Talia Cotton
Talia Cotton is a designer, coder, creative entrepreneur, and leading specialist in the intersection of branding and technology. She is the Founder & Creative Director of Cotton: an award-winning creative agency aimed at creating new possibilities in design through technology and custom code. Prior to Cotton, Talia spearheaded the design and development of data-driven and algorithmic brand identities on two teams at Pentagram, working alongside Michael Bierut and Giorgia Lupi. Talia has received recognition from major design awards and publications such as The One Club, The TDC, Fast Co Design, and It's Nice That. Fast Company recently described her as “one of the leading graphic designers of the moment to embrace the possibilities of code.” As a frequent lecturer, Talia has spoken on international stages including the Google Visual Design Summit, OFFF Barcelona, and the Latin America Design Fest in Peru—across four continents this year alone. She was recently named a “Responsible Designer to Watch” by GDUSA and awarded the Young Guns Award, recognizing top creative professionals under 30. Talia also teaches Interaction Design and Advanced Coding at Parsons School of Design, and leads workshops to inspire design teams and educate businesses on the impact of coding as a creative medium.
Designing What Doesn't Exist... Yet
It’s 2024, and everything has been seen before. We’ve officially reached the end of creativity.. or have we?
In today’s visually saturated world, there are more creative professionals than ever. Design tools are more accessible than ever, and we’re overwhelmed by endless streams of great creative work. The question facing creatives everywhere is: Have we hit the ceiling of our creative potential? Or can we still come up with truly new ideas in a world where it feels like everything has already been seen?
In this talk, Talia Cotton addresses the internal struggle creatives face in trying to outdo themselves and push the boundaries of creative innovation in today’s creative landscape. As a design pioneer with an expert handle on coding as a new creative tool, and as the sole female founder of a creative agency—making 0.1% of the industry—Cotton breaks down a practical how-to for coming up with new ideas, and dives into the implications of what it really means to do something never been seen before. By examining the limits of individual creativity and the potential for future breakthroughs, Talia inspires audiences to break through the creative ceiling and contribute to a more forward-thinking, innovative community—both independently and collectively.
