“Design shapes language. So we’re also responsible for all of what that means,” says Mònica Losada on her role as a graphic designer. “I think one’s practice should involve being conscious, fair, and to at least consider the personal and social implications of their own work.”

While the designer, who recently graduated from the BAU College of Arts and Design of Barcelona, feels it’s good to think of the work in relation to the wider impact design can have, she prefers to think of the difference she and her peers can make on a smaller scale. “I find it funny when people say graphic design can change the world. For me it makes more sense to think about the smaller impacts we have,” she reflects. “Am I building meaningful connections? Does the work resonate with me? Am I being responsible in the connections I’m building?”

By adopting this slightly more introspective approach, Losada believes it’s easier to pinpoint the issues that impact people when they’re just starting out that the industry finds easy to neglect. “Issues such as unpaid internships, excessive unpaid overtime, or spurious self-employment are definitely things that need attention, for instance. Just because we love what we do shouldn’t lead us to overlook work conditions,” she notes.