Inspiring Conversations with Shyne Webster of Designed by Shyne

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shyne Webster.

Hi Shyne, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
The earliest origins of my career today lead back to middle school when Tumblr was at its peak. It was the first time I experienced other people’s art and design up close and personally, and it inspired me to create my own. My preferred medium at the time was digital edits of my favorite TV show characters made via Photoshop or Final Cut Pro, both of which I’d pirated and taught myself at the age of 12. Throughout high school, I slowly began to explore my artistry by designing t-shirts for school events and taking art and photojournalism classes. Right after high school, I went to the Vans US Open of Surfing, and I was so pumped about the event that I went home and did a few surf art illustrations on Adobe Illustrator. Those doodles turned into my first t-shirt designs, and thus was the birth of Designed by Shyne circa August 2019.

I sold tees to people from my hometown and my college town and then eventually branched into stickers and a second apparel collection in 2020 which I printed, dyed, and cropped myself. It sold out in 30 minutes. From then on, I wanted to expand my clothing brand, but a few months later, I ended up pivoting to sell my graphic design services. I worked with a business coach to get my foundations in order, built my own bulletproof personal “Shyne” brand, and became regularly booked out months in advance.

Today, I have a business and brand that are strong enough to hold space for all of my passions from design to streetwear to education and so on, and it allows me to change things up every couple of months!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I can’t lie, my success has been a whirlwind and feels almost overnight. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve put in hours upon hours of work into my craft, missed social or family events for my work, and invested thousands into my business; but I can honestly say that most of the obstacles I’ve faced seem relatively tiny.

When I was mainly slinging t-shirts, the hardest part was getting my brand out into the world. I didn’t know anything back then about brand-building or entrepreneurship, so it didn’t ever reach beyond my social circle. If I’d known then what I learned a year later, it could’ve been a hit.

Once I switched gears to primarily selling my services as a graphic designer, the main challenges were booking clients and handling client feedback. It was smooth sailing, but it also took hard work and a lot of willingness to put the time in to learn how to sell and market myself well.

As you know, we’re big fans of Designed by Shyne. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Designed by Shyne (DBS) is a multi-disciplinary creative studio that specializes in graphic design, brand strategy, and innovation in entrepreneurship. In layman’s terms, that basically means I help small business owners create beautiful stuff so they can make their mark on the world and make more money!

My signature, what really sets Designed by Shyne apart, is my human-first philosophy– I approach brand building as a soulful twofold journey: one inwards to discover your “YOUest,” wholest self, and one outwards to embody and express yourself to the world through external branding. What I do is about more than just money and helping my clients see a return on their investment; I’m here to help them be their most creative, most authentic selves.

What I’m most proud of is how DBS has created such a strong community. Being a mainly online business, social media and all that stuff can feel very one-sided; but I’ve been able to cultivate genuine two-way relationships and build a network of like-minded yet diverse creatives and entrepreneurs who are on similar missions.

No matter which of my passions I explore next, whether I only offer design services or coaching or whatever, I know my community is down. My availability for a certain type of work honestly changes based on where I’m at in my personal creative journey, and my community is 100% supportive of that. They will support me forever, and I’m immensely thankful for and proud of that.

Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
In case you didn’t know, I’m only 19 and I’m a full-time college student in addition to business owner. My interests include sneakers, streetwear, coffee, photography, videography, and cars; so if any of those things are up your alley, let’s connect! I’m releasing a new special project Winter 2021, so make sure to keep an eye out. It’s gonna be dope!

Pricing:

• BFF (Brand Friends Forever) Strategy Session – $297
• The Wavemaker (Full Brand Build + Design) – starting $3,600

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.designedbyshyne.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/designedbyshyne
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/designedbyshyne
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/designedbyshyne
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAZrrXvHxbZNELAHlcOw3Tg