Meet Cody Samson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cody Samson.

Cody, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’m 24 years old. I live in San Francisco and spend a majority of my days staring at a screen, making immersive audio/visual designs to be displayed on infinitely larger surfaces.

Growing up in Chicago’s north suburbs, I was fortunate enough to be in a family that supported my artistic pursuits. I was always encouraged to draw as a kid and I started playing music when I was about 9. Bass was my first instrument. In middle school, I started picking up a few other instruments, opened up garage band and began my foray into writing terrible pre-pubescent music.

I knew from a young age that I wanted to be a musician, but my interest for visual arts never waned. I would always make visuals for my music. Posters, album art, t-shirts, half-baked music videos, you name it. My music was mediocre, and my designs were amateur at best, but somehow, I had hope that I could make it all work. I kept working at it.

When I was 18, I moved to Savannah, GA, to study graphic design at Savannah College of Art and Design. It was there that I discovered my love for experimental animation and projection mapping. I immediately saw the connection between sound, motion, and live performance. All I wanted to do was write new music, create visual counterparts for my music and other musicians I admired, and tie it all together in live performance. I immersed myself in that pursuit.

After graduation, I moved out to San Francisco to make that dream a reality. I still have a ways to go, but I haven’t looked back since.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Design work might seem easy to some, but to me, it has proven to be mentally and emotionally fatiguing at times. Now, I don’t argue the fact that I spend most of my days sitting on my ass, staring at a screen, but it’s not always as glamorous as that sounds.

I got into experiential design to make striking work that leaves the viewer speechless, and sometimes I get to do that! Sometimes I get caught up endlessly iterating designs for clients who don’t know what they want, but they do know that my ideas aren’t quite right. Other times I get all starry-eyed about a project that feels like my magnum-opus, only to find out that the budget won’t support more than two days of work! I guess that one will have to be put on the back-burner for now…

Working as a creative professional also has big implications on the work-life balance. If I’m not working at my studio, I’m working on a personal project at home. If I’m not working at home, I’m learning new techniques. If I’m not learning, I’m hitting my head against a wall trying to figure out how to make a cartoon panda dance the Macarena, as per request of my Mom… I’ll have that animation to you soon Mom, but hopefully, you understand if I need to take a beer break or two along the way.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I currently work as an Art Director at All of it Now, a small studio in the heart of San Francisco’s Mission District. We specialize in experiential design, using projections, augmented reality, and other media to bridge the divide between physical and digital spaces.

It’s been an honor to be part of a team of designers and creative technologists, creating immersive experiences that have previously never been thought possible. This intersection of design and technology has long-since interested me, and I consider myself extremely fortunate to be able to use it to create content for touring musical artists, large-scale events and installations.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Maybe it sounds cheesy, but success to me is happiness. It’s living comfortably in the city you want to live in, with the people you love, and having the time you need to create, learn, and grow. Maybe it’s too much to ask, but that’s what I strive for.

Contact Info:

• Website: samsondesign.co
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @shmodyshmamson

Image Credit:
Cody Samson

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