Who the hell is Olivia Marie Foster?

We’re a group of creatives who are serious about changing the world for the better. Introducing the people of DixonBaxi; get to know some of the brilliant minds behind our work as we dive into all things professional and personal. Meet Olivia–a music enthusiast with a passion for good books and strong coffee, who’s also one of our interns.

Who are you and what do you do?
I’m Olivia, more commonly known as Olive, and I’m the studio intern here at DB. My role includes keeping the studio organised, helping out the team whenever needed, and making sure there is always a pot of coffee on if only so I can have my fourth cup of the day. I’m a big coffee drinker.

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What’s your story?
I’m originally from New Jersey, USA but I’ve been living in the UK for 15 years. I studied Illustration at university and went on to do an MA in Communication Design. (I would just like to shout out to my MA tutor, Robyn, for being the coolest and most encouraging tutor ever!)

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I started working in Marketing which gave me great experience in different areas such as content creation, management, art direction, and logo design. Through that experience I developed an interest in branding and the urge to learn more about it so I decided to make the jump over and that’s what led me to DB!

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What are you working on right now?
My role at DB has given me an all access pass to learn about the different teams, the part they play within the process, and explore what interests me within branding. I’m also gaining insight into the importance of studio management and keeping things running smoothly behind the scenes.

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In my spare time, I’m working on two projects: the first, is about visualising creative block and accepting it within your creative practice and the second, is addressing the current political climate in America in regards to the overturn of Roe. I also enjoy creative writing and I’m working on a book but it’s in very early stages.

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“Good design should be accessible, relatable, and give you that warm fuzzy feeling.”

Describe your working style in 3 words.
Organised, Passionate, and Curious.

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Tell us about some of your interests. What are you into?
I’m a music enthusiast: listening, playing, and going to live gigs. But I can’t mention music without a quick plug for my partner’s band: The Shakes. If you like a bit of sass and rock ‘n’ roll go check them out.

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I’m a big food lover. I enjoy cooking from scratch as much as possible and I’m all about keeping in touch with my American roots in the kitchen.

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I’m also a huge bookworm. Buying books is definitely my guilty pleasure and I love getting lost in a story. I’m currently re-reading The Collector by John Fowles. In summary it’s about Joe Goldberg before Joe Goldberg was Joe Goldberg.

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Do you think design can change the world? How?
100%. Design to me is about visualising a narrative. I’m a big champion of political design because it gives us the chance to highlight important issues, strip away the legal mumbo jumbo, and create an accessible, informative visual so that real people can understand the laws that impact them. We are privileged as creatives to be able to use our skills to design a greater future.

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If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
I think the world needs more equality. A lot of policies are centred around what’s best for some rather than what’s best for all and we’ve taken a massive step backwards in terms of generating positive change and equal rights.

I hope one day we can live in a world where everyone is free to be whoever they want to be with access to the same resources and support. Until then, I believe it’s extremely important that we use our voices to speak up against injustice and use our right to vote to elect government representatives who want to make the world a better place.

What’s the last song you listened to?
I’ve been rinsing Wolf Alice’s cover of ‘Sense’ by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard that they did for Triple J, Like A Version. The OG song also slaps.

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Why do you do what you do? What motivates you?
I’m motivated by the world we live in, everyday life, and I want to be a part of shaping our  future.

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What’s your definition of good design?
Good design should be accessible, relatable, and give you that warm fuzzy feeling.