I'm Louise and I'm a graphic design and branding expert
Describe your job
I use design to visualise and communicate messages and ideas that will inspire and captivate a businesses’ ideal audience. The ultimate aim being to inspire consumers to connect with, buy from, or use the services of the business. This comes in the form of designing branding, colour schemes and logos, social media profiles, content and advertising. Also website design, marketing materials, print and packaging designs. And more. But I think that kinda sums it up.
What are the most important skills you need to do your job?
I’m going to start with the things that are most important…
an immense imagination, curiosity, passion, artistic ability. A genuine excitement for aesthetics, balance and beautiful looking things.
Lots of drive and self motivation. A desire to keep learning. Being able to recognise and keep a close eye on trends. These trends may span various disciplines… fashion, interiors, graphics and so on.
Then the obvious… getting to know the Adobe Creative Suite programs.
I left school and...
At school I adored creative subjects. Every path I took after school lead me to making things beautiful.
I worked for a market research co. and the presentations I created were always perfect. A part time job with a catering company ended up in me creating posters, and my fave part of a short stint at teacher training (before I decided it was TOTALLY the wrong path) was planning design/craft projects for kids.
And yet, it took me until about the age of 30+ for me to really embrace this. That I could actually make a career out of making things look good and doing what really l love. And after completing a BA in Graphics, working in a marketing agency and having 2 kids, I went it alone in the world of graphic design. And it’s the best thing I ever did.
I’m most proud of...
This amazing post-baby fitness business that started as a one woman band (founded by Wendy Powell) has grown from just a handful of sales to be the most amazing community of over 68,000 women globally. And I’ve had the pleasure of accompanying Wendy all the way through as designer and keeper of the brand.
I’ve had a say in how everything and anything design-related should look. The program, the website, the brand, the social, all of it. The team has grown hugely and now even has an in-house junior designer for support.
It’s become the most amazing female-led, female powered-team and community. And I’m super proud to have been a part of that success.
Before I started my career, I wish I knew…
That anyone can carve their own career out of doing what they love if they have the right amount of talent, passion, motivation and self belief.
A mistake I made which you can avoid repeating is...
I don’t regret anything about the path I took. But I regret not believing in myself at a younger age, and failing to see how bloody talented I was.
We need to be taught to embrace, celebrate and develop our creative strengths more at a young age. To see the endless possibilities that come with creativity.
So, what’s next?
I want to continue to empower females to carve their own careers and found their own businesses by nailing their brand vision from the off. By delivering superb design and branding solutions that make them 100% confident in taking their brands out to the world and HOLLERING about them.
Here's my: