Interview with HKB student Anthony Rangel-Apreza

Anthony, you grew up in New York but have now moved to small town Bern. Tell us all about yourself.

I’ve always told myself, that I'm never going to leave New York. It was the first time I ever left the country when I came to visit my friends in Zurich three years ago. Visiting my friends in Zurich was one of the most amazing experiences ever!  When I first came, I never thought that I would actually live here someday! And then I visited another time, and then again, for three months. I continued to visit, staying longer and longer each time. 

So then after a while I dropped out of university. And then I really wanted to be a student again. Swiss Design was some sort of idea that every designer has, and I had a lot of teachers explain to me about the beauty of the Swiss Graphic Design style. Therefore, I decided to apply to the HKB and Zurich, as well as Basel. Something felt right about Bern. So that's how I ended up here. 

What is your scholar background?  

In high school I studied art and design. I studied graphic design there for three years. The first two years was cartooning. So, I was almost going to do comics for the rest of my life. And then Graphic Design was introduced to me. After I graduated high school, I decided to apply to Parsons School of Design. But this study program was expensive and not as perfect as I expected it to be. 
That's how I've been doing Graphic Design for a long time, but I never got a bachelor's degree. I decided to commit to something and get my education fully within the Graphic Design Department. 

And now you are in your first year here at HKB. How does it feel? 

My first year feels insane. I think time is flying by too quickly. I never would have thought I would survive this first semester, especially not knowing the language at first. I am actively learning German every single day through my colleagues and my teachers. Everyone's helpful here and I really met the right people. 
My first year has been surreal as well. Not only because of the school, but because I live opposite a highway, together with an actor who also attends the HKB. Every day I meet somebody new and there's always some sort of experience, even if going to COOP, there's always something new. I’m always learning something. 

What inspires you?

In New York I had a punk band. I'm heavily motivated by punk, and that's why I always have my leather jacket on, even in summer. Music has a huge influence on my work. Here, I also go to a lot of concerts. I recently started a band. It's funny because the singer is also named Tony and she's from Hamburg. Ironically, none of the members of the band in Bern are actually from Bern. This underground scene is literally just a music scene. I think it's just about “do it yourself” and helping creators sell their work. 

You once thought you would do Comics for the rest of your life. How do you see that now and are comics still a part of your life?  

I'm glad, I didn't choose to do comics for the rest of my life, especially with this AI generation that we're living in, but no, I think I knew I wanted to do something more. I really don't like staying in some sort of cycle. I had an important person in my life who introduced me to this Graphic Design world, and I saw these high schoolers, 16-year-olds, who were making album covers. I thought that was amazing because I love music so much and I wanted to get into that world. Still to this day I use my illustration skills and implement them in my work. I think it is obvious from my work that I love to draw. 

You mentioned AI. Are you scared that graphic design work will be replaced by AI. What are your perspectives or thoughts on this? 

I will be honest: AI is the most ridiculous thing ever invented. I really don't think we as designers should get used to it. I know there are classes now that are teaching how to use it correctly and I really think that's probably the worst thing people can do. Because I think it will take away a lot of opportunities for many people. After my generation, it's probably going to be even worse. I think we should really appreciate the designers we have now and who are still doing things by hand. 

Do you think you will finish your studies at the HKB or are you considering an exchange semester? 

Yes, we do have the opportunity to go to a different part of the world and work for an agency. But I think I'll stay here for four years. I'll get my Bachelor’s degree, hopefully, and I might stay here. If I do decide to live here, I'll probably get my master's degree in education. I really want to be a professor someday, so I don't have to be the student anymore (laughs). I want to teach people in my own way. I've always wanted to be a professor, so I think I will get my education degree after this. And really keep on pushing at the same time, yeah. 

Is there a particular highlight from the classes that you could talk about? 

I might have to think about this, because there are so many! The highlight of this year so far is Siebdruck. We had Siebdruck as a elective class and I was able to learn how to use the machines properly. I always wanted to screen print some designs, but I never knew how to use them properly. So, it was cool getting to know how to use everything, how to transfer designs. I was able to make a bunch of design prints for merchandise.