Today we’d like to introduce you to Denise Coke.
Hi Denise, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I have always been a techie and artist since I was two years old. I always knew from the moment my parents got our first computer (1999) that I was going to figure out a way to be creative on computers. In my senior year of high school, me and my friends were heavy in the NYC fashion scene and we would sell accessories and t-shirts in school and online. This led to me starting $NP Designs as a street fashion t-shirt line. I featured some of my products in fashion shows around New York but went off to college to begin my journey as a graphic designer. I would start my design business by charging to design flyers, Myspace layouts, and Greek jackets. This led to my clients recommending me to their friends across the country and eventually some clients reached out to me in different countries such as Australia.
I started doing art shows in 2017 because I was having difficulty getting my pieces in traditional galleries and museums. This was also a great opportunity to help small businesses sell their products to attendees of my show. In 2018, we introduced augmented reality into our art shows and have used this as a staple in our work ever since. In 2019, I moved to California for work but continued to promote my pieces in marketplaces and art shows. Unfortunately, Covid hit the next year as I was gearing up to create something new but I started the planning for my 10-year celebration. I had to postpone it to 2021 due to another Covid spike but had my biggest art show in downtown LA this past July and am gearing up to have another in February 2023.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It has not, even in the smallest way. So starting out, I gave the inventory of my fashion line to a “business partner” who claimed he lost all of my products when I went away to college. I started doing flyers in college for $25 each but realized I was being explored when older business owners would only pay me at a max of $100 for $1,000 projects. Since I didn’t have a mentor specifically in this space, I found out a lot of business mistakes I made as I made them. It was also not helpful that I was super nice and non-confrontational so people would exploit my skills for free and make me feel bad because they were doing me a favor. Moving back to New York after college also showed me I was struggling with depression and anxiety and back home, we get a thing called seasonal depression that can trigger artist blocks and will ultimately make me lose the will to design anything at all. I want to thank therapy A LOT for pulling me out of that funk and while I continue to struggle with it today, I have an excellent support team and therapist that help me realize that what I’m feeling in the moment doesn’t defy me forever.
In my later years of life, I’ve run into bad contractors, stolen ideas, and even companies and individuals promising to help propel my career but not following through on their offers. I’ve also struggled with burnout. Being a young business owner, and literally working since I was 13 made me exhausted later in life and that took a toll on my personal life. I was so used to doing everything myself that I was literally running myself into the ground.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
$NP Designs, LLC is a woman-owned, black-owned creative agency started in 2011, providing creative and augmented reality solutions to companies at any scale.
Our primary areas of expertise are branding, web design & development, motion graphics, illustration, augmented reality, UX/UI, and print design. We host annual art shows around the country showcasing the merging of technology and design as well as vendors and artists from the local community.
I am the owner and creative director and on a daily basis provide my expertise to clients looking to create a cohesive brand and educate them on the importance of a strong brand story and contract designers and marketing professionals to assist with large-scale projects.
I am proud of a lot of things in my career but the biggest most recently was my 4th solo art show, A Decade of Dimensions. It was my first show in LA and my biggest one to date, featuring a collection of all augmented reality pieces. I worked with a team of predominately Black producers, contractors, designers, and media specialists which is so important because small companies like ours find it hard not only getting funding but consistent clientele. I also featured a vendor marketplace where 5 small businesses had the opportunity to sell their products to guests.
Augmented reality is an industry that is quickly growing and unfortunately gatekept and even I have found difficulty receiving funding and companies willing to work with my brand. However, I create these spaces for small Black and Brown companies and creators to showcase their talent because when no one gives you that space, you have to create your own and the opportunities will come to you.
I was also able to create a virtual metaverse gallery where users can walk around and engage with the gallery as if they were there in person. This solves the problem I saw with accessibility and gives my friends and followers the opportunity to access my space of art without having the access to come in person. You can view that here: https://delasnp.com/dod
Our agency also doesn’t adhere to the “good design” model that has been set in stone since the beginning of time. It is antiquated and can lead to the failure of an agency when companies refuse to bend and change with the market. With our strong background in digital presence, we can create virtual graphics and spaces for both the client and consumer to use from the comfort of their homes.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
If people would like to inquire about working with us, they can visit us at delasnp.com/inquire. If they would like to shop at our store, they can do to our Shop Now tab on our site and if they would like to see what we do in AR, they can visit us at delasnp.com/dod. We have another show coming up in February 2023, have 1 piece in Santa Clarita City Hall titled, ‘Jamaica’ and are featured in a gallery in January 2023 and you can follow us on social or subscribe to our newsletter for more info.
My professional email is [email protected].
Pricing:
- Prints: $20-$80
- Canvases: $200-$10,000
- Branding: Starting at $1,800
- Website Design: Starting at $2,500
- The Complete System: Starting at $10,000
Contact Info:
- Website: www.delasnp.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/delasnp.grfx/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/delasnp
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0zHcNYyl7W6af3x4FrwJxw
- Other: www.delasnp.com/dod
Image Credits
Natasha Campos Jamie Tobias
