I’m always excited to come across like-minded people especially if they’re fellow graphic designers and share my passion for typography and production.
Whitney Lindsey might live around 5,000 miles south west of me but we sure speak the same graphic language. Not surprisingly we also share a similar background. The 28-year old grew up on a farm (like me) and spent a lot of time outside using her imagination to keep her occupied. Being so closely connected to nature she says that she always had a natural inclination to appreciate beauty and great design she just didn’t know it was called design – as silly as that sounds I can totally relate to that.
Despite her lack of exposure to any urban art or culture when growing up she has succeeded in her field and credits exactly that lack to making her very introspective which defines her as a person and designer.
I’ve always believed that true creativity is challenged and stimulated when we’re left to our own devices and that boredom is actually healthy for children – a point I try to make with my own kids. Whitney is a great example of that theory and I was entranced when she told me about her work, her inspiration and how she discovered graphic design almost by accident. Dive into the interview below and admire her beautiful work along the way.
Let me start by asking how you got into graphic design?
When I started college I had no idea what I wanted to do (and really no idea what graphic design was) so I just started taking my core classes without picking a major. After about a year and a half I was starting to run out of core classes to take so my advisor suggested that I look through the course catalogue and pick out a couple of classes that looked interesting to me. The things that looked most interesting to me were all of the art classes, but being the procrastinator I can sometimes be, all of the art classes were already full except for Photography and Graphic Design. I was really excited about photography, but not that thrilled about graphic design. For some reason I thought graphic design was going to be a bunch of web banners and not much else. On my first day of class I was proven very wrong. The professor gave a lecture on “What Is Graphic Design” and I absolutely fell in love. I saw how alive type could come—how it had the ability to visually speak louder than the words themselves. I saw how visual design could create very powerful experiences and I was hooked. I remember leaving class that night knowing that was what I would do for the rest of my life. I’ve never had an experience like that before. It was pretty magical.
How would you describe your style and aesthetic?
My style is generally pretty clean and airy. I tend to focus on the production of a piece just as much as the design. The physical feel of a piece—the texture and weight of the paper, the quality of the materials, the contrasts in textures throughout the piece—plays such a big part in the overall experience of it and I always try to keep that in mind. Design is never just visual to me and I think that mentality really influences my work.
Which part do you enjoy most?
I enjoy the entire process! I love the actual design phase—I can spend hours in front of my computer completely enthralled in a design and it will feel as if only an hour has passed. I also love the energy and collaborative nature of a photo shoot. I enjoy the production phase of a project as well and getting to see all of the hard work put into a project come to fruition. Of course, there are bumps along the road of every project, but overall I thoroughly enjoy the whole process.
What gets you excited and how much do you get involved in the art direction and styling of the shots.
I do get involved in art direction and I’m continuously art directing more and more. Lately I’ve been working on projects where my only role is art directing a photo shoot.
What about the production values… do you get to chose the materials?
I usually choose the materials for the projects I work on. I really believe that the materials can make or break a design. On most of the projects I’ve worked on, I work with Ussery Printing in Dallas. They are the best. I do a lot of production-heavy things in my work and the representative from Ussery that I work with, John Lawrimore, goes above and beyond to make my vision a reality. I really could not do the things I’ve been able to without the hard work of the pressmen, the diemakers, the foil stampers, and anyone else who has a hand in the production and the dedication they have to their craft. I have so much respect for these individuals and could not create successful work without them.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
Everywhere! I feel very inspired by seeing other people who have so much passion for what they do—whatever it is. I’m very inspired by great music. I’m inspired by beautiful interiors, nature, and fashion. Honestly, I’m just inspired by anything I find beautiful. Having such a great appreciation for the beauty in our world lights some sort of fire in me to add to it by creating beautiful things.
My surroundings are very important to me… Do you have a penchant for interior design too? If so how would you describe your style at home
Oh, I love interior design. Sometimes I wish I had studied interior design as well as graphic design. I am such a homebody—my home is my sanctuary. When the world feels crazy and overwhelming my home is my retreat and I try to make it as beautiful and calming as I can. Honestly, I don’t know how to describe my style at home. I love having rustic, historic pieces and mixing them with refined pieces. It’s very much a balance between rustic and refinement. I’m very particular about the details of my home—lighting is very important to me and I don’t like having clutter. I try to have a reason and purpose for everything I have out in my home—even down to the kitchen countertops. If a bag of chips sitting on the counter isn’t adding to the look and feel of the kitchen, it gets put away very quickly.
And finally, where’s your happy place? Where do you feel most comfortable? Can you describe a perfect day scenario for us?
Home. My happy place is definitely my home. A perfect day would be spent at home with beautiful music quietly playing, my fiancée in the kitchen cooking something amazing (he’s a wonderful cook), the weather’s perfect outside (which is a rarity living in Texas) and the windows are open.
Aw, that sounds wonderful! Thank you so much for your time Whitney – you’re a true design inspiration.
NOTE: Whitney is a tad social media shy but loves hearing from other designers and artists so feel free to drop her an email whitney [at] brickandmortarco.com
PORTFOLIO | Whitney Lindsey
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