At Designity, every creative finds their calling in a different way — sometimes it’s through years of experience, sometimes it’s through a lifelong love for art and design, and sometimes, through a single unexpected moment!
For Kulsuma F., one compliment from the right person at the right moment was all it took to turn her from one path and onto a new journey towards a successful career in graphic design.
Ready to see how it all unfolded?
Today’s blog is your exclusive 1:1 with graphic designer Kulsuma, so you can see some of her amazing work and get to know the designer behind some of our coolest creative projects!
Get ready because it’s time to meet Kulsuma!
How did you get into graphic design? What’s your origin story?
I've always been a creative at heart—it was always going to be something in that realm, whether as a writer, a designer, or something similar.
I was a Communications major in high school. I think it was because I was interested in writing, so somehow I ended up in communications and I never switched it. I thought it would be creative, but it was more oral communication. So, I had debate class and oral speech and I hated it so much! Somehow I got through those classes but having to take radio class my senior year was the last straw. I was like “I'm not doing this.”
So, I switched to a multimedia design class. It was this class in the basement of the school building and every week our professor would share Photoshop tutorials for the class to follow. Occasionally, he’d showcase student projects in the hallway, and one week, he featured mine. After displaying my project, he told me I had a talent for design and should consider pursuing graphic design.
Before that class, I had never heard of Photoshop, or any Adobe products. It was so new to me, but I was enjoying following the tutorials. I had applied to Wayne State University to pursue fashion design, but after that, I switched my major to graphic design before starting the semester. And that's how I got into graphic design.
What made you choose fashion design at first?
I chose fashion design because it’s another passion of mine.
I love expressing myself through my outfits and wanted to either create my own brand or just learn the skills in a professional setting. Who knows, maybe someday in the future, I might launch a clothing line.
What was your first graphic design job like?
Towards the end of my second semester at Wayne State, I met with my graphic design professor to discuss internship opportunities.
I was so eager to apply what I had learned and gain experience through an internship. But my professor advised me, saying, “Give it some time. You’ve just started—you need to establish yourself, learn the basics, and then pursue an internship.”
So, I waited until my second year of college. I was looking for a job on campus, and the Kinesiology department was looking for a graphic designer. It was a student position with Kids Work It Out. I ended up staying with them for two years, even after graduating. Around the same time I started at KWIO, I also had a summer design internship at Macmillan Publishers in New York.
How did your career take you to Designity?
2024 has been a little bit crazy. I was let go from a job I enjoyed because the company decided to outsource its creative team. While looking for a full-time role, I applied to various companies, including Designity.
I had never heard of anything like Designity. The fact that it's a remote agency where designers have the flexibility of choosing their clients is pretty cool. It’s a little design community here. So I have been freelancing with Designity for the last 9 months while continuing my search for a full-time role.
What did you think about Designity’s unique application process?
It was different! I had to submit a video interview and, at first, I thought it was a scam — you get a lot of scam emails when you're applying for jobs. There's so many, you have to check and make sure it's not a scam.
But I was invited to a creative session, and I was like, "Okay, let's see what this is about."
And it was fun! But it was crazy because my laptop was freezing in the middle of the session, so I was trying to finish up, but I couldn’t add more to my design because I had to restart my laptop ASAP.
But I participated in the creative session and then interviewed with one of the team members and I was later offered a role.
What’s your favorite thing about working at Designity?
I would say my favorite thing about Designity is the community aspect of it and just the way the agency works.
You have the flexibility to choose your clients, to choose who you want to work with, and if things are a little crazy for your schedule, you can take on less. That's great as well, since as a freelancer, you do have the flexibility to set your own schedule but often end up working odd hours too. So, it’s nice to be able to choose the amount of clients you want to take based on your availability.
How has Designity been different from your other design jobs?
The flexibility and the ability to be creative when you're working with the Creative Directors here; they're pretty open with letting you take the design reins and apply your expertise.
I really appreciate that because sometimes, in corporate settings — I've worked mostly corporate jobs — it's a little hard because you have a procedure or system to follow, which limits the ability to be creative.
But with this, you're working with various clients and it's a different thing every day; plus the flexibility and community aspect. I think that's something you don't usually find at other places.
What is your favorite kind of project to take on?
I would say, hands down, traditional print work.
Because it's nice seeing it come to life and being able to interact with it, whether it’s a brochure, a book, for example. As visual learners, I think a lot of designers could relate.
That's also why I've stuck to design and not moved on to UI/UX or video, because that's something that you can only get with traditional graphic design.
So, yeah, I like printed collateral or publication design, cover designs, anything that lets you be flexible with the creativity.
What has been your most challenging project and how did you overcome it?
One challenge that comes to mind is actually a project at Designity.
This was one of my first projects, so I was working on 3–5 second social GIFs for a client and there were about 30 to 60 graphics that I had to complete in a very short time. It was very stressful because, at that time, I was working full-time as well. Having to continue Designity work into the night and finish those graphics in such a short period of time was tough.
And then we had also started the project using the wrong program, so that added to the timeline. Later, we broke down the deliverables into batches and switched to another program that the client had access to, which helped us streamline everything. After that, everything went smoothly.
I love how the final graphics turned out. They were so fun to create once I got the hang of it. Once we created a better timeline, it was enjoyable but, initially, it was a lot!
How do you keep yourself up to date with design trends?
I'm someone who likes exploring new things.
But, right now, if there's a specific skill or trend that I want to learn more about, I refer to YouTube tutorials to figure out how to create it. I’ll also go on Pinterest or Google to see what other designers are doing. Instagram is another great source of inspiration for me—I follow a few designers there to stay updated. This is surprising but LinkedIn is also a great platform to get the latest and the best from, with designers sharing innovative campaigns and initiatives all the time.
Are there any specific trends that you notice?
Right now, I would say gradients; heavy grain and texture. That stuff stands out to me because I personally enjoy working with those elements as well.
And then also using bold colors or strong pops of color. I think that's also really fun in design.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
I just spend time with my family.
I also enjoy watching Korean dramas! I'm always looking for the next one to watch.
I try to be active too and like exploring different hobbies. I like taking walks, I tried boxing at one point. I learned how to swim; I took swimming classes. I'm trying to do a 5K at one point. I will this year, hopefully.
Is there anything else about you we should know?
This is actually the first year that I'm doing a New Year's resolution!
I was inspired by a friend. She asked if I could sit down with her and give her support while she plans her 2025 goals. Just to keep her accountable and I was like, “Okay, yeah, sure, let's do it!”
And then she told me about a bingo, I think this year the trend is like 2025 Bingo goals, and I was like, "oh my God, that's so cool!"
So, I decided to join her and create my own resolutions too. This is the first time in my whole existence that I've created resolutions for the new year. I'm excited to see where this goes!
<div class="c-blog_comp-cta cc-component-2"><div class="c-blog_comp-cta-left"><div class="c-blog_comp-cta-left-wrap"><img src="https://global-uploads.webflow.com/61cdf3c5e0b8155f19e0105b/63695243d096983691046ac3_Potential-Creative.png" loading="lazy" alt="" class="c-blog_comp-cta-left-img"></div></div><div class="c-blog_comp-cta-right cc-dark"><div class="c-blog_comp-content"><div class="c-text-wrapper cc-mb-32"><div class="c-title-4 cc-bold"><strong>Like to work as a freelancer with consistent income?</strong></div></div><div class="c-text-wrapper"><div class="c-text-2">Designity's collaborative model is designed to give you all of the perks of being a freelancer without the income instability.<br></div></div></div><div class="c-blog_comp-wrapper"><a href="http://designity.com/creatives" target="_blank" class="c-button w-button"><strong>Join Our Creative Community</strong></a></div></div></div>
Do you have any words of inspiration for aspiring creatives?
I think as designers, our work is always being critiqued and, sometimes, it can be a little tough because it can feel like your designs and skills will never be enough.
But I think it's important to know that you are talented. If you were offered any design position or you complete a creative project, you were able to accomplish that because you are talented. You were capable, so that is why you were able to do it! I think it's important to remind yourself of that.
Accept that there will be challenges and allow yourself to grow. But trust in yourself that you can do it. I think that's important for aspiring designers because imposter syndrome is real.
It's different for everybody but getting thick skin takes experience, so don't let it bother you and tear you down because every client is different. They might have specific needs, and it might take some time to get there and that's okay.
