Today we’d like to introduce you to Adrienne Carlson.
Hi Adrienne, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
After college, I worked a few corporate jobs here and there, but hadn’t quite found my groove until I started working at The Oregonian. I was in a sales support role, but I worked closely with the design team and art department. I’ve always loved art and being creative. I would make little clip art and Microsoft Paint art projects on my computer for fun. It wasn’t until I got into screen printing that I started to take my design skills seriously. One day at work, I asked our team designer if I could take my lunch hour to sit with him and absorb all his design wisdom. He showed me what programs he used (Adobe Creative Suite), how to edit images and photographs in Photoshop, and the principles of layout design. These lunch-hour sessions quickly turned into a strong mentor/mentee relationship, and I was hooked. I soon volunteered for a new hybrid assistant/designer role where I worked closely with four senior designers who were so generous in showing me the ropes. I rapidly cut my teeth in design production by working on all the local car dealership ads. If you’re a car dealership in the Portland Metro area, I’ve likely built at least one ad for your company in my career! I learned everything I know about design while on the job – a fantastic, yet challenging, gig. And the rest is history! I’ve been working as a graphic designer since!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Not at all! But it’s been so rewarding. I’m really proud of myself for being able to make a living doing something creative. Something I pursued out of sheer passion and intrigue. I’m extremely proud of the fact that I’m self-taught and, if I may be so bold, a damn good graphic designer.
I will say this…working as a freelance graphic designer is not for the weak. I was a freelance designer full-time for about five years. The hours are long (thankfully, I’m a natural night owl) and the pay can be scarce at first as you build up your portfolio. You have to be the designer, project manager, billing department, marketing team, and sales team all at once. I continue to do some freelance work for select clients which adds a little creative variety I don’t always experience in my 9-to-5 role.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’ve been working as a graphic designer (and now Marketing Manager) for close to 20 years. I’ve designed it all…websites, logos, tradeshow signage, apparel, social media content, wedding invitations, memorial service hand-outs, truck wraps, Max train wraps, cannabis packaging, you name it, I’ve done it. I love having a variety of designs to work on, but I really love business cards. The tiny real estate of a 3.5″ x 2″ business card makes for a challenging, yet rewarding task to convey so much in such little space. Talk about needing to make a great first impression.
I’d say what sets me apart from other graphic designers is that I’m willing to say no and walk away from a project. Not out of budget (I offer an inclusive and accessible sliding scale for all potential clients) or even a fear of working with a difficult client. I’m lucky I get to be super selective when working with freelance clients. My spare time outside my full-time job is quite limited, so I want to ensure that any creative endeavour I explore with a new client will be a success for them and rewarding for me as well. I want to feel like I’m using my graphic design “super powers” for good. I’ve turned down a few client requests over the years upon discovering our value systems weren’t aligned. Not every designer has the luxury of turning down work. I acknowledge I’m not in a very privileged position to be able to prioritize my political, cultural, and feminist values and turn down any gig that I don’t fully support.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Authenticity. I am who I am. And who I am is fully transparent. The customer is always right, and it’s their hard-earned money at the end of the day, but I’m going to have opinions. I’m the subject matter expert and I’m going to guide the process with my expertise. If a client comes to me with a hairbrained concept, I’ll let them know honestly why I think their vision won’t work. Sometimes people need to see it for themselves to comprehend why it won’t work. Honestly, I think I’ve probably made far more bad designs than good throughout the years to really show clients why something won’t work. I think it adds a layer of trust that most folks really value.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.adriennecarlson.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrienneecarlson/
