Talia Cotton
Designer · Creative Coder · Creative Director
In their own words
The backslash is used as what people literally refer to as an ‘escape’ character.
We were enamoured with this concept because we noticed that even though certain characters share the same glyph, in the context of each character, you could still make out what the word is.
Believe it or not, this actually wasn’t a challenging project.
I was frustrated that the perfect combination of the two didn’t exist (spoiler alert: it does).
No one wants to sell their soul to their job, even if their job is Pentagram.
Articles & interviews
- National Student Show and Conference 2026 Returns to Dallas
PRINT Magazine announces the return of the National Student Show and Conference 2026, taking place April 9–11 in Dallas. The event gathers students, educators, and professionals for workshops, portfolio reviews, and talks under the theme 'Connections.' Keynote speakers include Kelli Anderson, Talia Cotton, Matt George, and Rich Tu, with over $20,000 in prizes available.
- Rob Farmer Unveils Glitchy, Nature-Inspired Generative Animations
The article profiles Melbourne-based designer and illustrator Rob Farmer, whose generative animations like the 'Data Blooms' series explore natural patterns through digital motion. Using Cavalry, Farmer creates kinetic, algorithmic compositions inspired by the natural world. His work bridges personal experimentation and professional commissions for clients like Google and Coinbase.
- Talia Cotton Discusses Coding, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship
The article covers a Nicer Tuesdays New York event where designer and coder Talia Cotton discussed her journey from working at Pentagram to founding her own design and technology agency, Cotton Design. In conversation with Elizabeth Goodspeed, she shared insights into combining coding and creativity and the challenges of becoming her own boss.
- "Bentzion Goldman Forecasts Branding Trends for the New Year"
In this Creative Boom insight piece, Bentzion Goldman, senior designer at Mother Design, reflects on branding trends from 2024 and forecasts what’s next for 2025. He identifies a shift from 'dopamine design' and AI saturation toward tactile, world-building, and playful branding approaches. The article highlights examples from studios like Koto, Porto Rocha, and Little Troop that embody these emerging directions.
- "Bentzion Goldman Predicts Branding Trends for the Year"
In this Creative Boom feature, Bentzion Goldman, senior designer at Mother Design, reflects on branding trends from 2024 and predicts what’s next for 2025. He identifies a shift from 'dopamine design' and silliness toward tactile, immersive, and playful brand experiences. The article highlights examples from studios like Koto, Porto Rocha, and Little Troop that embody these evolving approaches.
- Nicer Tuesdays in New York: Tickets Now Available!
It’s Nice That announces the final 2024 edition of Nicer Tuesdays in New York, featuring talks by Talia Cotton, Base Design’s Mirek Nisenbaum, photographer Fumi Nagasaka, and illustrator Richard A Chance. The event will explore topics from coding and web design to editorial illustration and documentary photography, with GF Smith showcasing student work inspired by its Colorplan paper range.
- Defying norms at -21°: how Cotton Design weaved technology and art into Backslash’s visual language
Cotton Design created a new brand identity for Backslash, formerly \Art, blending technology and art through a custom interactive typeface and generative patterns inspired by the backslash symbol. The project includes a website designed like a digital exhibition, featuring diagonal scrolling and interactive elements that reflect Backslash’s experimental ethos.
- Talia Cotton on working at Pentagram, inspiring students and creating meaningful design with code
The Brand Identity interviews designer and coder Talia Cotton about her dual role at Pentagram, her teaching at Parsons, and her philosophy of creating meaningful design through code. Cotton discusses her generative identity for Guilty by Association, her workflow using Javascript and Figma, and her commitment to making coding accessible to designers. The conversation highlights how code can drive inclusive, bias-aware design solutions.