Jesiah Atkinson is a graphic designer based in Hampton, VA. She is the Art Director for Hii Magazine Issue #2.

One of Hii's initiatives for our physical magazines is to work with a different art director on each issue and to, ideally, work with younger designers who may not have experience designing for print or making a book. We're excited by the idea of giving visionary designers the ability to cut their teeth in areas like art direction, text layout & print design by collaborating on the production of our physical issues.

After Jesiah submitted her stunning designs for Colin Joyce's "Prescriptive Practice" article in Hii #1 (see spreads below), we knew we wanted to work with her again. In Jesiah's broader work, we saw her mindfulness for print as well as a unique style that, unsurprisingly, seems to be influenced by music and her relationship to water.

Check out more of Jesiah's work here.

Describe your ideal listening environment.

Somewhere quiet. I hate when people are talking when I'm trying to listen to things.

What are your favorite sounds?

I like hearing food. Cook like sizzle in the pan. I love that. And I love hearing water run.

Which sound do you most like making?

Laughing. Laughter.

Who do you like to talk to most?

My mom. She's my best friend now, after..a struggling... My adolescence was pretty hard, so we're besties now.

What does it sound like in your head?

Just imagine an instrument store blowing up.

What was the first thing you heard today?

My alarm to take my dogs out.

What sounds do you hear right now?

Me talking. And you talking.

On what occasion do you become loud?

When if I'm not loud no one will hear me. Like if other people are also being really loud and I need to say something then I'll get loud too. Other than that I'm pretty moderate in volume.

On what occasion did you most recently whisper?

This morning. There was a cat while I was taking my dogs out and they lost it. So I had to whisper to them so they would come back to Earth and stop losing their minds in public.

Are you a good listener?

Yes. All I do is listen.

What podcast do you listen to the most?

The Cutting Room Floor. It's a fashion podcast.

Describe your ideal soundscape?

The beach when there's no one else but me there.

What do you consider to be the most frightening sound?

I haven't heard this often in life, but at any point when my mom is expressing fear or pain. That's the worst.

What do you consider the most overrated sound?

I feel like there aren't any overrated sounds. All sounds are valid.

Whose speaking or singing voice do you most admire?

Barbra Streisand.

Who is your hero of music or audio?

I recently discovered Max Richter. Like, within this year. I love him. I think his music makes me acknowledge a certain depth of myself that most music can't so...him.

Which sound skill, talent or superpower do you possess?

I can sing. Just don't ask me to because I can't because I'm nervous and terrified!

Which sound skill, talent or superpower do you secretly possess?

I guess that I can sing because no one really knows. Except for you and my brother now basically.

Which sound skill, talent or superpower do you most desire?

I want to be able to compose really dark dramatic, deep music.

What is the most extravagant / furthest length you have gone for sound?

I can't really think of anything serious. I guess I would say when my wire headphones would be on their last leg as a teenager and I couldn't afford new ones, I would hold the wire in a really awkward position in the air so that the sound came through.

What is your most vivid sound memory?

Oh, I was like nine and I had wandered too far out into the ocean. And I was up to my neck [in the water] standing up and it was just the sound of the water in the wind and the seagulls. iI was very intense.

Which of your possessions do you most associate with a sound?

My phone.

Which extinct sound do you most wish you could hear?

Angels singing. Even though that's probably never been heard. Or maybe it has I'm not sure but I want to hear that.

What advice did you regret not listening to?

I regret not listening to my mother when I was 18 about a boy.

Describe silence in ten words.

I feel like describing silence would be like against silence. I don't know if I can answer that question. My brain is silence.

When did you feel unheard?

Oh my god, am I in therapy? Okay. Unheard...I felt unheard in my younger years. You know as a small child.

Describe a sound that troubles you.

Low growls.

What will it sound like on the “other side”?

I don't know. I would imagine rushing water. That's all I can hear. When I think about that.

When and where were you happiest, and what did it sound like?

I was five. I was having a sleepover and I heard nothing but my friends and The Land Before Time on the TV in the background. That was awesome. That movie makes me cry to this day.

What was the best thing you heard this week?

My mom's voice. She took a job where she's traveling a lot now so I don't see her as much. Hearing her was really nice.