Today we’d like to introduce you to Denise Gee.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Denise. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was lucky to have a graphic design class in high school. It was my eye-opener where I realized that I could take my passion for art and make a creative career out of it. As a 16 year old, we got to work on real-life projects and from there I learned how to use Photoshop and Illustrator. I’m incredibly thankful for classes like that.
I later attended UC Davis and decided to major in Design. During my time there, I did a few graphic design internships and I believe that’s what helped me get my foot in the door after I graduated.
All of my past design jobs helped shape me to be the designer I am today. I learned what projects I liked and didn’t like to work on and what roles I preferred in the design process.
Has it been a smooth road?
When I first left my in-house design job, I was shocked at how working at home was so isolating. It may sound like a dream at first but it was really strange to go from people needing you every hour of the day to not talking to anybody all day. I think as creatives it’s really important to continuously learn new techniques and stay up to date with the latest and greatest software and trends. You can’t do that alone and you don’t really gain inspiration by sitting at home all day so it took a while, but it forced me to branch out and find the creative community where I attend monthly workshops and networking events. I now love to co-work with other entrepreneurs and designers! I think I found a great balance that works.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with your work – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
I tell people I’m a graphic designer because that’s what people understand the quickest but I specialize in branding and packaging for consumer product goods (CPG), mostly food and lifestyle brands. Throughout my career, I’ve had to play many roles beyond the designer, such as marketing and strategy. I not only come up with great designs but my experience has lead me to assist my clients with other projects such as creating branded Amazon pages for their products or advising them on product packaging life cycle when they’re ready to add translations and sell their product in multiple countries.
My favorite thing is helping execute a client’s vision that they have in their head and then moving their project from digital to physical and seeing it in the real world.
What’s your favorite memory from childhood?
My grandma passed away last year so I did a lot of reflecting on her life recently and one of the things I connected with her on was art. She was an extremely talented artist and her style was Chinese watercolors. When I was little she would babysit me and my sister and I would always ask to paint with her. When I was younger it just seemed like the most fun thing to do when I was bored at her house but now that I’m an adult it is one of my most cherished memories. I do think that it helped shape me as a creative later in life.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.DeniseGeeDesigns.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: instagram.com/denisegeedesigns
- Facebook: facebook.com/denisegeedesigns
Image Credit:
63 Moons Photography
Suggest a story: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
