No one who has seen her creations would argue otherwise. A cross between typography and illustration, design and art, Bantjes’ work has a distinctive style that’s infused with passion. She combines type with ornate patterns and an appealing, hand-drawn quality. While much of her work is highly decorative, it avoids being merely pretty with the presence of grittier concepts and details.

Bantjes is an independent designer who works from her home outside Vancouver, British Columbia. Since she doesn’t do a lot of self-promotion, most of her clients find her through the web. “I’m a terrible, terrible businessperson,” she admits. But so far it hasn’t stopped her from landing high-profile clients. She recently worked with Stefan Sagmeister’s office on a project for the Berlin Guggenheim and has done a number of illustrations for Details magazine. In addition, she does a lot of work for small creative ventures that range from art galleries to independent musicians.

Largely a self-taught designer, Bantjes’ work is heavily influenced by the decade she spent as a book typesetter. That period gave her a rock-solid foundation in typography and eventually a thirst to do more design-focused work. In fact, it was the latter that prompted her to start a business with one of her co-workers. “It was a crazy thing,” she says. “Over coffee one day we just decided to start a design firm.” Despite the fact that she’d never designed in color or worked with a printer, Bantjes found her way through trial and error. The company grew to a successful 12-person firm over 8 years.

It was a good living, but ultimately, Bantjes felt the work looked like it could have come from any firm. “When I left I was thinking, ‘I’m finished with design,’” she says. “I thought I was going to be an illustrator.” But she surprised herself when she started contributing to Speak Up. Writing critically about graphic design helped her figure out her own place within the profession.

Today she teaches design with the Continuing Studies program at Emily Carr Institute and continues to pursue her own work. “I think I was slow to develop,” she says about her creative life. “If I had gone to school I would have had much broader influences.” At the moment, she’d like to expand her reach into other design disciplines, such as architecture, industrial design, or landscape design. It’s a natural next step for a designer who isn’t afraid to make her own rules.

LEFT: Bantjes worked with Sagmeister, INC., to create art for a custom box of cards by the artist Doublas Gordon. CENTER: A design rejected by Nucleus Gallery in Los Angeles to promote The Girl Show, an exhibit of all-female artists. RIGHT: Bantjes created this pattern of alien plant life on scratchboard.