By Juliana da Penha
Anabella Barnet is the creative force behind Migrant Women Press’s new visual identity. Her story intertwines creativity, purpose and diversity. Originally from Venezuela, Anabella’s journey has been shaped by her experiences as an immigrant, leading her to embrace design as a universal language for storytelling and inclusivity.
Discovering Design: A Journey from Venezuela to Scotland
Growing up in Venezuela, Anabella was surrounded by creativity. Her father’s passion for music as a guitar player and her mother’s for carpentry and décor fueled her own artistic inclinations.
However, at the age of nine, her family made the difficult decision to leave Venezuela due to the challenging circumstances there, settling in Madeira, Portugal.
It was during her high school years in Madeira Anabella delved deeper into the arts, exploring various mediums and eventually discovering graphic design.
“Graphic design captivated my interest due to my experience as an immigrant- the challenges of mastering a different language and navigating a distinct culture often made it difficult to express myself effectively. This made me interested in communicating universally, to a lot of people, cultures and perspectives through design and art”, explained Anabella.
Anabella’s journey continued as she moved to Scotland to pursue a degree in graphic design at Edinburgh University. Immersing herself in yet another new environment, she discovered her passion for ethical design—design with a purpose for a better world. “I decided to align my work with meaningful causes and only to create designs that I genuinely believed could make a positive impact. Alongside this, I developed a profound interest in specific parts of design, including branding, illustration, animation, and social media design”, said Anabella.
Migrant Women Press team members brainstorming session with Anabella Barnet
Creating the Migrant Women Press Brand: A Collaboration for Change
Anabella’s dedication to design with purpose found a perfect match in our collaboration developing the Migrant Women Press brand. Together, we embarked on a journey to create a brand that would amplify the voices of migrant women and challenge existing narratives around migration.
“The process of creating migrant women’s press was very interesting. I got to understand Julianas’ vision in-depth and dig into her thought process. It was beautiful to see it was truly a collaboration of ideas and discussion that led to the MWP brand, ” explained Anabella.
The process of developing the MWP brand was deeply collaborative, with weekly meetings over almost a year. We delved into the core of the brand, asking hard questions and ensuring every aspect reflected its mission. “I felt trusted, and I think we both created a safe space for creativity,” said Anabella.
Involving other members of MWP in the process, a diverse team of women from different countries and experiences collaborated to develop the brand through a brainstorming session, bringing a richness of perspectives and further shaping the brand’s identity.
“It inspired me that I was creating for a community of women who often feel devalued and whose voices are being constantly diminished. I was inspired by the fact that migration narratives are always told through another lens and not through the source. We wanted to give a voice to migrant women in the media landscape, to change the migration perspectives”, said Anabella.
Inspired by the desire to challenge stereotypes and empower migrant women, Anabella and the team created “a bold brand that was positive and felt like a community, but at the same time that could maintain the serious tone of the matter. We created a minimal, approachable branding, with a pinch of rebellion, reflecting MWP unconformity to the way newsrooms operate, aiming to break the status quo”, explained Anabella.
Defining the Experience: Branding with Purpose
For Anabella, branding with Migrant Women Press was more than just a design project “I felt listened to, as I identify as a migrant woman myself. I felt trusted throughout the whole process, and the overall community of MWP were very involved in the overall process. I saw collaboration and true interest in improving the media landscape and migrant women’s stories. I learned a lot through the experience, there was healthy communication and support.”, she explained.
The MWP brand stands as a symbol of hope, amplifying the voices of migrant women and striving for a more inclusive media landscape.
Anabella’s journey from Venezuela to Scotland, and her collaboration with Migrant Women Press, exemplifies the transformative power of design when driven by purpose and passion. As she continues her work, she remains committed to using design as a tool for positive change, one brand at a time.