pollution

I wanted to send an important message about the invasion of plastic in the oceans and realise the damage it’s causing to both the species and ecosystems. I tried to make people aware of these issues in a lighthearted and humorous way – hence the fish’s personal space issues.



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