Hi there! It’s nice to meet you, and I’m so glad you’re here! Welcome to The Brief blog where I break down graphic design nuances for both clients and creatives alike.
They say to write what you know, and I agree. However, I would expand the statement to include, write what you love. My name is Elissa Woods and by day I’m a Graphic Designer for biotech and life science companies. By night I’m a Graphic Designer and Visual Content Creator for small businesses looking to inform, engage, and attract audiences through the power of strategic branding, effective design, and engaging social media.
“The work you do while you procrastinate is probably the work you should be doing for the rest of your life.” – Jessica Hische
What I’ll Write About
Are you a prospective client that’s doing your homework and looking for a graphic designer that can elevate your business, project, and goals? Then you’ve come to the right place! I’ll write about how to find a graphic designer that can provide you with the branding, social media content creation, or design services you need. I keep it real and will tell you what to expect when you’re expecting a rebrand, how to find the right designer for you, and more! I want you to walk away equipped with the tools, knowledge, and know-how to find the right designer for your needs.
Are you a budding graphic designer looking to learn more, and do more? First, you’ve got this and I’m here rooting for you, always! Second, I’ll share my design 101 know-how and experience from 10+ years of learning, doing, and at times intense Googling so you don’t have to! Or maybe you Googled a how-to and ended up reading this blog post. ;) Whatever the case may be, know this: 1) you are not alone, 2) it will get better if you keep putting in the work and time, and 3) success is not an end goal to strive for – meeting your client's needs is.
What You’ll Read
If you’re a prospective client, my goal is to make the design process simple, understandable, and clear. I want you to know what to expect when working with an experienced designer, be able to look for red flags in inexperienced designers, and what a strategic brand entails. Since I work with small businesses, a lot of my clients have had minimal experience working with graphic designers. This isn’t a bad thing, but it can be if you’ve made the mistake of going to sites like 99 Designs or Fiverr for your logo. Maybe you walked away from those hypothetical experiences realizing you don't have a complete brand, or an effective logo, and you lost valuable money and time. I’m here because I don’t want that to happen to you. Your business is important, time is money, and an effective brand should communicate what you need to attract the business you want so you can get back to what you’re best at, growing and scaling your biz!
If you’re a budding Designer, my goal is to help you avoid the obstacles I’ve had to overcome. Why? Learning the hard way sucks! There, I’ve said it. I have more than 10 years of experience growing and scaling my creative career and I’m here to give you more than just tutorials you can find on Google, YouTube, or Tiktok. Though I can and will provide you with my favorites because it means less typing and less typing means more doing what you love, design! I’m here to keep it real and to try and help you avoid as many of the trials and tribulations of running a small design business as possible and to talk about the things they don’t tell you in Design school.
Why This Matters
Whether you’re a prospective client or a budding designer, if you’re here it’s because you have questions that need answers.
In my experience, I have found clients uncomfortable giving me feedback because they don’t know the language of design. I want to make the uncomfortable comfortable by providing clarity and insights to help you navigate, communicate, and get what you need. Also, I have had friends, family, and colleagues work with the wrong designers or fast and cheap design sites and it cost them time, money, and even set back their business goals! As someone driven by honesty, transparency, and integrity I don’t want that to happen to you. Want to learn more about how I can help you? Head on over to my Services page. Still, got questions? Let’s talk! I’m here for you.
For budding designers, life is too short to be miserable and unhappy for too long. Starting and running your own small design biz can be the most stressful, exhausting, and challenging thing you’ve ever done. However, it can also be the single most exciting, rewarding, and worthwhile thing you’ve ever done. For myself, there’s been a mix of all of the above adjectives, and that’s normal. However, being chronically overwhelmed, constantly working, and getting burnt out is not and it’s not ok. I’m here because I don’t want you to get burnt out, washed up, and be over it. I’ve known too many talented creatives (who are also my friends) who shut down their business, never used their creative degrees, and even regret going to design school in the first place. As your friend, and fellow designer-in-arms I don’t want that for you. Got questions? Let’s be friends! I wanna meet you.
Just Who Am I Anyways?
That’s a great question! Rather than make this blog post any longer or wordier (because I could keep going if you let me) I’m just going to send you right on over to my About page. If you’d like to learn even more I’m a mere phone call or virtual coffee chat away. Either way, I can’t wait to talk to you! :D
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