How did you get started with graphic design?
I really got introduced to graphic design as a career during my freshman year of college. In high school, I was never set on a specific profession. I just knew that I was interested in finding something that aided my passion for creating art. The year before becoming a freshman, I learned that graphic design was a career that interested me and decided to major in it.
What does your creative process look like when preparing to design?
Generally speaking, I start off with some sort of inspiration. Inspiration may come whenever I’m listening to music, looking at TV, scrolling on Instagram, or talking to my friends and family.
The time it takes to generate a solid idea depends on the “why?” of what I’m creating. If it's more of a serious topic, I usually try to take my time to create. That may mean a couple of minutes, hours, days, or months. During the brainstorming phase, I doodle my ideas on paper and continue to refine them until I like what I’m doing. Usually, I get different people’s opinions on what they think of my design. Different perspectives help me see my work in a different light. Afterward, I start creating the final draft. This part is always the easiest because I know exactly what I want to create and why.
What brands and/or individuals do you admire the most that have influenced your work?
Whenever I'm asked this question, I never know what to say. I admire so many people’s work. It’s so easy to find inspiration in people’s art because of constantly being exposed to it on the various social media platforms. There are artists that I admire, and instead of recognizing their faces, I recognize their work. But if I had to think about it, brands that inspire me include: Fenty, MSFTS, Vogue, etc. Artists that inspire me are Tyler Mitchel, Harris Reed, Jackie Droujko, Virgil Abloh, etc.
What is your favorite piece of work you created, and why?
This [the piece featured above] titled “Love Yourself,” is one of my favorites pieces that I’ve created in college. I made this one during my freshman year, I wanted to emphasize the power of words. Everything that is depicted was created using phrases that positively affirm oneself. This piece, in particular, really solidified that I wanted to be a graphic designer because I recognized that I can use my art to make positive statements.
We are fortunate to have such talented artists honing their craft at AU. The Student Movement will be continuing to feature artists and their work, if you or someone you know should be featured, send us a DM on Instagram at @theausm.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.