DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT

I attended Amy's gallery show at Paragraph and was impressed and excited to see the amazing artwork she creates outside of her regular 9-5 gig at Hallmark. You can check out her blog at the right under "Hallmarkers Who Blog" — Amy K.




Name:
Amy

What do you do at hallmark?
Designer on the SAC (Socially Aware Connecting) team. We design cards for (RED) and Green, among other exploratory projects linked with social causes.

Where did you go to school? What was your major?
Ringling College of Art & Design (I graduated in 2001). My major was illustration.

Hometown:
New Washington, Indiana (along the Ohio river in southern Indiana, just north of Louisville, KY)

Your style in 3 words:
irreverent, quirky, emotive

Sources of inspiration:
In addition to illustration & design blogs & books, I look at a lot of "fine art". Not just in museums...I spend a lot of time cruising the internet and galleries that represent contemporary and "emerging" artists, and also look at as much outsider art and street art as I can find. I love travelling for that reason...in a new city, you feel like you're practically tripping on that stuff everywhere you turn. I love that feeling of seeing something fresh and completely unlike anything I've ever seen before, something that starts your mind wandering in a new direction.

Most exciting Hallmark opportunity:
The opportunity to work on (RED) is particularly exciting for me. I wasn't on this team when it started, and I remember very clearly when the product came out and I saw it in the card shop - I went and bought like one of every card. So it feels great to be on a team, less than a year later, working on those cards that I was so inspired by.

Favorite places in Kansas City:
Dolphin Gallery, Grand Arts, Paragraph Gallery, Byron C. Cohen, H&R Block Artspace, Bon Bon Atelier, City Market, Christopher Elbow Chocolates, the River Market Antique Mall, Retro Inferno

Advice for someone looking to work at Hallmark:
My advice to illustrators and designers would be-be diligent about keeping a sketchbook. Even if you don't "sketch" per say....collect things, write things, collage things. Sketchbooks are a great way to work through your thinking process, and they're the best way to flex your art/design muscle every single day, no matter where you're at or what you're in the middle of. (and - recruiters just love them.)

DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT

Editor's Note: This is something new that I'm going to try to do regularly. We have such a wonderful mix of creative professionals here at Hallmark, so I'd like to introduce them to you on the blog. This is the first of many. -Bess

I spent a Saturday morning with Liz at The River Market City Market in Kansas City:



Name:
Liz

What do you do at hallmark?
Greetings Designer on the Socially Aware Connecting team.
We design the (RED) cards and the environmentally conscious GREEN cards.

Where did you go to school? What was your major?
undergrad: Appalachian State University -Boone, NC '02
major: advertising
grad: Portfolio Center Atlanta, GA '04
major: graphic design

Hometown:
Charlotte, NC

Your style in 3 words:
fresh, modern, naive

Sources of inspiration:
fashion, music, interior design, pattern, travel,
humor, emotion, colors everywhere, people everywhere

Most exciting Hallmark opportunity:
being able to back up my Art Director while she was on maternity leave.

Favorites in Kansas City:
Places:
Kemper Museum, Loose Park, The River Market, Scott Fitness
Eats:
Blue Koi, 1924 Main, The Mixx, Le Fou Frog, La Bodega, Room 39, Flea Market
Hangouts:
Velvet Dog, McCoy's, Tom Fooleries, Harry's Country Club, my front porch
Shops:
Curious Sofa, Architectural Salvage, Bon Bon Atelier, Hammerpress, Halls

Advice for someone looking to work at Hallmark:
Design Criteria:
good aesthetic judgement, strong conceptual skills, an eye for trend, range of styles, risk taking
Personality/Communication Skills:
able to express ideas clearly, can collaborate with others, goal-oriented, positive, and of course, friendly!