Caroline Okun says Brains Are Pretty. And she should know – she got her first degree in Psychology, before moving on to Graphic Design.”I’ve always been interested in psychology, and wanted to make a point that with graphic design there can be much more than what you see as a pretty picture. There is a lot of thought behind design and if you’re clever you can pull off an idea with minimalism. So “Brains Are Pretty” is a fun and slightly saucy way of saying that.”
Also known on Spoonflower as subcutaneous88, she says that “that was inspired by my love of science and the fact that what’s under the surface can be more interesting than what’s on top of it.”

subcutaneous88 – camelia organica blue

subcutaneous88 – artichoktica rosa
I asked her about the development of her career in graphic and surface design. “Things starting heating up when I went to design school at NC State in 2003. I won a competition to design an Internet Safety brochure for the NC Department of Justice and thought I would make things official.” She also used to work for the Gastroenterology Department at the University of North Carolina (UNC), and designed posters to advertise some of the talks by academics. She said they were “a colorful interpretation” of what she thought the talk was about. “I think it helped attendance at the talks!”

subcutaneous88 – aspergillus organica moss
Inspiration came to her at an early age, and she counts herself lucky for growing up just outside New York, where she was able to have frequent trips to museums and galleries. An Alexander Calder exhibition was particularly memorable. “It was simple, complex, colorful and incredibly fun, all at the same time!”
Now, her inspiration comes from many things. “I take a lot of photos when I walk my dog and use them for inspiration. Color palettes in nature are beautiful and using them and tweaking one or two parts so that you get a hyper-natural effect is fun. Many of my designs are scans of illustrations and woodcuts from the 1800s. I take them apart and reassemble for a more interesting look and to create repeating patterns. I like to think about a project during a moving meditation, like walking or bike riding. I find that my mind is exceptionally clear at those times.” She also particularly admires uber-designer Jonathan Adler. “He is intensely creative and an amazing businessman. I think William Morris created some of the most beautiful patterns I’ve ever seen. And I have a HUGE crush on Vin Diesel!”

subcutaneous88 – green flow
Lots of natural (but not neutral) colours, as well as pops of super-brights appear in Caroline’s surface designs. I can see she has been having fun with those palettes! And although her several of her designs include plant forms, they are historical and botanical forms, and her repeats are often obviously grid-based, giving them their traditional, classic look.

subcutaneous88 – grey mod pods

subcutaneous88 – spring spirals
She told me the most exciting part about becoming a surface designer has been learning to sew and then wearing skirts made from her designs. That, she says, has given her double creative pride!
If she wasn’t designing, what would she do? “If I could quit designing now and start doing voiceovers for cartoons, I would! Also, I’m really into my boxing classes, but don’t plan to compete any time soon.”

Caroline’s living room, showing part of her trophy wall with wire sculpture, and a giant skull image by her friend Bill Fick
And a final word of advice? “Always say thank you and appreciate what others do for you, no matter how small the effort.”
You can find more of Caroline Okun’s surface designs on Spoonflower at subcutaneous88 and on DENY Designs, and her graphic design work at her website, BrainsArePretty.com
wow I love these patterns and colours…. How great to read the inspiration behind them. COOL living room!! Great feature!