Today we’d like to introduce you to Kanel Suos.
Kanel, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
Sounds cliché but it’s best to follow Nike’s advice, “Just Do It.” I say if you have any remote interest in something, just do it. That’s what I’ve done and am trying to do. I started my design journey back in high school, with a totally legal copy of Adobe Photoshop 5.5. Armed with a tutorial book I bought from Fry’s, I breezed through the book amassing my early arsenal of design tools and visual design skills just by doing.
In college, I pursued an Economics degree but never turned my back on that itch to design something. Whether it was simple marketing flyers for local real estate agents or a simple display ad (remember those 300 x 250 ones??), I made sure to stay busy through freelance – all while running labor market regression models in Econ 130 or 165 or 800 or whatever the class was. Up to now I’ve spent most of my adult life working in the digital marketing world in various capacities (some more pleasant than others), but in my free and me time I’ve made sure to nurture my creativity. And by that, I mean in whatever medium feels right whether its graphic design, UI/UX design, writing, or (less successfully) music. I truly enjoy pushing myself beyond my own preconceived creative boundaries – trying to do and make things that sit outside of the margins. That’s one of my mantras for life and design.
The bread and butter lately has been UI/UX design, so I’ve been doing some project based work and personal things. But what I enjoy most, and how I try to infuse some of my art and creativity into a user-centric discipline, is creating interfaces for off-kilter or futurist concept apps.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I primarily do UI/UX design. Many people think that’s all about making something pretty or visually pleasing, but the thing I love about the discipline is that it’s much more than that. It’s about designing pleasing and usable experiences overall. I just love that there are behavioral and psychological implications to how UI/UX is designed.
Right now, what I love doing most is designing concept interfaces that address things beyond conventional thinking or inherently have stories beyond their usability – like my concept neurotransmitter tracking app or a concept To-Do app for someone seeking vengeance. Think, UI designs through a ‘Black Mirror’ lens.
And what I hope people take away from my designs is that you CAN push beyond margins. It helps to know the rules before you can break them but once you do, bend and break away! If it’s all for the sake of creativity.
Artists rarely, if ever pursue art for the money. Nonetheless, we all have bills and responsibilities and many aspiring artists are discouraged from pursuing art due to financial reasons. Any advice or thoughts you’d like to share with prospective artists?
Bearing the weight of your finances and financial concerns when you’re an artist / creative-type is a challenge. And for most, it’ll always be a challenge. It is for me. I just think we’re living in a world where learning (or even mastering) stuff is more accessible and affordable than ever before. You’re literally a YouTube video or videos away from gaining enough knowledge to do anything. And by that logic, we’re only limited by our time, which for most, is understandably finite. So, like I said, just do it. Even if you have to sacrifice a night out with friends, at least you’ll unleash whatever it is inside you that’s itching to get out. Just find the time and do it. And I definitely don’t do it for the money (though money’s nice) – I do it for the love of it. That’s what keeps me going.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
People can support/see my designs and contact me for freelance/project work on any of my online presences:
Dribbble: https://dribbble.com/kanelergy
Website: www.sakanelsuos.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kanelsuos (check out most of my recent fun little concept designs here)
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.sakanelsuos.com
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/kanelsuos
Image Credit:
Kanel Suos
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