Liz Romain was the lead graphic designer on the audio drama The Adventures of Zolan Dart, presented by The Dorky Diva Show. She answered a few questions via email for this interview.
What is your first memory of Star Wars?
My family has always been a Star Wars family. Some of my earliest memories are playing with Princess Leia dolls.
Who are some of your favorite Star Wars characters and have those favorites changed over time?
Princess Leia influenced the way I played, watched, and experienced things as a kid. I always asked to fast forward to her scenes. To me, she was the ultimate role model and in any imaginary game I played, my name was always Leia. More recently, BB-8 has become a favorite, most definitely because of my love for Wall-E and other wholesome robots.
How did you become involved with this project and what was your involvement with The Adventures of Zolan Dart?
My sister was heavily involved in the Star Wars community so she connected me with Savanna on Twitter. Savanna was looking for a designer for a different project and we worked so well together that she reached back out for this one. I ended up designing the branding for The Working Diva, her podcast about celebrating women of the workplace, and later for The Dorky Diva Show.
How many designs did you produce for Zolan Dart and can you explain the process of designing one or two of them?
I designed the logo, promotional poster, and some of the social media graphics. The illustrations provided really paved the way for the design. Savanna explained she wanted something stark, clean, and attention-grabbing. I think that balanced well with the detail of the character illustrations.
Did any other Star Wars content or artists inspire your work?
I love the work of Audrey Estok. Her unique illustration style and use of color puts me in a creative mood.
Can you talk about your background in graphic design and some other projects you have worked on?
I graduated from art school in 2016 and have always balanced freelance and passion projects with full-time work. I am obsessed with brand design. Putting together moodboards is therapeutic to me and that’s exactly what I got to do with Savanna’s first project, so I was instantly excited to work with her. One of my goals for this year is to expand my freelance connections and work on as many different branding projects as I can.
What was the most challenging part of your work on Zolan Dart?
All of my Star Wars knowledge has come directly from my sister because I’m not super well-versed in its culture. I listened to the soundtrack and looked at Star Wars fanart to get a feel for the aesthetic and spirit of it.
Do you have a favorite design from the project?
I love the graphics where The Dorky Diva Show logo is also present, since that project was so fulfilling to work on. Seeing them work together is satisfying for me as a designer.
