Emilie Chen - Dramatic by Design
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This is a recording of a talk held online and in-person at St Bride Foundation on 25 March 2025.
Émilie Chen is a London-based graphic designer and art director from Paris, who specialises in theatre posters, book covers and key arts for TV. Having previously worked in-house at the National Theatre and Penguin Books, she now works independently for clients including the Barbican, Young Vic and Netflix.
Émilie’s work has been recognised by Graphis Awards, and one of her posters is currently on display at the V&A. She has given talks at UAL, Chelsea College of Arts and Birmingham Design Festival, and has released an online course on idea generation on Domestika.
In this talk, Émilie breaks down the steps that go into producing striking theatre posters, through graphic illustrations or in collaboration with talented photographers who share her passion for capturing the magic in camera.
Using mood boards, concept sketches and behind-the-scenes images, Émilie spoke about reinventing classics, subverting stereotypes, and how going beyond the brief landed her a dream job at the National Theatre. She shared how working around her perceived weaknesses as a designer helped her find her style, and how creative communities, like the Ladies Wine & Design London group that she ran for eight years, can have a transformative power on your career.