In a new video interview, we chat with San Francisco-based designer Nicola Broderick. Formerly at Gamut, Nicola has just opened her own business, Camino Studio. She shares what she’s working on, who inspires her, and how Dribbble has made an impact on her career.
Life working at Gamut…
Hi, my name’s Nicola and I’m a designer in San Francisco. I work in an office with all guys. It’s great. I love them. There’s the occasional fart joke here and there. They just make me laugh all the time. We just want to do the best work we can and we collaborate, they make taglines. They’re the witty fun ones that will put something together that I didn’t quite think of. And I think that really helps me grow.
How would you describe your work?
At the moment I’m designing things beery and weedy—which is great and so fun. I do everything from the brand, to web design, interior packaging. That’s what I really like about the design that I get to do really. It touches on everything and I don’t have to just specifically do one thing.
Who inspires your right now?
Lately, I’ve been inspired by some of the women in the community. Alana Louise, Lauren Dickens, The Hood Sisters. They’re all just kind of these bad-ass women who are creating these graphics that I absolutely love. They’re so passionate about what they do. They inspire me to step up my game in textures, typography and to be a strong woman in design.
What is your typical day like?
A typical day for me is riding across the city on my scooter. Usually listening to some Bee Gees. Getting the positive vibes going. When I get to work, I’m greeted by our dog Scout. The guys I work with are awesome. We get a coffee pot going and then we’ll start our 10:00 am. meeting and that’s how we really get today going. Then I open up a bottle of whiskey and the whole day’s gone.
Growing with Dribbble…
Dribbble is this really cool platform for designers of all different skill-sets to share their work, which is amazing. It’s what we kind of need to grow. What I love about it is that you could be just starting out in design, you could be someone with lots of experience. The people that have a lot of experience are paying it forward to people who are just getting started.
Your experience with Dribbble…
Dribbble for me has been an open community. It’s a great inclusive place to share your work and get exposure. What I love about it too is the validation that you get from working on these passion projects. I think you get hired from doing the work that you love and often sharing it on these sort of platform, especially Dribbble, you get the insider network commenting on your work. And through that validation means that I’m doing a good job and I’m gaining kind of that, growth, that I’m looking to achieve to better myself as a designer.
Follow Nicola on Dribbble and Twitter. Check out Gamut and Camino Studio.
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