Graphic & Motion DesigneR Ashlee Walker discusses her approach to design in a social media space and her love oF Photography, pixar movies and all things art-related.

How did you get your start in design

My journey has been anything but linear. I studied the sciences in college, and my first few jobs were in public health, but my whole life, I've been fascinated with the arts. Music, Dance, Film, Photography -- all of it. For a number of reasons, I never thought the arts was something I would make a career out of.

Then one fateful day in 2015, I had an epiphany that I could make my life what I wanted it to be. Just because I started out going in one direction didn't mean I had to keep going [in that direction]. From that point, I picked up a camera and Adobe apps like Illustrator, Photoshop, and After Effects and just dove in, learning how to use them on my own time and on my own dime. I started building a portfolio of personal projects, participating in the creative community, and finally, applying for creative jobs. With creative work being so competitive, I had a gap to bridge from lack of work experience, but luckily my portfolio did a lot of heavy lifting. I finally began to land jobs, and little by little, the jobs started becoming more and more creative-focused. It was like leap-frogging closer to my goal over several years, and now I'm a full-time graphic and motion designer.

How would you describe your artistic style?

My style varies depending on the project. In full-time work, I tend toward simplicity and clean lines, a "less is more" approach. This is partly due to my opinion that simplicity in design is often beautiful. Also, in more practical terms, because I am the sole designer on my team, I usually have to churn out a lot of work in a short amount of time.

Personal projects are great because you have the freedom to take your time and let them evolve into whatever they will eventually become organically. With that extra time, I get more experimental, playing with textures and other illustration/animation techniques.

There are so many elements to design (typography, color, spacing, texture). What is your approach to the design process?

I work specifically in the social media space, and typically my work involves trying to get a specific message across to a highly distracted audience. There are millions of pieces of content to choose from, and you must be very strategic when designing for social. The goal is to get someone to stop scrolling and look at your content, and the visual is a critical aspect of that. My mantra? Hierarchy, hierarchy, hierarchy!

Designing for social is very similar to designing for a highway billboard. Weight, scale, color, alignment -- you need your audience to get your message in a couple of seconds. Here's an example: make the most important stuff big and bold; they'll get to the smaller detailed things if they're that interested, but don't bog down the whole design with minutia.

Currently, you are working on a personal project called "A to Z Music Challenge." Can you give us insight into the details of this project?

This [challenge] is an in-progress personal project I've been slowly chipping away at. The goal is to cover the entire alphabet from A to Z featuring a musical artist that I love and a few seconds of animation to go along with it. I previously mentioned that I'm obsessed with all forms of art, and music is my #1 obsession. Of all the art forms, music makes the most significant impact on me. So I thought it would be a fun (and challenging!) exercise in developing visuals that reflect the vibes I get from these artists. I'm also a good music curator, so I hope to introduce people to great stuff if any of it is new to them.

You are also a photographer. How does your design background influence the way you capture images?

I was shooting photos and videos with a camera before working in design, so if anything, my photography has influenced my design. Many photography and design principles are similar and go hand in hand. Photography taught me things like composition and how different elements in the frame are arranged. When you study enough excellent art and then spend enough time trying it yourself, you start to notice what makes things look pleasing to the eye. Good composition is critical to good design, and that's carried over from my photography work.

What is the most challenging aspect of your career at this moment?

I feel lucky to be gainfully employed as a creative, especially in these weird times. It can be tempting to kick back and rest on your laurels when you feel you've reached the finish line. But I don't want this to be the end of my story. I plan to continue pushing myself to create in new and exciting ways.

What is your dream project?

I've always said if Pixar ever called, I'd drop everything, haha. The storytelling that comes out of that studio is truly incredible, and I'm pleased that in the last few years, we've started to see more diverse stories being told. A handful of their films from the 90s and early 2000s remain in my top 10 films of all time to this day, and I always come away from watching one of them with a newfound sense of inspiration. So, my dream project is working on a Pixar film with the cultural impact of films like Toy Story, The Incredibles, and Coco. Whether it's animating, designing, music composing, or marketing, I'd be down!

What's next for Ashlee?

I am taking things one day at a time. This pandemic has been rough, to state the obvious, so I'm working on maintaining my physical and mental health because, without that, we can't create!

What is the best advice someone has given to you?

It's not technically advice I was given, but I came across a YouTube video showing how massive the universe is and how little space we take up on Earth (it's called "Star Size Comparison 2"). It completely blew my mind away. I've always maintained a good amount of perspective in life, but that right there? Problems you thought were the end of the world suddenly seem much less significant. When I'm feeling overwhelmed, that always keeps me centered and remembering the bigger picture.

For more on Ashlee, please visit ashleewalker.com and follow on social media @ashleeanimates