Interview with designer Krystal Maree
It’s always inspiring to stumble upon designers dedicating their time to awesome “love” projects. And this is just what happened with Krystal Maree. Together with her friend Kate Samson, the pair have just released the second edition of Ember Magazine. The gorgeous online quarterly features articles and interviews on fashion, photography, art, design and lifestyle.
Krystal’s official role as Creative Director includes the design and layout of the overall magazine, and Kate’s role as Editor involves planning the articles and bringing together the content. However, the whole mammoth task of bringing the magazine together, is a collaborative one, with each other, and the creatives they invite for each issue.
Issue ZERO released in November 2011, and after months of planning, organising and designing, issue ONE of Ember Magazine is here…
During all other hours of the day, Krystal is a Mum to her little boy Jarvis, and runs her own graphic design studio, Orphan Design on the Gold Coast. Krystal’s designs have a delightful illustrative style, and you can see some of her recent projects below.
How have you got to where you are today?
After I moved here from New Zealand I was working as a marketing co-ordinator in the arts department of a large company. This was where I really saw what graphic design was all about and I fell in love with the creative industry. I enrolled in a Diploma of Arts and haven’t looked back.
I made the leap to freelance graphic design three years ago and started Orphan Design. I wanted the flexible working hours and the freedom to work on more creative projects that the print industry and commercial graphic design wasn’t offering.
Thankfully I have a very supportive husband who very rarely says no to my creative whimsy, although he is currently drawing the line at having our fridge painted Resene Spritzer Green.
In a few words, describe yourself…
Creative Insomniac.
What are you spending your time on at the moment?
We have just released Ember Issue One, this is a lifestyle magazine that was born late last year and a project that I founded with a lovely friend of mine Kate Samson. I’ve hard at work on the design and layout of that for the past month. A few new logo designs and of course servicing my existing Orphan Design clients.
I’m planting a flower garden starting with some Billy Buttons, I don’t have a very good history with this kind of thing so fingers crossed those come up.
All this while running around after my 13 month old son, who at any given time likes to be doing 5 things at once!
Do you have a ritual for getting into the creative mindset? Or a creative process?
First I lock myself in the office and put on some music, I usually put my feet up for five minutes and just enjoy the fact that I’m alone. Sometimes I flick through a few books or mags, read a few blogs and then get started on a visual mood board (depending on the project).
If it’s for an illustration project I’ll make a few scratches in my art diary (of which will never be seen to the outside world, ever) or even a good old fashioned bubble chart with a few keywords.
What or who inspires you?
As well as my current love affair with Pinterest? I’m inspired by lots of things. I love to see unexpected colours in nature. I like to remember things I never knew I’d forgotten. I love things with a history – photos, stories, art. I’m also obsessed with Scandinavian interiors and homewares.
What are you most proud of?
My son, he thinks I’m cool and has no idea that I’m about to turn 30, I like that about him!
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
It’s totally cliche but I wanted to be a cartoonist, this was the 80’s kid version of an illustrator.
Walt Disney was my idol and I spent hours drawing and writing short stories. I would imagine myself sitting at one of those angled desks with paper all around me in an office full of plastic toys of my famous characters.
At the ripe old age of 12 this dream matured into Architect, my first job out of school was a draftsperson and I’m now a graphic designer so I guess that’s somewhere in the middle.
