From Sketch to Shirt – and into the Heart of the Community
Janina is an illustrator and graphic designer. She lives in St. Gallen, originally comes from Zurich, and is currently studying Knowledge Visualization at ZHdK. She has always been creative, charting her path step by step through a preliminary course and a design degree. Her decision to participate in the competition was more of a gut feeling: "I saw the call on Instagram, and then a few friends also wrote to me: 'Hey, this would be perfect for you!'" And it was exactly right. Because the desire to see a design on a T-shirt again that says more than just "look good" had been there for a while.
If you haven't yet read the portrait of our Crowd Design winner Sophia, you can read it here.
What's Behind the Design
Two hands, one flower – clear, simple, yet meaningful. For Janina, it was clear from the start: it should be about the connection between us and nature. "We are part of it and not separate. And only together can we take care of nature." It's no coincidence that she likes to draw hands and plants. For her, they are elements that exude calm and simultaneously show how connected we all are. "I wanted to create something that appeals to people, but still makes them think." Her flat, graphic style conveys this message without many words. And that's exactly what convinced us, and we wanted to immortalize her design on our shirts.
A Little Chaos, a Lot of Intuition
For Janina, working creatively means letting go sometimes and not knowing where it's going. "I need the chaos at the beginning. I just write or draw everything that comes to mind, and then I see what can emerge from it." This helps her in designing: first letting everything out, then sorting, selecting, assembling. And that's exactly how "Together for Nature" came about.
Being Outdoors, Breathing Deeply, Recharging
When Janina isn't at her drawing table or at ZHdK, she's drawn outdoors. To the mountains, snowboarding. Or just into the forest with her dog. "A short walk is often enough. It helps me clear my head." Sustainability also plays a big role in her studies. Janina wants to learn how to use design to make important topics accessible, even if they are sometimes complex. That's exactly what fascinates her: showing things in a way that they can be understood and felt.
"I want to convey to people that every day we have the opportunity to do something small. For nature. For others. And for ourselves." Whether alone, with friends, or with family – change begins small. Her design shows exactly that. And that's exactly why it's now part of NIKIN.
The Design as Part of Our New TreePlanter Collection
For NIKIN's 9th birthday, we are celebrating not only almost a decade of planted trees, but above all the people behind the brand – our community. With Janina's design "Together for Nature," we are bringing exactly this sense of community to our products. The result is a small, refined TreePlanter collection that shows how much power creative ideas hold.
The TreeShirt TreePlanter Print Relaxed features the design subtly on the front chest and large as a back print. For those who prefer something more understated, the TreeShirt TreePlanter Patch Relaxed in Deep Purple or the TreeShirt TreePlanter Patch Relaxed Women in Juniper offer two variants with a small, delicate patch. The collection is rounded off by the TreeCap TreePlanter. It not only carries our message outward but also stands for solidarity and a shared sense of responsibility. Those who wear it show: I am committed to our world and am part of a community that protects nature and strives for something good every day.
Thank you, Janina, for your inspiring design. And a huge thank you to you, dear TreePlanters, for 9 years of NIKIN, 9 years of commitment, ideas, and passion. Together for Nature.
