Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffany Sherman.
Hi Tiffany, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
As a child, I was always artistic and explored many different art medias. I took a class in High School that introduced me to graphic design programs like Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop that I picked it up very quickly. It was cool and interesting to me that I could create so many artworks digitally and without any physical art tools. I didn’t know then that I would continue to use this knowledge and programs in every job I had going forward until I would eventually become a full-time graphic designer and Illustrator.
Going to school for Marketing and Merchandising, I planned to eventually become a Brand manager or design my own clothing line. My first job was as a design intern at a Motorcycle helmet company working on shirt designs, flyers and simple helmet art changes. My career path surprisingly and slowly changed over to retail sales, where I became a department manager at Nordstrom. I spent many years there, all while still using adobe programs for fun and personal use. I designed photo books, wall art, business cards and flyers for friends and family and even used them at work to help create more visually appealing print signs. I eventually left my position to stay at home after having my two kids, Noah and Merrick.
In my free time, I continued to do more design projects for fun and for family. After talking to one of my friends (who is also a Graphic Designer), she inspired me to focus on building a Freelance Graphic Design business from home. She has been a great help since I had only designed graphics at my intern job and for fun. In the past few years, I have been able to create a great client base designing a wide variety of projects. I have designed full branding packages where I use my knowledge from my Marketing major to help companies drive sales and build presence. I created Logo designs, T-shirt graphics and catalogs for Clients online from long distances and for local Businesses. I have been grateful to be able to build a business from home and spend time with my family, as well as meet so many interesting people that would become returning clients and friends.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The struggles I have faced have mostly been with time management. Starting my freelance business with two young children, it was a struggle for me to have long periods of time in my office during the day and I did most of my design work late at night. I would save time during the day for calls and emails between meals and errands. It was challenging because it created little time for sleep! I have found that routines work best for me and I now have scheduled times at my desk where I can focus and have more traditional in-office hours for communication with my clients.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I definitely take pride in my Branding projects. Consumer behavior was one of the classes I found most interesting and I like to get in the head of the customer of the brand I am designing for rather than just the brand. I take into consideration styles, colors and lifestyle images and have fun creating a brand guide.
Another style of my work I specialize in is Illustrations. I love drawing and I digitally hand draw my designs from small elements to full T-Shirt graphics on my Ipad first. I then put them into my design programs to fine-tune and use in my designs. This makes them 100% original and don’t feature clip art or resources that could have been used by other designers.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I have found that reaching out to other similar artists on social media is a great way to make like-minded friends and also get tips you would have never found on your own. I have been trying to be more open in my Instagram commenting and sometimes ask questions like their suggestions for computer program shortcuts or what printer they use and people usually respond and are very nice and enjoy sharing. You never know who might become your new friend or business ally.
Contact Info:
- Email: tiffsherman71@gmail.com
- Website: tiffsherman.myportfolio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tiffsherman_designs/
