Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian White.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up in sunny Southern California with a strong juxtaposition in lifestyle. On one hand, I was a beach kid… surfing and skating up and down Newport Beach. On the other, a hockey player. I grew up on skates, which eventually took me to college just outside of Boston, where I played four years of NCAA hockey and, thus, where I found graphic design. Luckily, the design program didn’t require a previous portfolio! I dove in headfirst, messed around, and got addicted. My hockey-first mentality started to shift, and it took a back seat for the first time in my life. After graduation, I sought the next adventure beyond “getting a job” and put hockey in the rearview mirror. I moved to the island of Bermuda to work for a small local design studio called Cosmic. A three-year visa turned into six, but I always knew I wanted more out of my career. It took a leap of faith to leave the island lifestyle I’d become so accustomed to. Still, I decided to apply for my master’s degree and made a bit of a homecoming to attend ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena. ArtCenter has been a RIDE. We’re gearing up for our last term and are set to graduate in April!
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?
A career in design automatically has struggles built in. You’re under constant scrutiny and judgment from clients, colleagues, your creative director, or the general public. But my journey has been relatively smooth. I’m unsure if it’s been a few strokes of luck or the ability to feel comfortable in vulnerable situations and the openness to drop myself into new experiences. Still, I’ve enjoyed the steps or leaps, I’ve taken to get where I am now. Coming out of undergrad, I didn’t have the confidence to go to a significant design market like New York or even look for freelance work. However, I’ve always been confident in outreach and making personal connections with industry professionals, and that’s how the Bermuda opportunity came about. Being in a small studio with a very diverse clientele, I got my hands on a lot of different work early in my career. Even though we were on a small island, the work included large international businesses, and we even got the chance to work on some pieces for the America’s Cup in 2017. But as good as things can be, it’s never without the feeling of imposter syndrome. It’s hard not to stack myself up against the work I see online or even in the halls at ArtCenter and think I don’t have the chops. But that’s when I remind myself to shift my mindset and trust my eye with what I’m making. But proudly, I’m carrying a 3.95 GPA headed into the last semester, which gives me the confidence that I do, in fact, have the chops! It’s strange what kind of tricks the mind can play on you.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a graphic designer focusing on brand identity and visual systems. In terms of “specialty,” I’d say I love the visual development of a brand from start to finish. As Rick Ruben breaks down in his book, The Creative Act, the creative process is broken down into four simple phases: Seed, Experimentation, Craft, and Completion. I tend to enjoy the experimentation phase the most. The “watering of the seeds to see what will bloom,” if you will. There’s something about the flow state of the experimentation phase that I find particularly satisfying. Once you hit your stride, the visual ideations explode! But equally as gratifying is bringing the strongest experiments to life through the craft stage, where you begin to see the brand really come to life.
I’m probably most proud of getting into a handful of the top master’s programs in graphic design. It was a feeling of validation that my work was good enough on a bigger scale than just Bermuda. The idea of transitioning from a comfortable job in (literally) paradise to grinding through grad school for two years was a difficult mental hurdle to overcome. But I walk through the doors at ArtCenter daily and am immediately reminded that I made the right decision. I also feel great pride in receiving positive feedback on my work from some of the best design professors in California or even the country. I think I’m headed in the right direction if I can inspire them!
If I had to put a finger on what sets me apart, it would be the lessons learned from my background as an athlete that I’ve been able to translate into a career in design. A “we over me” mentality is something I constantly remind myself of, and why I love the collaboration of creative thinkers in a room together. Hockey is also a sport that tends to humble you often, and I think it’s essential, not only in design but in life too, to subdue ego and stay humble in practice. Let the work speak for itself.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Listening. Listen with the intent to understand. Don’t listen with the intent to reply. You will learn an incredible amount about people if you simply listen with intent. Stay engaged and give people your undivided attention. It creates a level of respect right from the jump.
I’ve found that the power of saying “no” is incredibly important when needed. As a service industry, designers can sometimes get stuck being “yes” people. But we need to remember the superpower that design is, and we are the people who have devoted our lives to the craft. This comes with experience and confidence, and obviously a larger conversation around communication in general, but our role and our profession deserve the same respect that we put into the work.
Finally, I developed a design statement/mantra within the last few months, which reads:
Design is the delicate balance between art and succinct communication. In a world brimming with complexities, my approach prioritizes simplicity, aiming to distill convoluted ideas into visuals that are both compelling and easily understood. This isn’t merely about aesthetic appeal; it’s a commitment to stripping away the excess, revealing the core of a message. My design ethos is rooted in the belief that the most profound stories are often told in the simplest terms. Through thoughtful choices in form and function, I ensure that ideas not only resonate but are also effortlessly coherent.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.b-w.design/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brianwhite_design/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/b-wdesign/
- Other: Thesis Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/resonance_designed/
