Today we’d like to introduce you to Jill Hammel.
Hi Jill, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in a creative family. My mom and dad both worked in the fashion industry. My mom is seamstress who creates incredible quilts and is exceptionally creative. My dad, brother and I all are bird photographers. My grandpa, who is 95, is a painter and is still doing so. I knew I was drawn to the creative industry, but didn’t know what I wanted to do until college.
Right before my senior year at The University of Oregon, where I was studying Digital Art and Photography, I decided to transfer to The Art Institute of Portland to further my education as a designer and learn from professors in the Portland creative scene. After graduation, I worked at a candy and toy company, a print shop, and a small boutique agency where I was able to explore many different avenues of design. After I left the agency is when I made the push to go full-time as a freelance designer.
I started out offering many services from branding to websites to brochures to companies varying in size. Eventually, I decided to hone in on a few skills that I felt strongly in, and also enjoyed doing, because at the end of the day, that’s what kept me going.
Over the last 5 years, I’ve found my niche in B2B (Business-to-Business) marketing design, focusing on start-ups and early-stage businesses. What I love about where I’m at now is that I am helping small teams find establish their brand to their audience. As a freelancer, it can sometimes feel lonely, but with this path I’m on, I am integrated deeply into marketing teams and working closely with people to build something they’re really excited about.
One of my favorite aspects of the design I do is taking a company’s complex idea or product data and converting it into something that becomes not only legible, but intrigues the audience enough to engage and learn more. It’s this ongoing puzzle that when completed, provides a high level of accomplishment and satisfaction.
Nowadays, I work with 2-3 clients at a time on retainer. I’m constantly pushing myself to learn new techniques, find fresh inspiration, keep up with software, and most of all, maintain my work-life balance.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Making the shift to freelance was both inspirational and defeating. While I knew I wanted to go out on my own, there was a lot I did not know about running a business and the design industry. I found mentors early on who had made a name for themselves, and they always guided me to keep going. There were many months starting out where I did not make a lot of money. Then there were others where I felt like I was living the dream.
As is the case with any relationship, I also had to know when to end contracts and when to push through difficult clients. Looking back, I feel good about most of the clients I let go, as those moments have led me to where I am, and also allowed me to move forward. I recently had to go through this process of letting go a big client of mine because I simply outgrew them. It was a risk, but it eventually paid off and I feel like I’ve made a big step ahead since that moment.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialize in B2B Marketing Design and Art Direction. That means I work with companies who, instead of marketing towards consumers, they’re selling their product to other businesses. This tends to land me in the healthcare or tech industries.
What I love about the area I am in is that my focus is on structure, hierarchy, and the audience’s ability to digest the information. I’m dealing with text-heavy designs that end up in the hands of sales teams to support their pitch meeting.
What I am most proud of is getting to where I am at these days. Over my time as a designer, I’ve felt swayed many times again to focus on web design or UX/UI, but knowing my passion for layout design coupled with my history of brand design, I know marketing design is my home.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
I’m reminded time and time again to not be too hard on myself. Each year brings new projects, new problems to be solved, and new opportunities. In order to keep going, I must not only evolve, but also recognize where I’ve come from. Every part of my process is about going back-and-forth, be it with clients or my own creativity. Whether it’s losing a client or receiving bad feedback, I’ve learned to breathe it in and breathe it out, and keep on going.
I’ve also made sure to focus on my work-life balance. It’s so easy to get swept up in work, so I’ve set strict guidelines for myself based around hours, expectations, and communication to clients. Outside of work, you can find me backpacking, in the pottery studio, reading a book, or doing shooting bird photography.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Jillsock.com
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jillsock
