In this better-late-than-never interview, we sit down with the winner of AIGA Arizona’s Best of 2023 exhibition at Phoenix Design Week: Sulien Bruceta. The honor, won amidst a highly competitive field, underscores not only their exceptional design talent but also their ability to inspire and rally community support. Join us as we explore her journey, motivations, and the unique strategies that led to this outstanding recognition.

 

 

Q: What we have found over the past two years, is that the results in this public phase are directly related to each person’s ability to run an effective campaign that gets people to vote. For that reason, I believe you were especially motivated and successful. Congratulations!

A: Thank you so much, Julia. First and foremost, I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to participate in the Best of AZ at Phoenix Design Week this year. The fact that my project won a prize was a sweet surprise! I was excited and motivated to deliver my best work. Perhaps this excitement was contagious to those I shared my submission with.

 

Q: Please tell me what you did; what was your plan to promote your submission and win Best of Community?

A: The process started a year ago when I began working for the organization Check for a Lump. Holly Rose, the founder, invited me to help them redesign their annual educational publication. Their mission for 13 years has been to help women with breast cancer related issues, which I found inspiring because I’m a breast cancer survivor myself. I believed this was the right opportunity to challenge me on a personal and professional level. The organization had been the recipient of many awards during those years, but they didn’t have an award for the design category; so I thought this was something I could help with. I kept the Best of AZ contest to myself as it runs in October, the Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the busiest month for us. Right before the submission deadline I decided to send my work to AIGA. My plan was to show what Check for a Lump stands for, and I believe I achieved my goal. As I mentioned previously, I wanted to keep this as a surprise for my team, and I shared the link to vote just with family and friends. They got super excited for me to win so they shared it with their friends; and from there I’m not sure how far this went. Hahaha! I never shared the link on any social media platform, but in private messages, so you can imagine my surprise when we won. My heart is full of gratitude for each and every person who voted. Our team was beyond excited about this!

 

Q: Tell me about your design education and training. What and who were some of the forces and people that shaped your design development, starting in Cuba and continuing in Arizona?

A: I have a Bachelor Degree in Visual Communication Design from Superior Institute of Design, in Havana, Cuba. In Cuba, you have to study for 5 years, make a final thesis project and present it to faculty judges, to be able to graduate. I worked in Cuba at Casa Editora Abril, a publishing house, designing books and magazines for kids, youths and adults. Then my husband and I came to the United States, with my dad (a political refugee) through a Family Reunification Program. We breathe for the first time the air of freedom, far away from communism and from the Cuban dictatorial regimen. Here in Arizona, I found the possibility to design for the Hispanic magazines Segunda Mano and Ideas. Later I worked for BP Graphics to learn from the big printing industry. Finally, I opened my own design business, from home, and suddenly came the pandemic and the breast cancer diagnosis. It all happened in the same year, so fast. I underwent 2 surgeries and radiation. When I was trying to go back to work, I searched for something that could upgrade my career, and I found UX Design, my new passion! In the middle of my studies, I started working for Check for a Lump where I am today. I graduated recently as a UX Designer from Google through Coursera, finishing 7 modules full of hands-on projects. My design development has been shaped always by God and his will, and by the love and support of my family, friends and colleagues. Coming from another country and having the opportunity to grow professionally while helping others it’s a dream come true. I love sharing my knowledge and applying it!

 

Q; It’s clear your campaign is motivated personally, because of your own cancer survival. Can you talk about that a bit? Maybe it was a good way to focus your energy.

A: Enduring significant trauma in your life allows for an opportunity to reflect and choose how you’re going to use your experience in the future. In my case, I took it for good. I read a lot, and reflected about my life, the way I used to see things. That second chance I was given I wanted to use it for more good things and I expanded my expectations, not just to gain professional experience but also to help others to grow. In this case I wanted to do it for Check for a Lump. My motto was: if I win this prize, Check for a Lump will have more visibility to potential women in need, and the organization will possibly get more sponsors as well. Winning the Best of Community Award has many implications in my life and in that of others. The driving force of my work are always the users, in this case, the magazine readers who are women we educate about breast health. If I can make the reading pleasant for them to learn easily, I feel like a winner already!

 

Q: More importantly, how are you feeling now?

A: Now I’m still in treatment in order to avoid a recurrence. I had a hormone-positive breast cancer tumor, so I get a shot in my belly every 28 days that puts me in menopause in order to lower estrogen levels. I feel stable after 3 years of treatment, and I got used to the new way my body works, under this medication. I have 2 more years left to finish the 5 years of preventive treatment. After everything I have been going through, I have learned a new lifestyle that has helped me stay on the right path: healthier and happier!

Q: On your website, you say: “Communication is the main key for any kind of relationship. Would you like to start a diaphanous professional conversation?” I love your use of the word “diaphanous” which means “light, delicate, and translucent.” Although it is an unusual context in which to use this word (it usually describes fabric), I kind of like this. Can you tell me any particular motivation to express communication in this way?

A: I’ve been talkative since I was a baby, which I think reflects a love for communication early on. This hasn’t changed during adulthood and that’s a big reason why I pursued a college degree in visual communication design. I like to have conversations, and most of the time, long ones, hahaha. Jokes aside, in a professional context, creating that special bridge with clients has facilitated me the creation of more accurate solutions for their projects. The use of the adjective “diaphanous” to describe the type of conversation I’d like to have with my clients, came from the way we use it in Spanish. That adjective in English has only 1 use while in Spanish it has 4. When I created the website, the word was straightforward for me. I wanted to express how honest, and transparent conversations will be. It’s interesting how in English it can be perceived as a metaphor. That’s the beauty of words and I like it.

Keep up with Sulien by
visiting her website: suliendesigns.com

connecting with her on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sulien-bruceta.