Meet Zed Santiago of Zed James Design Co. in Echo Park

Today we’d like to introduce you to Zed Santiago.

Zed, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
When I was a kid, I was always fascinated by art. Whether it came from stamp collecting with my grandma, drawing little bamboo forests or simply admiring the skateboard graphics of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, my love for design was there.

A defining time was in middle school. I was fortunate to go to a school that offered art classes, computer classes, an animation and even a robotics course. All of which sparked my love for design more. I was the one who would customize Xanga, Myspace, or Blogspot pages for lunch tickets. To my dad’s credit, looking back, having programs like Adobe Photoshop and Macromedia Flash at home is what helped keep me out of trouble and being in the streets. Because back then, Echo Park was different, it was a rougher hood, like no one hung out by the lake and when the street lights came on, you had to run home.

In high school, I got into graffiti, streetwear, designer toys, and even got the chance to work part-time at Monkeyhouse Toys in Silver Lake. I drew influence from the likes of Eric Haze, Sam Flores, and my all-time favorite streetwear brand, Upper Playground. I was surrounded by artists who made this into their livelihood, which inspired me to believe that maybe one day I could too. But it wasn’t until years after college that I figured that out and finally committed myself back to my roots, what I’ve always known.

When I got into college, I sidelined art; it stopped being my focus. I was raised to study hard and get a good career with a big paying salary. I chose my parents’ happiness over mine. I figured if I can’t do what I love, then I’ll compromise. I went into a major I was interested in, and that would also make them happy. I graduated from UC Irvine with a degree in Asian American Studies and Global Cultures, thinking teaching was the way to go or maybe worked for the government like my father. I tried to rationalize every time, but it never felt right. I needed more time to figure things out, so I gave grad school a shot and found myself at USC’s Digital Social Media program. We weren’t exactly taught how to make Insta-worthy content, but rather on the development of apps from start to finish and how to market them. It was exactly the stepping stone I needed to rediscover my passion for design. Designing for the university itself taught me a lot about branding, logo design, and marketing. After USC, I explored a couple of part-time jobs from design studios, clothing companies to sports media, trying to find my niche. I got laid off last year and was at a crossroads, once again. So with the help of family and friends, I decided to take a leap of faith as a freelance graphic designer full time and I haven’t looked back since.

Has it been a smooth road?
I wish it were but life doesn’t always work out that way, haha.

My biggest struggle was accepting that being a graphic design was what I wanted to do, what I’m meant to do. For the longest time, I tried to convince myself that art was just a hobby, but I knew it was more than that. Art was on the sideline in college and yet I found myself designing shirts and flyers. It was something that brought me joy, what kept me inspired and motivated. Despite knowing that, I wasn’t sure if it would be enough. I was worried about how I was going to run the business, worried about student loans, worried about getting by. I was always worried that my job was on the line because I wasn’t putting enough time, effort or heart into my work. I was constantly second-guessing myself, afraid that my work wouldn’t get any recognition and end up getting scrapped. Some personal projects took so long because I was chasing perfection. It really took a toll on my mental health and I began to struggle.

Then came the pandemic and I had to work around the clock from home. I began to experience panic attacks and one morning, I just broke down. It was my lowest point but because of it, I wasn’t going to let “worry” or “fear” define me anymore. I can’t say I’ve fully overcome them, but I’m glad that I came to terms with it because since then, I’ve learned to find balance. I found mentors, friends who I could confide with, and the courage to ask for help. Focusing on our mental health during these times is more important than ever and in the illustrious words of Marshawn Lynch, “take care of y’all’s bodies, take care of y’all’s chicken, take care of y’all’s mental.”

Honestly, as much of a shit show 2020 has been, it’s also been a learning experience. It gave me time to realize how far I’ve come along and how much progress I’ve made. Also, it taught me to turn down projects, manage what I could but most importantly, take one day at a time. So keep pushing forward and take care of y’all’s mental.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Zed James Design Co is a design studio based in Echo Park. It’s just me, myself, and my girlfriend who helps me with all my documents (built-in assistant, haha). I’m a freelance graphic designer, illustrator, and copywriter, specializing in logo design, poster design, typography, and social media content creation. I am known for being the creative eye behind Wexler’s Deli in Santa Monica and a weekly contributor to CareMore Health’s Daily Pulse newsletter. With an eye for vintage and mid-century design, my goal is to one day be as reputable as the Anderson Design Group or like my friends over at Hoodzpah Design, from where I found some of my inspiration.

The past few months, I was able to be a part of Rock The Vote’s “Hoopers Vote” initiative. The posters I created were a mix of basketball, politics, and vintage posters. It gave me the chance to really exercise that vintage poster art style that I wanted to have. Having been given an opportunity to design for an organization like Rock The Vote, especially at such a crucial time, was a huge step for me and my career. I look forward to more opportunities like that, promoting good causes. As a company, I’m proud of what I’ve built and what I hope to continue to build. A handful of my family members have gone off to start their own blue collar businesses, and I hope to follow in their footsteps and be as successful, if not more. It’s in my blood and that’s what I feel sets me apart.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
To me, Los Angeles is a chill, fast-life city. There’s a lot of opportunities here and that’s why so many people come to live out their dream in Los Angeles. But as chill as it can be, it’s a grind nonetheless. Echo Park, Silver Lake, and Los Feliz have seen its share of small business influx, so there’s opportunity here and there for the taking. All it takes is introducing yourself and having your services available. It can also really come down to your field interests and who you know as well.

For people starting out, I would recommend asking friends first. Through that, your friends can recommend you to others and it starts to snowball from there. Especially during the pandemic, businesses need the helping hand for marketing designs and content. The money might not be there but it can be a good start to creating a network down the road for better work. I’ve seen it and been through it myself; it may not be the prettiest path but so is the design process. It takes time.

As important as it is to be in the grind and getting your name out there, it’s even more important to take care of yourself. I cannot emphasize that enough. It can get overwhelming real quick if you don’t organize and give yourself time to process. I love what I do but the burnouts can be real bummers. So have a plan, do your research, have your contracts ready even for the smallest of jobs. Write them down. Like Pomona rapper Suga Free said, “If you stay ready, you ain’t got to get ready,” so be ready because opportunities can arise from anywhere here in LA.

Pricing:

• Logos: $600 with 1 drafting round and 2 rounds of revision.
• General Work: Starting at $50/hr

Contact Info:

• Website: zedsantiago.com
• Email: zedjames.design@gmail.com
• Instagram: @zedjames

Image Credit:
Stephanie Pham (photographer)

Suggest a story: VoyageLA 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.