Marine Cariou, graphic designer and creator of printed objects

A graduate of the Concepteur Réalisateur Graphique training program in 2013, Marine Cariou is a graphic designer and creator of printed objects. Based in Redon, Brittany, she has co-created Sandwich éditions, a publishing house for limited-edition printed objects, as well as a graphic design and artisanal printing studio.

I did my work-study program at Christian Dior, and continued to work there as a freelance graphic designer after graduating, then I was offered a permanent contract in a photo retouching agency. As retouching is too technical a profession for me, I declined the offer and decided to return to Brittany, my native region, after the birth of my child.

At first, I had some difficulty finding work in the region. I did a series of odd jobs (graphic designer in a print shop, communications officer in a tourist office...) before joining a coworking space in a rural area thanks to an association. This enabled me to build up a new network and start freelancing again.

I translate ideas into images for print. I work mainly for the cultural sector, creating posters, programs, logos, labels...

I'm also a riso editor and printer, producing hand-printed objects (posters, cards, textiles...).

©Marine Cariou / Sandwich éditions

"Sandwich Editions is both a graphic design studio and a publishing house. We print artists' works in risography or silkscreen. Reproductions are signed by the artists, numbered and published in limited editions (from 0 to 100 copies).

With "Sandwich éditions", we aim to promote graphic design, illustration, artisanal printing and local artists (or not)... Our aim is to create "homemade", circuit-printed products in the most environmentally-friendly way possible. We ensure that artists are fairly remunerated, and we give priority to contact and "coups de cœur".

Our printed objects are for sale on our online gallery.

If you want something done right, do it yourself!

I've always been attracted to entrepreneurship. I teamed up with Alexandre, a graphic designer from the Pays de Redon who was already established in the region. His background is similar to mine, having worked in the Paris region for Gaumont Animation before returning to Brittany. He's also a fan ofillustrated posters and silkscreen printing. We discovered risography together. We had the opportunity to work together and buy a riso machine.

Our mutual friend, author Benoît Broyart, then introduced us to the world of publishing. The three of us exchanged a lot, and that's how "Sandwich Éditions" was born.

The production of an advertising campaign for Redon Agglomération's incentive fee for waste sorting. This was the first call for tenders to which Alexandre and I responded .

We worked together on the entire concept, which included posters, a leaflet, a brochure and the complete creation of a 7-family game.

We invented the families and illustrated each character. It was a rewarding project, with a beautiful finished product.

©Marine Cariou / Sandwich éditions

Freedom. To create, to change, to invent, to imagine...

The graphic designer is not just a creative person, or an art director. He or she must also be a technician, knowing how to properly prepare a file for printing, how to provide a customer with a suitable file...

Technical skills are invaluable, and that's what recruiters and clients will be looking for.

Unfortunately not, but I'd love to. We'd like to develop a network beyond the Greater West. The world of risography is a small but growing one.

©Marine Cariou / Sandwich éditions

I really liked the rhythm of the courses, with one workshop a month , which enabled us to develop a complete graphic design project from customer brief to print.

I also appreciated the diversity of projects proposed by the teachers and the opportunities to meet with other sections.

Multiplying experience is the best way to learn. A graphic designer can work in both the private and public sectors, in a multitude of fields.

It's also important to know how to work as part of a team, to take care of yourself, to exercise, and sometimes to leave the screen and return to the manual, the traditional.

We also need to work on enhancing the value of our profession, which is not always considered, by charging fair rates. We spend a lot of time developing ideas, researching, formatting, doing and undoing...

It'simportant to assert copyright and the time spent on a project. This is what the "slow design" trend is all about.

Interview by Sophie Jean