Bridging Creativity and City: Yana Vekshyna’s Design for the Berlin E-Prix Poster
Designing the poster for Andretti Formula E’s 10th visit to the German capital for the Berlin E-Prix is Yana Vekshyna, the talented German-Ukrainian graphic designer whose passion for design is driven by the vibrant energy of her adopted home. With a keen eye for playful typography and a love for poster formatted designs, Yana’s work fluently blends the dynamic spirit of the city with the excitement of electric racing at the historic Tempelhof Airport Circuit. For Yana, residing in Berlin represents a mixture of inner and outer freedom, where creativity thrives within the city’s bustling streets and diverse neighborhoods. Her unique perspective on Berlin’s chaotic charm is evident in her poster design, which projects the spirit of the city’s dynamic atmosphere. With the race known for its abrasive surface and demanding conditions, coupled with its reputation for generating numerous overtakes, the Berlin E-Prix promises to be an exciting spectacle for both drivers and fans alike.
Tell us about yourself – where are you from, what do you do?
My name is Yana Vekshyna, and I am a German-Ukrainian graphic designer. I was born and raised in Kyiv, Ukraine but for the past seven years I have been studying and living in Berlin.
What do you enjoy about being a graphic designer?
I love that design provides an enormous variety of means to explore the world around and inside of us, to express all kinds of messages and ideas, and to make change in a creative manner. I’m also absolutely obsessed with the research part of the design process. Through different assignments, you get the chance to dive into topics and learn about things you would never imagine learning about which really widens your horizons.
We chose you and your work to represent Berlin – what does it mean to reside in the German capital?
For me, living in Berlin is about inner and outer freedom. Although there is a common stereotype about the strictness of German people, I find Berlin to be the enclave of open-mindedness and acceptance. It’s a very lively and young city that always keeps you up and running. I feel like people in Berlin don’t try to take on a polished idealized look. It makes you feel free in your choices with no one to judge you. Yes, Berlin may be partially dirty, sometimes ugly, but that’s the truth behind the chaos of a big city. You can either waste your energy trying to fool yourself and others, or you can embrace this chaos and make something positive out of it. In 2003 the former mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit, called it “poor, but sexy”, and I couldn’t have described it better myself.
Do you like motorsport? What does it mean to work with the Andretti team?
I have been a Formula series fan for several years now, so when Andretti contacted me, I was pleasantly surprised and felt like a fangirl for a second. I think it’s great that Andretti collaborates with artists, since sports is not the first thing that pops to your mind when you think about art. I think it’s a great way to introduce artists through a large platform, and an interesting opportunity for artists to dive into the world of racing.
What was your design process for this poster?
First, I was happy to realize I was contacted to design a piece in my personal style. I love working with poster format and playful typography, and so that inspired my vision for the Andretti team’s Berlin poster. Therefore, the whole process didn’t take long, and I was able to sketch the drafts quite fast before landing on the final product.
Talk to us about the poster design – why did you include those colors and elements?
The color palette choice is quite simple as I wanted to bring through the brand colors of the Andretti Formula E car. My input was in finding the typography style that would fit both the mood of Berlin and the dynamics of the race. I also wanted to come up with the number of symbols to represent the event. However, I didn’t want the posters to be too straightforward. Therefore, each poster turned out to be a little riddle. The idea being that you must spend a little bit of time on every single poster image to understand what is depicted there and what it means.
For Andretti Formula E fans visiting Berlin for this race, what places should they visit and what food should they eat?
I would recommend trying to visit all central districts of Berlin, since it doesn’t have a distinct city center. Every area has something peculiar. Mitte is more of a historical and business area. Kreuzberg and Friendichshein is where all the cool and hipster people are. Prenzlauer Berg is very gentrified, you will find all kinds of cafes and restaurants there. Neukölln is very international. The city is so diverse that it’s quite hard to accurately describe it, therefore you will have to find out for yourself what Berlin is about. What I can guarantee is that everyone will find something here for themselves. Have fun in Börlin!
As the Andretti Formula E duo of Jake Dennis and Norman Nato prepare to tackle the Tempelhof Airport Circuit’s all-new layout for Season 10 this coming weekend, we would like to offer our sincere gratitude to Yana for her fascinating interpretation of the Berlin E-Prix for our team’s poster. We invite you to dive deeper into Yana’s creative portfolio and discover her artwork on her social media platforms:
Instagram: @yana_vx // Behance: @YanaTravis
Join us as we rally behind Andretti Formula E teammates Jake Dennis and Norman Nato this weekend as we look forward to a doubleheader showdown at one of Formula E’s most iconic race tracks in Berlin.
