Corporate designer by day, fantasy illustrator by night, Kristen Collins reveals her insights, shares career advice and more in this Q&A blog series for professionals in communication, public relations, marketing and graphic design.
Kristen Collins
Graphic Designer, Freelance Illustrator
Collins has been a graphic designer at Dollar General Corporation, a Fortune 200 retail company, for the past seven years. Using her “super powers” first in the Marketing Department and then Corporate Communications, she has created a wide range of collateral including national circular ads, product packaging, signage, clothing designs, media press kits, annual report, newsletters, web design and much more. She also provides art direction, design and illustration for 4 Winds Fantasy Gaming. Collins earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design from Belmont University. You can view her portfolio on her website.
How did you get started in graphic design?
During college I started doing freelance design work in between classes and on weekends to jumpstart my career and begin amassing a client base. I took on many small design projects for the university I attended as well and made connections through my relationships with my professors. Once I graduated, I took a retail job, though I continued to do freelance design and applied for entry-level positions at small local agencies. I also did several pro-bono design projects for local non-profits, which in turn augmented my resume and gave my work more visibility in my community. Nine months after graduation, I landed a job as a graphic designer and illustrator at a small local agency that specialized in gift cards, gift bags, stickers and children’s books. This gave me the on-site experience I needed to later land a marketing graphic designer position at the largest small-box retailer in the U.S.
What do you think is the biggest misconception about the design industry?
The misconception that graphic design should be free or almost free is frightening to me. It often astounds me that while potential clients always seem to budget for printing and materials, many don’t take into account that the design work comes at an added price. It’s oftentimes a challenge to justify this to clients, and help them realize the importance of investing in good design.
What is most rewarding about your job?
Seeing a positive, excited reaction to a finished project or piece is the greatest achievement in my eyes, whether it comes from the client or target audience. Hearing “WOW!” from a client and knowing that all of my hard work and planning as well as the back-and-forth editing processes with them have paid off to create something that has value, is visually stimulating and tells a story effectively is truly gratifying.
What’s the most interesting task or project you’ve been assigned?
I was approached by former clients whom I had done illustration work for in the past, and who had quickly become close friends, to help them design an identity surrounding a startup fantasy tabletop gaming company. I was honored and excited. I ended up doing a logo, multiple book covers and illustrations for the company and am still doing illustration for them now. It’s been a wonderful experience and fantastic to finally have fantasy artwork of mine featured on and in published works.
What piece of advice has helped shape your career and why?
Even if you think the idea or the job is ridiculous, smile, nod and say, “I’m sure I can help.” Their initial idea may not make much sense to you, but it’s your job as the designer, to take their idea and turn it into something that resonates and communicates effectively. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have come to you in the first place. Turning abstract and sometimes corny ideas into a tangible and effective communication device while making it interesting and eye-catching is a designer’s best skill. Diplomacy and cooperation are a designer’s best weapons.
Don’t miss the next profile. Click on “Follow Blog Via Email” on the top right of this page to receive notifications of new posts.
