The Designity community is made up of a wide variety of talented creatives with an even wide variety of specialities.
And since “design” is right in our name, you just know we’ve got the best and brightest designers around.
Today’s highlight is a closer look at one of those amazing designers, Ashton N.!
From a disinterested high school student to a much sought-after Designity star, here is their story!
Q. What made you get into designing?
A. Well, I barely graduated high school by the skin of my teeth. I was a straight-D student. I just wasn’t one to apply myself, I guess.
So, then I was just at home and my mom said “You’ve got to go to college. You’re going to go to a technical college and you’re going to pick a program to go into or I’m going to pick it for you.”
So, I said whatever. I’ll become a digital artist or a graphic designer. Because I had some background. I used to draw back in the day, but I fell out of it. And then, it just so happened that I turned out to be pretty good at graphic design, so that’s what I ended up doing.
I did a two-year program at Horry-Georgetown Technical College. It was a two-year program for digital arts, which was a wide array of things. They taught graphic design, videography, web design, animation, that sort of thing. Then I was able to transfer my credits over to Coastal Carolina University to finish off the next two years to get my bachelor’s.
Q. So, you chose graphic design because you used to draw? Did you take classes when you were younger?
A. That’s the thing. I never took any art classes at all in high school or in middle school. Well, I did but just the class they force you to do for a fine arts credit. I typically only drew in my free time; I drew my own things.
My mother recognized that I was good at drawing, but I never really cared to acknowledge my own skill.
My mother really pushed me to apply myself and I owe a lot to her in that area.
Q. Are you the only creative one in your family?
A. I have two brothers. We’re all very, very different from one another. My older brother is a pharmacist. My younger brother is more on the athletic side.
Yeah, I’m the artsy middle child who’s all weird and stuff. That’s how it happens.
My mom is a hair stylist so she’s creative in her own way with that and she’s really good at it. Also, she gives me free haircuts so that’s always a benefit.
Q. What was your first designing gig out of college?
A. I worked at a very small business that was involved in vape and kratom products. They were a very small business. They got their name from Robocop, just to set the vibe. My cousin worked there, and it was a very interesting experience, to say the least. That was my first true gig in what I guess you could call “the professional realm.” I don’t know what they would call it over there.
Q. How did you end up at Designity?
A. So, what happened was, after I left that job, I was sort of moseying about, applying for jobs and not getting too many responses.
I applied for Designity and when it came time for that one test we had to do, I decided to go the route of Motion Design because, in between that period I wasn’t working, I had decided to teach myself Motion Design.
I always would draw my own stuff and think to myself, “What would it be like if things that I would draw would animate?”
So that’s what really inspired me to push into Motion Design. And when it came time for Designity to test me, I thought I’d use my new ability to see what they think.
That got me in very quickly. I’ve been with Designity almost two years now.
Q. What’s your favorite type of visual content to create?
A. It’s still graphic design.
I can do everything anyone asks. Can I animate? Yeah. Can I do video? Sure.
But my bread and butter is still graphic design. You ask me to do a logo, I’ll get all giddy. Or do a branding, or what have you. I still love that stuff the most.
Q. What’s your favorite Designity project you’ve worked on?
A. That’s a difficult one. Some projects have their good things and bad things.
My favorite one was one of our canceled projects for logo design. That allowed me to really get expressive. Besides that one, I suppose I really do like Outdoor Network. They’re one of my favorite clients to work with because it’s just a fun subject matter to work with.
Working with them, they’re more about action and the extreme nature of dirt bikes and side-by-sides.
Actually, I’ve been working with that client for a year now. They know me on a first-name basis, and they specifically ask for me and the other creatives on the team.
They’ll be like, “Hey, can you get Ashton to work on this specific project and no one else?”
Q. What do you like to do when you’re not designing?
A. Probably illustrating on my own time. I like honing my own art style and evolving it over time in ways that put me outside of my comfort zone.
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Q. What would you say to up-and-coming designers looking to start their careers?
A. I would say to know when something isn’t right for you. If you feel a certain vibe about a client or you’re just not enjoying the content of what you’re working with, feel free to say something and make use of the word “no.”
Utilize it very much in your vocabulary and don’t be afraid to use it because most of the time the person on the other end will be very understanding.
Don’t be afraid to say no and truly go out of the way to find something that is right for you and that you do enjoy.
That’s what got me through life.
