When delving into the realm of innovative creators who continually push the boundaries of new technologies, one can't overlook Berlin-based artist Tabitha Swanson. Swanson is a multifaceted individual, donning the titles of multidisciplinary designer, creative technologist, and artist. Her portfolio spans a multitude of disciplines, including 3D design, motion graphics, augmented reality, digital fashion, graphic design, UX/UI, and XR (extended reality).
Hailing originally from Canada, Swanson made the leap to Berlin, drawn by its vibrant communities and spaces that have nurtured and propelled numerous like-minded individuals in the arts and music scenes. Hitting the ground running, Swanson initially encountered the type foundry Dinamo shortly after her relocation to Berlin. Dinamo had recently initiated their “Face Filters” collection, aiming to partner with skilled creatives possessing AR and VR expertise. Swanson eventually approached Dinamo to collaborate, which led her to experiment on a new breed of filter, extending beyond the face to encompass an entire digital realm. Dubbed t¥p3w0rld, her filter stretched the limits of Spark AR, requiring her to navigate through challenges and reimagine the tool from a fresh perspective.
Dinamo has not been her only fruitful creative partnership, she has also collaborated with renowned brands such as Vogue Germany, Nike, Highsnobiety, Reebok, and Adidas, creating many other unique AR and digital works.
In her personal creative ventures, one finds themselves transported to alternate dimensions or perhaps distant galaxies. Swanson's artwork exudes an ethereal, otherworldly essence, brimming with digital flora, abstract forms, and enigmatic characters. Leveraging her fashion background, she has ventured into digital fashion creation, exploring the infinite possibilities that emerge when constraints are lifted. And as if her plate wasn't already brimming, Swanson recently embraced the role of “film director.” Selected for a test project by White Mirror, she joined nine other creatives in crafting short films exploring the intersection of humanity and technology, integrating AI in whatever ways each creative saw fit. Their works were showcased at the Venice Film Festival in September 2023.
One can tell that her thirst for knowledge and her boundless curiosity is what has propelled her career forward and has made her a popular collaborator for brands and speaker at events. The question is not what direction her future holds for her, but what directions it holds. We're excited to sit back and watch all the new ways that she will define or redefine creativity through technology.
Please Don’t Tell seized the opportunity to chat with Swanson, delving into her life, her art, and the exciting prospects that lie ahead.
I think for me personally, I’ve never necessarily envisioned a strict path or strict limitations on where I would go in my life. I will say that I am extremely curious, and I enjoy learning about systems and how things work, and I think that’s propelled me to continue learning new disciplines.
You are a Canadian-born, Berlin-based artist. What made you decide to make the move to Berlin and how has this city shaped you as an artist?
I had never been to Berlin before I decided to move, but my intuition told me it would be a place that resonated with me, and I was drawn to it. The city has shaped me as an artist because the community is so special. I’ve traveled quite a bit, but Berlin has the most supportive community I've ever experienced; people are truly willing to go out of their way and help you and share resources, and I think once you experience it, you naturally feel compelled to pass that on to others.
You explore a lot with fashion in your digital creations – what excites you about combining fashion and the digital world?
So I actually studied fashion; I went to the Wilson School of Design for Fashion Marketing in Canada. I’ve always been interested in fashion, I think that it gives very interesting insights into people's psyches, even if they are not interested in fashion at all. As I moved further into creating digital works, it only felt natural to experiment more with fashion. When I was in elementary school, my childhood dream was to become a fashion designer, so it felt like a full-circle journey.
What sparked your interest in the realm of face filters? How has this creative area grown in recent years?
I became very interested in face filters when I was working a full-time job at Zalando, my job at that point was working in UX/UI. I started playing around with 3D and then was accepted into the beta program for Meta’s filter creation software called Spark AR.
You often collaborate with other creative individuals or brands on projects such as Dinamo, Black Market, Nike, Highsnobiety, and Reebok. What are the benefits of collaborating on projects with others and surrounding yourself with a creative community? How does it impact your work?
For me personally, I like to have a mix of both large clients and smaller community projects. I think that being able to have income from large clients allows me to have my financial burden lessened, which allows me to do pro bono or smaller-budget projects that help foster different initiatives within the community. I believe that giving back to the community is extremely important.
Could you describe what your creative process looks like?
It honestly depends on if it is a project for myself, or a project for a client. If it is a project for a client, I will always look over what their intentions are with the projects. I think having a marketing background really helps me here because I understand what return on investment is, and what the campaign is from a marketing perspective. If it's a project for myself, I will go in with much more freedom, and sometimes won’t have a plan beforehand; I'll often use it to dig through my subconscious or as a form of therapy and see what comes out.
What are your main tools or platforms that you use for your creative work?
There are quite a few haha. I work with Blender, Substance Painter, Spark AR, Lens Studio, Effect House, Figma, Sketch, InDesign, Illustrator, After Effects, Photoshop, and a few more less-used ones.
What challenges or obstacles do you face when you’re creating?
Something that can be very challenging for visual artists, and I don’t know if it’s always spoken about enough, is translating pieces between different types of programs. Moving between motion capture, to Daz, to Clo3d, to Blender, for example is extremely difficult and one thing I do look forward to with AI is ease of translation between these different programs. I think it’s also a huge skill to be able to be adaptive when it comes to problem-solving and finding a solution. Even the most well-versed people in tech still run into tech issues, and you need to be able to find different ways to approach these challenges to be able to complete your vision, even if it's in a slightly different way than initially envisioned.
What’s a project you’ve worked on that you’re really proud of?
One project I'm probably most proud of was my work for the VR therapy company, neomento. neomento is a VR therapy software, where patients sit in the room with the therapist, and go through exposure therapy simulations. The patient has the VR headset strapped on and some of their vitals are also measured. The therapist can see how the patient is reacting to the simulation and completely customize it in real-time to what’s most appropriate to the patient. In this project, I was the Principal Designer and created all the UX/UI for the interface that the therapist used to guide the patient through the experience. It was actually quite complicated as each character in each simulation had their own language trees and the therapist had to be able to easily and accurately see all the patient's body stats at once to make quick decisions on where to take the session.
You recently made a comment regarding the prospect of upcycling our digital waste and raised the question of whether we can categorize AI databases scraping our data as a form of upcycling. This perspective offers an interesting lens through which to view AI. Recently, there has been controversy surrounding AI's utilization of unlicensed content in training data and the ensuing legal implications for AI-generated content production. While the term "upcycling" typically carries positive connotations, particularly in the context of our environmentally delicate world, how do you personally perceive and feel about this concept when applied to AI?
I don’t think this is so much of a prospect as it is something that is already being done. Meta owns everything that we put on our Instagram and Facebook pages, and so they are legally able to create AI databases from that. I’ve been talking about this for over a year, and they just released some of the first announcements of AI tools a few months ago.
As for data usage in general, I think it’s a very complicated topic. As I’ve written about in the past, I think that if we introduce more laws that ban the use of other people's work, the only people who will actually be able to do anything about it will be large entities with powerful lawyers, like Disney, or Taylor Swift, etc. That said, I do think that the idea of being put on a mood board will mean something completely different when companies can simply generate new artwork based on data sets built off of artists' work. I’m not sure what the actual laws should be, but I believe that it’s something we need to address very carefully and with a lot of thought, as these laws will impact creatives immensely.
Can you share any projects that you are currently working on and what excites you about them?
I am working on a few things that I can’t speak about quite yet, but I can tell you that I am applying for a masters program and hoping to focus on tech policy.
What do you see for your creative future? Is there anything new you'd like to explore or a particular direction you aspire to take?
In my creative future, I’m not putting any limitations on myself, I think that I'm surprised all the time where I end up going. Of course, I have short term goals, but I’m open to seeing what comes next. Earlier this year, I released a film using AI tools that was shown at the Venice Film Festival, and filmmaking would be nice to continue.
Lastly, could you share the secret to your inspiration-seeking process?
I don’t know if I have any secrets, necessarily. I would say, just be curious, and be curious about things outside of your own personal opinions or ideas, social circles, and culture. Everyone sees the world in a different way, and some things may surprise and inspire us.
If you're interested in learning more about Tabitha Swanson and her work, you can follow her instagram at @tabithaswanson_ or visit her website at tabithaswanson.de.
Visuals by Tabitha Swanson
Article and Interview by Deidre Driscoll
When delving into the realm of innovative creators who continually push the boundaries of new technologies, one can't overlook Berlin-based artist Tabitha Swanson. Swanson is a multifaceted individual, donning the titles of multidisciplinary designer, creative technologist, and artist. Her portfolio spans a multitude of disciplines, including 3D design, motion graphics, augmented reality, digital fashion, graphic design, UX/UI, and XR (extended reality).
Hailing originally from Canada, Swanson made the leap to Berlin, drawn by its vibrant communities and spaces that have nurtured and propelled numerous like-minded individuals in the arts and music scenes. Hitting the ground running, Swanson initially encountered the type foundry Dinamo shortly after her relocation to Berlin. Dinamo had recently initiated their “Face Filters” collection, aiming to partner with skilled creatives possessing AR and VR expertise. Swanson eventually approached Dinamo to collaborate, which led her to experiment on a new breed of filter, extending beyond the face to encompass an entire digital realm. Dubbed t¥p3w0rld, her filter stretched the limits of Spark AR, requiring her to navigate through challenges and reimagine the tool from a fresh perspective.
Dinamo has not been her only fruitful creative partnership, she has also collaborated with renowned brands such as Vogue Germany, Nike, Highsnobiety, Reebok, and Adidas, creating many other unique AR and digital works.
In her personal creative ventures, one finds themselves transported to alternate dimensions or perhaps distant galaxies. Swanson's artwork exudes an ethereal, otherworldly essence, brimming with digital flora, abstract forms, and enigmatic characters. Leveraging her fashion background, she has ventured into digital fashion creation, exploring the infinite possibilities that emerge when constraints are lifted. And as if her plate wasn't already brimming, Swanson recently embraced the role of “film director.” Selected for a test project by White Mirror, she joined nine other creatives in crafting short films exploring the intersection of humanity and technology, integrating AI in whatever ways each creative saw fit. Their works were showcased at the Venice Film Festival in September 2023.
One can tell that her thirst for knowledge and her boundless curiosity is what has propelled her career forward and has made her a popular collaborator for brands and speaker at events. The question is not what direction her future holds for her, but what directions it holds. We're excited to sit back and watch all the new ways that she will define or redefine creativity through technology.
Please Don’t Tell seized the opportunity to chat with Swanson, delving into her life, her art, and the exciting prospects that lie ahead.
I think for me personally, I’ve never necessarily envisioned a strict path or strict limitations on where I would go in my life. I will say that I am extremely curious, and I enjoy learning about systems and how things work, and I think that’s propelled me to continue learning new disciplines.
You are a Canadian-born, Berlin-based artist. What made you decide to make the move to Berlin and how has this city shaped you as an artist?
I had never been to Berlin before I decided to move, but my intuition told me it would be a place that resonated with me, and I was drawn to it. The city has shaped me as an artist because the community is so special. I’ve traveled quite a bit, but Berlin has the most supportive community I've ever experienced; people are truly willing to go out of their way and help you and share resources, and I think once you experience it, you naturally feel compelled to pass that on to others.
You explore a lot with fashion in your digital creations – what excites you about combining fashion and the digital world?
So I actually studied fashion; I went to the Wilson School of Design for Fashion Marketing in Canada. I’ve always been interested in fashion, I think that it gives very interesting insights into people's psyches, even if they are not interested in fashion at all. As I moved further into creating digital works, it only felt natural to experiment more with fashion. When I was in elementary school, my childhood dream was to become a fashion designer, so it felt like a full-circle journey.
What sparked your interest in the realm of face filters? How has this creative area grown in recent years?
I became very interested in face filters when I was working a full-time job at Zalando, my job at that point was working in UX/UI. I started playing around with 3D and then was accepted into the beta program for Meta’s filter creation software called Spark AR.
You often collaborate with other creative individuals or brands on projects such as Dinamo, Black Market, Nike, Highsnobiety, and Reebok. What are the benefits of collaborating on projects with others and surrounding yourself with a creative community? How does it impact your work?
For me personally, I like to have a mix of both large clients and smaller community projects. I think that being able to have income from large clients allows me to have my financial burden lessened, which allows me to do pro bono or smaller-budget projects that help foster different initiatives within the community. I believe that giving back to the community is extremely important.
Could you describe what your creative process looks like?
It honestly depends on if it is a project for myself, or a project for a client. If it is a project for a client, I will always look over what their intentions are with the projects. I think having a marketing background really helps me here because I understand what return on investment is, and what the campaign is from a marketing perspective. If it's a project for myself, I will go in with much more freedom, and sometimes won’t have a plan beforehand; I'll often use it to dig through my subconscious or as a form of therapy and see what comes out.
What are your main tools or platforms that you use for your creative work?
There are quite a few haha. I work with Blender, Substance Painter, Spark AR, Lens Studio, Effect House, Figma, Sketch, InDesign, Illustrator, After Effects, Photoshop, and a few more less-used ones.
What challenges or obstacles do you face when you’re creating?
Something that can be very challenging for visual artists, and I don’t know if it’s always spoken about enough, is translating pieces between different types of programs. Moving between motion capture, to Daz, to Clo3d, to Blender, for example is extremely difficult and one thing I do look forward to with AI is ease of translation between these different programs. I think it’s also a huge skill to be able to be adaptive when it comes to problem-solving and finding a solution. Even the most well-versed people in tech still run into tech issues, and you need to be able to find different ways to approach these challenges to be able to complete your vision, even if it's in a slightly different way than initially envisioned.
What’s a project you’ve worked on that you’re really proud of?
One project I'm probably most proud of was my work for the VR therapy company, neomento. neomento is a VR therapy software, where patients sit in the room with the therapist, and go through exposure therapy simulations. The patient has the VR headset strapped on and some of their vitals are also measured. The therapist can see how the patient is reacting to the simulation and completely customize it in real-time to what’s most appropriate to the patient. In this project, I was the Principal Designer and created all the UX/UI for the interface that the therapist used to guide the patient through the experience. It was actually quite complicated as each character in each simulation had their own language trees and the therapist had to be able to easily and accurately see all the patient's body stats at once to make quick decisions on where to take the session.
You recently made a comment regarding the prospect of upcycling our digital waste and raised the question of whether we can categorize AI databases scraping our data as a form of upcycling. This perspective offers an interesting lens through which to view AI. Recently, there has been controversy surrounding AI's utilization of unlicensed content in training data and the ensuing legal implications for AI-generated content production. While the term "upcycling" typically carries positive connotations, particularly in the context of our environmentally delicate world, how do you personally perceive and feel about this concept when applied to AI?
I don’t think this is so much of a prospect as it is something that is already being done. Meta owns everything that we put on our Instagram and Facebook pages, and so they are legally able to create AI databases from that. I’ve been talking about this for over a year, and they just released some of the first announcements of AI tools a few months ago.
As for data usage in general, I think it’s a very complicated topic. As I’ve written about in the past, I think that if we introduce more laws that ban the use of other people's work, the only people who will actually be able to do anything about it will be large entities with powerful lawyers, like Disney, or Taylor Swift, etc. That said, I do think that the idea of being put on a mood board will mean something completely different when companies can simply generate new artwork based on data sets built off of artists' work. I’m not sure what the actual laws should be, but I believe that it’s something we need to address very carefully and with a lot of thought, as these laws will impact creatives immensely.
Can you share any projects that you are currently working on and what excites you about them?
I am working on a few things that I can’t speak about quite yet, but I can tell you that I am applying for a masters program and hoping to focus on tech policy.
What do you see for your creative future? Is there anything new you'd like to explore or a particular direction you aspire to take?
In my creative future, I’m not putting any limitations on myself, I think that I'm surprised all the time where I end up going. Of course, I have short term goals, but I’m open to seeing what comes next. Earlier this year, I released a film using AI tools that was shown at the Venice Film Festival, and filmmaking would be nice to continue.
Lastly, could you share the secret to your inspiration-seeking process?
I don’t know if I have any secrets, necessarily. I would say, just be curious, and be curious about things outside of your own personal opinions or ideas, social circles, and culture. Everyone sees the world in a different way, and some things may surprise and inspire us.
If you're interested in learning more about Tabitha Swanson and her work, you can follow her instagram at @tabithaswanson_ or visit her website at tabithaswanson.de.
Visuals by Tabitha Swanson
Article and Interview by Deidre Driscoll
When delving into the realm of innovative creators who continually push the boundaries of new technologies, one can't overlook Berlin-based artist Tabitha Swanson. Swanson is a multifaceted individual, donning the titles of multidisciplinary designer, creative technologist, and artist. Her portfolio spans a multitude of disciplines, including 3D design, motion graphics, augmented reality, digital fashion, graphic design, UX/UI, and XR (extended reality).
Hailing originally from Canada, Swanson made the leap to Berlin, drawn by its vibrant communities and spaces that have nurtured and propelled numerous like-minded individuals in the arts and music scenes. Hitting the ground running, Swanson initially encountered the type foundry Dinamo shortly after her relocation to Berlin. Dinamo had recently initiated their “Face Filters” collection, aiming to partner with skilled creatives possessing AR and VR expertise. Swanson eventually approached Dinamo to collaborate, which led her to experiment on a new breed of filter, extending beyond the face to encompass an entire digital realm. Dubbed t¥p3w0rld, her filter stretched the limits of Spark AR, requiring her to navigate through challenges and reimagine the tool from a fresh perspective.
Dinamo has not been her only fruitful creative partnership, she has also collaborated with renowned brands such as Vogue Germany, Nike, Highsnobiety, Reebok, and Adidas, creating many other unique AR and digital works.
In her personal creative ventures, one finds themselves transported to alternate dimensions or perhaps distant galaxies. Swanson's artwork exudes an ethereal, otherworldly essence, brimming with digital flora, abstract forms, and enigmatic characters. Leveraging her fashion background, she has ventured into digital fashion creation, exploring the infinite possibilities that emerge when constraints are lifted. And as if her plate wasn't already brimming, Swanson recently embraced the role of “film director.” Selected for a test project by White Mirror, she joined nine other creatives in crafting short films exploring the intersection of humanity and technology, integrating AI in whatever ways each creative saw fit. Their works were showcased at the Venice Film Festival in September 2023.
One can tell that her thirst for knowledge and her boundless curiosity is what has propelled her career forward and has made her a popular collaborator for brands and speaker at events. The question is not what direction her future holds for her, but what directions it holds. We're excited to sit back and watch all the new ways that she will define or redefine creativity through technology.
Please Don’t Tell seized the opportunity to chat with Swanson, delving into her life, her art, and the exciting prospects that lie ahead.
I think for me personally, I’ve never necessarily envisioned a strict path or strict limitations on where I would go in my life. I will say that I am extremely curious, and I enjoy learning about systems and how things work, and I think that’s propelled me to continue learning new disciplines.
You are a Canadian-born, Berlin-based artist. What made you decide to make the move to Berlin and how has this city shaped you as an artist?
I had never been to Berlin before I decided to move, but my intuition told me it would be a place that resonated with me, and I was drawn to it. The city has shaped me as an artist because the community is so special. I’ve traveled quite a bit, but Berlin has the most supportive community I've ever experienced; people are truly willing to go out of their way and help you and share resources, and I think once you experience it, you naturally feel compelled to pass that on to others.
You explore a lot with fashion in your digital creations – what excites you about combining fashion and the digital world?
So I actually studied fashion; I went to the Wilson School of Design for Fashion Marketing in Canada. I’ve always been interested in fashion, I think that it gives very interesting insights into people's psyches, even if they are not interested in fashion at all. As I moved further into creating digital works, it only felt natural to experiment more with fashion. When I was in elementary school, my childhood dream was to become a fashion designer, so it felt like a full-circle journey.
What sparked your interest in the realm of face filters? How has this creative area grown in recent years?
I became very interested in face filters when I was working a full-time job at Zalando, my job at that point was working in UX/UI. I started playing around with 3D and then was accepted into the beta program for Meta’s filter creation software called Spark AR.
You often collaborate with other creative individuals or brands on projects such as Dinamo, Black Market, Nike, Highsnobiety, and Reebok. What are the benefits of collaborating on projects with others and surrounding yourself with a creative community? How does it impact your work?
For me personally, I like to have a mix of both large clients and smaller community projects. I think that being able to have income from large clients allows me to have my financial burden lessened, which allows me to do pro bono or smaller-budget projects that help foster different initiatives within the community. I believe that giving back to the community is extremely important.
Could you describe what your creative process looks like?
It honestly depends on if it is a project for myself, or a project for a client. If it is a project for a client, I will always look over what their intentions are with the projects. I think having a marketing background really helps me here because I understand what return on investment is, and what the campaign is from a marketing perspective. If it's a project for myself, I will go in with much more freedom, and sometimes won’t have a plan beforehand; I'll often use it to dig through my subconscious or as a form of therapy and see what comes out.
What are your main tools or platforms that you use for your creative work?
There are quite a few haha. I work with Blender, Substance Painter, Spark AR, Lens Studio, Effect House, Figma, Sketch, InDesign, Illustrator, After Effects, Photoshop, and a few more less-used ones.
What challenges or obstacles do you face when you’re creating?
Something that can be very challenging for visual artists, and I don’t know if it’s always spoken about enough, is translating pieces between different types of programs. Moving between motion capture, to Daz, to Clo3d, to Blender, for example is extremely difficult and one thing I do look forward to with AI is ease of translation between these different programs. I think it’s also a huge skill to be able to be adaptive when it comes to problem-solving and finding a solution. Even the most well-versed people in tech still run into tech issues, and you need to be able to find different ways to approach these challenges to be able to complete your vision, even if it's in a slightly different way than initially envisioned.
What’s a project you’ve worked on that you’re really proud of?
One project I'm probably most proud of was my work for the VR therapy company, neomento. neomento is a VR therapy software, where patients sit in the room with the therapist, and go through exposure therapy simulations. The patient has the VR headset strapped on and some of their vitals are also measured. The therapist can see how the patient is reacting to the simulation and completely customize it in real-time to what’s most appropriate to the patient. In this project, I was the Principal Designer and created all the UX/UI for the interface that the therapist used to guide the patient through the experience. It was actually quite complicated as each character in each simulation had their own language trees and the therapist had to be able to easily and accurately see all the patient's body stats at once to make quick decisions on where to take the session.
You recently made a comment regarding the prospect of upcycling our digital waste and raised the question of whether we can categorize AI databases scraping our data as a form of upcycling. This perspective offers an interesting lens through which to view AI. Recently, there has been controversy surrounding AI's utilization of unlicensed content in training data and the ensuing legal implications for AI-generated content production. While the term "upcycling" typically carries positive connotations, particularly in the context of our environmentally delicate world, how do you personally perceive and feel about this concept when applied to AI?
I don’t think this is so much of a prospect as it is something that is already being done. Meta owns everything that we put on our Instagram and Facebook pages, and so they are legally able to create AI databases from that. I’ve been talking about this for over a year, and they just released some of the first announcements of AI tools a few months ago.
As for data usage in general, I think it’s a very complicated topic. As I’ve written about in the past, I think that if we introduce more laws that ban the use of other people's work, the only people who will actually be able to do anything about it will be large entities with powerful lawyers, like Disney, or Taylor Swift, etc. That said, I do think that the idea of being put on a mood board will mean something completely different when companies can simply generate new artwork based on data sets built off of artists' work. I’m not sure what the actual laws should be, but I believe that it’s something we need to address very carefully and with a lot of thought, as these laws will impact creatives immensely.
Can you share any projects that you are currently working on and what excites you about them?
I am working on a few things that I can’t speak about quite yet, but I can tell you that I am applying for a masters program and hoping to focus on tech policy.
What do you see for your creative future? Is there anything new you'd like to explore or a particular direction you aspire to take?
In my creative future, I’m not putting any limitations on myself, I think that I'm surprised all the time where I end up going. Of course, I have short term goals, but I’m open to seeing what comes next. Earlier this year, I released a film using AI tools that was shown at the Venice Film Festival, and filmmaking would be nice to continue.
Lastly, could you share the secret to your inspiration-seeking process?
I don’t know if I have any secrets, necessarily. I would say, just be curious, and be curious about things outside of your own personal opinions or ideas, social circles, and culture. Everyone sees the world in a different way, and some things may surprise and inspire us.
If you're interested in learning more about Tabitha Swanson and her work, you can follow her instagram at @tabithaswanson_ or visit her website at tabithaswanson.de.
Visuals by Tabitha Swanson
Article and Interview by Deidre Driscoll
When delving into the realm of innovative creators who continually push the boundaries of new technologies, one can't overlook Berlin-based artist Tabitha Swanson. Swanson is a multifaceted individual, donning the titles of multidisciplinary designer, creative technologist, and artist. Her portfolio spans a multitude of disciplines, including 3D design, motion graphics, augmented reality, digital fashion, graphic design, UX/UI, and XR (extended reality).
Hailing originally from Canada, Swanson made the leap to Berlin, drawn by its vibrant communities and spaces that have nurtured and propelled numerous like-minded individuals in the arts and music scenes. Hitting the ground running, Swanson initially encountered the type foundry Dinamo shortly after her relocation to Berlin. Dinamo had recently initiated their “Face Filters” collection, aiming to partner with skilled creatives possessing AR and VR expertise. Swanson eventually approached Dinamo to collaborate, which led her to experiment on a new breed of filter, extending beyond the face to encompass an entire digital realm. Dubbed t¥p3w0rld, her filter stretched the limits of Spark AR, requiring her to navigate through challenges and reimagine the tool from a fresh perspective.
Dinamo has not been her only fruitful creative partnership, she has also collaborated with renowned brands such as Vogue Germany, Nike, Highsnobiety, Reebok, and Adidas, creating many other unique AR and digital works.
In her personal creative ventures, one finds themselves transported to alternate dimensions or perhaps distant galaxies. Swanson's artwork exudes an ethereal, otherworldly essence, brimming with digital flora, abstract forms, and enigmatic characters. Leveraging her fashion background, she has ventured into digital fashion creation, exploring the infinite possibilities that emerge when constraints are lifted. And as if her plate wasn't already brimming, Swanson recently embraced the role of “film director.” Selected for a test project by White Mirror, she joined nine other creatives in crafting short films exploring the intersection of humanity and technology, integrating AI in whatever ways each creative saw fit. Their works were showcased at the Venice Film Festival in September 2023.
One can tell that her thirst for knowledge and her boundless curiosity is what has propelled her career forward and has made her a popular collaborator for brands and speaker at events. The question is not what direction her future holds for her, but what directions it holds. We're excited to sit back and watch all the new ways that she will define or redefine creativity through technology.
Please Don’t Tell seized the opportunity to chat with Swanson, delving into her life, her art, and the exciting prospects that lie ahead.
I think for me personally, I’ve never necessarily envisioned a strict path or strict limitations on where I would go in my life. I will say that I am extremely curious, and I enjoy learning about systems and how things work, and I think that’s propelled me to continue learning new disciplines.
You are a Canadian-born, Berlin-based artist. What made you decide to make the move to Berlin and how has this city shaped you as an artist?
I had never been to Berlin before I decided to move, but my intuition told me it would be a place that resonated with me, and I was drawn to it. The city has shaped me as an artist because the community is so special. I’ve traveled quite a bit, but Berlin has the most supportive community I've ever experienced; people are truly willing to go out of their way and help you and share resources, and I think once you experience it, you naturally feel compelled to pass that on to others.
You explore a lot with fashion in your digital creations – what excites you about combining fashion and the digital world?
So I actually studied fashion; I went to the Wilson School of Design for Fashion Marketing in Canada. I’ve always been interested in fashion, I think that it gives very interesting insights into people's psyches, even if they are not interested in fashion at all. As I moved further into creating digital works, it only felt natural to experiment more with fashion. When I was in elementary school, my childhood dream was to become a fashion designer, so it felt like a full-circle journey.
What sparked your interest in the realm of face filters? How has this creative area grown in recent years?
I became very interested in face filters when I was working a full-time job at Zalando, my job at that point was working in UX/UI. I started playing around with 3D and then was accepted into the beta program for Meta’s filter creation software called Spark AR.
You often collaborate with other creative individuals or brands on projects such as Dinamo, Black Market, Nike, Highsnobiety, and Reebok. What are the benefits of collaborating on projects with others and surrounding yourself with a creative community? How does it impact your work?
For me personally, I like to have a mix of both large clients and smaller community projects. I think that being able to have income from large clients allows me to have my financial burden lessened, which allows me to do pro bono or smaller-budget projects that help foster different initiatives within the community. I believe that giving back to the community is extremely important.
Could you describe what your creative process looks like?
It honestly depends on if it is a project for myself, or a project for a client. If it is a project for a client, I will always look over what their intentions are with the projects. I think having a marketing background really helps me here because I understand what return on investment is, and what the campaign is from a marketing perspective. If it's a project for myself, I will go in with much more freedom, and sometimes won’t have a plan beforehand; I'll often use it to dig through my subconscious or as a form of therapy and see what comes out.
What are your main tools or platforms that you use for your creative work?
There are quite a few haha. I work with Blender, Substance Painter, Spark AR, Lens Studio, Effect House, Figma, Sketch, InDesign, Illustrator, After Effects, Photoshop, and a few more less-used ones.
What challenges or obstacles do you face when you’re creating?
Something that can be very challenging for visual artists, and I don’t know if it’s always spoken about enough, is translating pieces between different types of programs. Moving between motion capture, to Daz, to Clo3d, to Blender, for example is extremely difficult and one thing I do look forward to with AI is ease of translation between these different programs. I think it’s also a huge skill to be able to be adaptive when it comes to problem-solving and finding a solution. Even the most well-versed people in tech still run into tech issues, and you need to be able to find different ways to approach these challenges to be able to complete your vision, even if it's in a slightly different way than initially envisioned.
What’s a project you’ve worked on that you’re really proud of?
One project I'm probably most proud of was my work for the VR therapy company, neomento. neomento is a VR therapy software, where patients sit in the room with the therapist, and go through exposure therapy simulations. The patient has the VR headset strapped on and some of their vitals are also measured. The therapist can see how the patient is reacting to the simulation and completely customize it in real-time to what’s most appropriate to the patient. In this project, I was the Principal Designer and created all the UX/UI for the interface that the therapist used to guide the patient through the experience. It was actually quite complicated as each character in each simulation had their own language trees and the therapist had to be able to easily and accurately see all the patient's body stats at once to make quick decisions on where to take the session.
You recently made a comment regarding the prospect of upcycling our digital waste and raised the question of whether we can categorize AI databases scraping our data as a form of upcycling. This perspective offers an interesting lens through which to view AI. Recently, there has been controversy surrounding AI's utilization of unlicensed content in training data and the ensuing legal implications for AI-generated content production. While the term "upcycling" typically carries positive connotations, particularly in the context of our environmentally delicate world, how do you personally perceive and feel about this concept when applied to AI?
I don’t think this is so much of a prospect as it is something that is already being done. Meta owns everything that we put on our Instagram and Facebook pages, and so they are legally able to create AI databases from that. I’ve been talking about this for over a year, and they just released some of the first announcements of AI tools a few months ago.
As for data usage in general, I think it’s a very complicated topic. As I’ve written about in the past, I think that if we introduce more laws that ban the use of other people's work, the only people who will actually be able to do anything about it will be large entities with powerful lawyers, like Disney, or Taylor Swift, etc. That said, I do think that the idea of being put on a mood board will mean something completely different when companies can simply generate new artwork based on data sets built off of artists' work. I’m not sure what the actual laws should be, but I believe that it’s something we need to address very carefully and with a lot of thought, as these laws will impact creatives immensely.
Can you share any projects that you are currently working on and what excites you about them?
I am working on a few things that I can’t speak about quite yet, but I can tell you that I am applying for a masters program and hoping to focus on tech policy.
What do you see for your creative future? Is there anything new you'd like to explore or a particular direction you aspire to take?
In my creative future, I’m not putting any limitations on myself, I think that I'm surprised all the time where I end up going. Of course, I have short term goals, but I’m open to seeing what comes next. Earlier this year, I released a film using AI tools that was shown at the Venice Film Festival, and filmmaking would be nice to continue.
Lastly, could you share the secret to your inspiration-seeking process?
I don’t know if I have any secrets, necessarily. I would say, just be curious, and be curious about things outside of your own personal opinions or ideas, social circles, and culture. Everyone sees the world in a different way, and some things may surprise and inspire us.
Visuals by Tabitha Swanson
Article and Interview by Deidre Driscoll
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