Juliana Castro Varón

Feed Overview


I’m the Senior Design Editor of A.I. Initiatives at the New York Times, and the founder of the open source library and publishing studio Cita Press. I’ve received fellowships from Fulbright, Harvard and the Mellon Foundation. I also contribute cartoons to The New Yorker.

Things I like: Good jokes, Times New Roman, memes, the literary line between poor memory and fiction, taking baths, rocks shaped as rocks, rocks shaped as UFOs, when my cat looks like a loaf of bread, crying at the movies, watching sunset. 

Other stuff: I’ve taught at the college level and given talks about art, design, AI, ghosts, and more (you can watch some of them online). I wrote a book about art, beauty, my grandma and Patti Smith. It’s called Papel sensible, and it was published in Spanish by Planeta (you can find it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and in some Spanish-speaking bookstores around the world). I’m writing another one but it’s a secret. 

Online: Insta, Ex Twit, Threads, Arena, Email.
Offline: I’m around!
CITA PRESS (2018 - present) 

citapress.org
    Cita is an award-winning open-access feminist digital library and publisher that promotes and distributes the writings of women authors whose works are open-licensed or in the public domain. Initially an all-volunteer passion project, Cita has now received nearly a million dollars in funding from the Mellon Foundation, and is currently sponsored by the wonderful Educopia Institute. I am the founder and design director, and I also lead cita.studio, our client-facing design service.


     REEVE (2023)

    tryreeve.com     Reeve's patent-pending method combines neuroscience and dream incubation to create a revolutionary way for users to relive memories while they sleep. Mixing refined simplicity with evocative imagery, we crafted a visual identity that would inspire calm and rest but also represent the vividness of dreams and the sweetness of good memories. The brand uses dramatic imagery and a simple palette to create synergy and communication between the packaged wellness consumer product and the mobile app. I also did all the user interface and competitor research.

    HARVARD’S A.I. PEDAGOGY PROJECT (2023)

    aipedagogy.org     The AI Pedagogy Project is a collection of assignments and materials inspired by the humanities, for educators curious about how AI affects their students and their syllabi. How do we make informed, intentional decisions about the role of AI in the classroom? How can students develop critical relationships with these tools? How can imaginative applications of AI technologies enhance learning? AIPP helps educators engage their students in conversations about the capabilities and limitations of AI informed by hands-on experimentation. 

    ARE IMAGES REAL? (2022-2023)

    ‘Are Images Real?’ is an interactive index of the history of image manipulation, from darkroom tricks of the 1800s to modern-day deepfakes and AI-generated images. It uses a graphic chronology and storytelling to explore the evolution of image manipulation from its earliest days to the present, examining the ways in which photographic images have been altered, distorted, and transformed over time. This project explores misleading photographic manipulation through three key eras: analog and film photography; digital images; and generative artificial intelligence. I created ‘Are Images Real?’ a at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society.



    MISCELLANY (2018 - 2022)I've designed the visual identity and websites for various clients. For The Maintainers, I created a punch-card to help people say no! In early 2020, I created the ironic apology generator igotcancelled.club. After, around the onset of COVID-19, I developed a "hope" generator, still available on my Github. I also designed Rough Cut Collective’s website in 2020. In 2022, I designed the typographical environmental layout for Sarah Newman's interactive art installation at the Spencer Museum of Art. In 2023, I built the website for the History Design Studio, reviving Bruce Mau's 2013 rebranding for the Hutchins Center.

    WIKIPEDIA BANDS HOAXES (2017) As I started to contribute to Wikipedia, I discovered the ‘Hoaxes Page,’ a list of bogus entries that survived for years without being noticed. Included on this list were about a dozen fictional music bands. I designed cover art for these fake bands based on the stories of their removed Wikipedia pages. I also created a fictitious benefit concert linking to donation websites for the victims of Hurrican Maria. 

    DATING SOCKS (2017) Inspired by trends of online dating culture and the sadness of our lost socks, artist Ingrid Tremblay and I created Dating Socks, an app for single socks to find matches and have a new chance at love.