Up Close and Personal : The Everyday Life of a Graphic Designer
I’m sure by now you know I’m a graphic designer because if you didn’t, you wouldn't be here. Or maybe you just find some of the things that I talk about pretty interesting. I write a lot of content for established business and start-up companies, but I'm sure you are thinking "yea who doesn't"? The difference is I write my content through the world of color. Believe it or not, color and design is intertwined with every aspect of our life. Anybody can be a business person, have the smarts, study the books, but it's the DESIGN tactics and creative ideas that really brings everything together.
So let's jump right in! If you are wondering what this blog is about, it's about the everyday life of a graphic designer, starting yours truly 🤗.
I always question what my purpose in life was. It was only recently I realized that I have a God-given talent for being creative and designing, especially expressing it through color. I remember my mom used to buy learning programs for me, but I looked over the academic portion and always gravitated to the drawing and color portion of it. ( I guess then God was molding to be a little Picasso, just a more technology advanced Picasso 👩🏽💻). Even in college, I started out as a Bio major. Realizing chemistry would be the death of me, I ran for the hills and quickly declared my major for the Visual Arts & Design. (Sorry mom, till this day math & science was never my thing, but I do appreciate history....only because it's tied into art lol ❤️)
What I am trying to get around to is I love creating things. When I get inquiries from people looking to start a business with my designs I get ecstatic! I enjoy crafting designs that depict them best. Whether it's a logo, album cover, brochure, resume, so on, and so on, I work hard and find peace in knowing that I left my client with a smile of satisfaction.
Here is a brief glimpse of my process and a few projects I have been working on lately.
I start off by sending a client questionnaire to get a feel of their brand and what their preferences might be. I often hear, “you're the designer, you should know exactly what we want”. That is somewhat right, but the truth is, it takes two to tango. 💃👯
Of course, I need basic info like what is your company's vision, what does it stand for, who's your competition blah blah blah, but the fun part is getting to know you as a person. ☺️
What's your favorite color?
Do you like clean and simple designs?
Or are you a bold and extravagant kind of person?
What is your personality like?
Do you like logos with just straight text OR are you more of an imagery type of person? Shoot, maybe you are both. 🤷🏽♀️
From there, I do a little of research and begin to draft of some designs. Recently I have some pretty different inquiries from clients, some are the same but others are different. For instance, one was a fitness logo created for one of the top spin instructors in Atlanta (bottom left). The other was an event planning and decoration services for the company Maranda’s Events (bottom right).
Different fonts and colors can make such a difference when design something. Take Miranda's Events for an example her logo was made with a serif typeface (the little pointed ends on a letter....don't worry I'll dedicate a blog solely on Typography to help you out ☺️). Normally, these are used to make things appear fancy and sophisticated.
As of now, I am currently in the draft process of making
2 fitness, health, and wellness logos
a menu for an upcoming restaurant that will be here in Atlanta ( yumm I know)
A logo and business cards for a beauty and style company
Even a website
It looks like I have a lot of work set out for me, but I don't mind. I can put on my favorite Ariana Grande or Miguel album and work for hours without even realizing it. This is something that I enjoy doing and the fact that I can do something I love while helping others is even the more reason you should get a custom design by yours truly 🤗
