December 2, 2022
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For some, it’s a hobby. For others, it’s a passion. For Graphic Designer, Kayleigh Edwards, creating some of the most popular race poster designs in modern-day motorsport is more than a job - it’s a dream come true.
Since joining Pace Six Four in 2021, Kayleigh has been on quite a journey. From building brand identities for racing teams to designing merchandise for elite level drivers including Romain Grosjean, her experience has been diverse to say the least.
But if there's one thing in particular that Kayleigh has carved out a reputation for, it’s race posters. If you consider yourself a motor racing fan, there’s a good chance that her designs will have graced your social media feeds on more than one occasion in recent years.
Over the past 12 months in particular, Kayleigh’s work with Iron Lynx and Iron Dames in sports car competition has gained industry-wide respect.
Creating a race poster is a process she loves, and whenever given the chance, it’s always an opportunity she relishes.
“Taking an idea from inside your head, knowing how you want it to look and then bringing it to life is a very enjoyable creative process,” says Kayleigh.
“It’s a process that no two people will approach in the same way, but the creative journey from turning an abstract idea into a visual asset is one that I love.
“I love a good Pinterest board for ideas, and I think collaborating and sharing ideas with other designers is a great source of inspiration, but I draw inspiration from everywhere - from video game covers to vintage movie posters and all in between.
“I think the most challenging part of designing a race poster is turning the parameters of a brief into something that will be visually recognisable for an audience while including the key messaging the client wants to convey.
“Posters for prestigious events in particular can sometimes be quite daunting. So many people are watching, and expectations are high, so it does come with a bit of pressure.
“Every poster has its own personality, influences and characteristics. Before anyone sees my work, I usually go through numerous iterations, so until it gets reviewed, it almost feels like it belongs only to me. It's a very personal process.
“When it eventually does get shared, I love that feeling. Publishing it means letting go of it. At that stage, it’s no longer only mine, and seeing fan responses is very, very meaningful.”
Kayleigh’s manga-inspired work for Iron Lynx and Iron Dames for the FIA World Endurance Championship Six Hours of Fuji was especially popular with audiences.
Despite never having created manga artwork before, with an idea in mind, Kayleigh embraced the challenge - setting out to learn a new skill and showcase her creative flair in the process.
“When I started working with Iron Lynx and Iron Dames, I immediately looked at their season schedule and, when I saw the Six Hours of Fuji, I knew that that weekend was going to be massive,” explains Kayleigh.
“When we started to brainstorm content concepts, I explored the manga theme for our race posters, but at that time, I hadn’t done any kind of manga before in my career.
“We initially planned to commission a poster from a professional manga artist, but in the end the work came to me. It was quite daunting, and I knew it would be tricky, but I was excited to learn a new skill.
“The design process was one of trial and error at first, but I’m a fan of video games like Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy, so I knew the visual and artistic style I wanted to create.
“I did some tutorials, so I had a good understanding of the elements which needed to be incorporated and emphasised, but pulling everything together took a lot of time and work.
“Iron Lynx and Iron Dames have a big audience in Japan, so for me, creating a poster like this was a way of thanking them for their support. Because of that, it carried so much weight.
“I was mindful that it had to be true to the style and the culture, and I didn’t want to do a disservice to the fans and professional manga artists. Fortunately, the response we received was incredible.”
Through learning a new skill like manga and being able to showcase true self-expression in her work, Kayleigh explains that having the freedom to try new things professionally has not only raised the quality of her creative output but also boosted her self-confidence.
“Within Pace Six Four, we’re always encouraged to try new things,” she says. “We’ve always received support to experiment and to learn from others, so we have a creative environment in which we can learn and grow.
“Being trusted to learn a completely new skill for such an important project was overwhelming at first. People had the trust in me, but I just needed to trust myself to be able to do it.
“Throughout my career here, I’ve been given briefs that have pushed me outside my comfort zone, but learning a new skill like manga in less than four weeks boosted my confidence massively.
“I now know that I can probably fulfil any brief that is thrown at me. It gives me confidence in myself, and in my own abilities, but I think it also gives other people the confidence that I’m going to deliver.”
Over the course of 2023, Iron Lynx and Iron Dames continued to inspire the next generation of female talent in motorsport, and like many across the globe, Kayleigh has drawn inspiration from the project.
Embodying the Iron Dames ethos, she believes that seeing is, indeed, believing, and that having relatable role models can spark lasting change.
“Before I started working with Iron Lynx and Iron Dames, I had been following them for quite a while,” says Kayleigh. “When you’re an all-female crew in motorsport, you’re going to have plenty of eyes on you.
“When I heard that they were coming on board as a client, I knew that I wanted to be a part of the project, especially as a woman working in motorsport.
“What Iron Lynx and Iron Dames are trying to achieve in the industry is sorely needed, and being able to play a small part in their diversity and inclusion programme is very meaningful to me.
“Even though, I’m not on the ground at races, I still live it. I carry their performances with me and, over the past 12 months, they’ve overcome so many obstacles to achieve great things.
“When young girls meet the Dames at races and their faces light up, you can see that the team really is inspiring the next generation.
“Regardless of what we do, be it the drivers or a Graphic Designer like me, it’s really nice to see that spark being given to the next generation of young women for them to carry forward. It’s a privilege to be a part of.”
“Not only being a woman, but also legally classed as disabled, I think seeing is believing, especially in motorsport,” adds Kayleigh.
“If you don’t have role models, or people in the public eye who look like you or are going through similar issues to you, you don’t necessarily believe that you can achieve certain things.
“Seeing the Iron Dames and people like Nicolas Hamilton in motorsport gives you belief. You realise that it is achievable, and that if you put the hard work in, you can get to where you want to be.
“I’m quite a stubborn person, and if someone tells me I can’t do something, I will make sure I do it. Role models can give you the belief and the fire you need to know you can do whatever you put your mind to.”
Pace Six Four is a specialist motorsport agency that offers a full suite of commercial, marketing and communications services to clients across the industry.
