Today we’d like to introduce you to Ali Ossayran.
Ali, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’m a graphic artist born and raised in Los Angeles. Growing up I’ve always wanted to be a graphic designer and started from a young age. I moved to San Francisco in my early 20’s to study graphic design at the Academy of Art University. I was always inspired by 90’s pop culture and seeing the rise of tech in the 2000’s.
I’ve always managed to incorporate it into my designs. In 2016, I began to share my work online across different social media platforms. I created “Addiction”, a visual design depicting our addiction to social media. Ironically, I posted “Addiction” on social media and it quickly went viral with many celebrities sharing it. I continue to create art pieces that usually includes satire of current trends and pop culture.
My portfolio includes work for many popular companies. My freelance work includes package design, branding, UI/UX design, and more. In 2017, my best friend Bijan Yekani and I began working on a mobile application named Place Social Dining. Place is a social dining network that lets you find popular restaurants by seeing what’s most liked by your friends. While most popular food search apps work more as a utility, Place works as a social media based on hip restaurants/bars and friends recommendations. By including what works best with popular social media platforms, we believe that our app will bring a more positive and less bias way to search, review, and recommend dining locations in your area. Around 2018, I moved back to Los Angeles in order to launch Place. It’s now available in the IOS app store.
Coming back to Los Angeles and being able to work on my freelance has been incredible. My client list has grown quickly with many solid additions to my portfolio. I’ve created content for Halo Top Ice Cream, Happy Socks, and creating the branding/packaging for Buddha Brain, a sparkling water company that uses Hemp CBD. The drink tastes delicious and they have a caffeinated option as well. By continuing to build my portfolio and working on my visual art, I am happiest here in Los Angeles.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It was tough showcasing my work. I never thought I had it in me to start showing people what I was working on. I had to come out of my shell and really throw it all out there. My friends and family really helped me out. Their support was incredible. I began to feel a lot more confident and soon was able to reach out to bigger brands. I would draft emails of my work and send it to hundreds of companies big and small in hopes that at least one would notice and give me a chance.
No responses came in. I wasn’t going to give up, but I just remember constantly feeling horrible about it. Finally, “Addiction” was released and with the help of Jordan Watts (@LOVEWATTS) and Plastik Magazine(@PLASTIK), my work was reposted and reposted to accounts with millions of followers. It was a huge wake-up call for me to step it up. It’s been three years since then and every day I strive to create better art pieces that many will enjoy.
We’d love to hear more about your art.
I run a freelance business (Ali Ossayran Design, @aliossayran). I specialize in Branding, Package Design, and User Interface/ User Experience Design. I’m most known for my Artwork I post online. I love what I do, I design for work and I design in my free time. It never feels like “work” for me. I’m most proud of my artwork and the support it’s gotten. I think what sets me apart are my ideas. Anyone can learn how to create on Photoshop, Illustrator, and other design tools, but it’s the concepts that make each piece unique.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
My drive to keep creating and bettering my work. Nothings ever perfect in design, everything can be made better.
It was an issue at first, I never could release artwork because I would never think it was good enough. Now, I welcome it. I learn from it and apply it to the next piece.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/aliossayran
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