Spotlight on Danielle Young – Digital Designer!

Join us as we get to know Danielle Young - a very talented digital designer. You’ll love her designs, too! She collaborated on a gorgeous kit that we used for November’s Desktop Wallpaper.

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Q: Tell us a little about yourself

Danielle: Born and raised in Georgia, I currently reside in the suburbs of Atlanta with my husband, Jeremy, and our black Labrador Retriever, Logan.

Q: When did you start scrapbooking?

Danielle: I discovered at an early age that I had a passion for all things artistic. I was introduced to paper scrapbooking in grade school, and I quickly fell in love with the hobby. It was in high school that I purchased my first “acid free” products!

Q: Tell us about scrapbooking and what inspires you and how you get them done?

Danielle: Scrapbooking has really taken a backseat to my designing, but I try to create one layout with each kit I make. I usually check out the online galleries first, and inevitably, something beautiful will inspire me to make my own page!

Q: How did you get to where you are now designing digital?

Danielle: While earning my degree from Georgia Tech in Industrial Design, I experienced the joys of Photoshop - and later transitioned my education into a career as a graphic designer. With my background in paper scrapbooking and my newly acquired digital skills, it was only natural that I discovered digital scrapbooking!

(This photo was taken at the ScrapHD.com booth at CHA this summer in Orlando. ScrapHD is an online scrapbook builder that has just undergone beta testing and is expected to launch any day. My products are available there.)

Q: For those of us who don’t know…what is Industrial Design and what does one do with it? When you switched your education to graphic design, did you expect to design for digital scrapbooking, or did you think of doing something else with it originally?

Danielle: Industrial Design is the study of form and function. An industrial designer might create design solutions to improve usability of a consumer product or to reduce the amount of waste in a production process. When I first began my graphic design career, I was completely unaware of the digital scrapbooking industry… if I had known, it would have been my FIRST choice! Instead, I got to design huge tradeshow booths for cool clients like Coca-Cola & The Home Depot!

Q: What programs do you design with?

Danielle: I primarily use Adobe Photoshop CS3 & occasionally Adobe Illustrator, too.

(My husband is a graphic designer, too! This photo was taken for an article that was published in the Atlanta newspaper last year about new home construction. Jeremy and I were featured along with our occupations.

Q: What inspires you to design a kit?

Danielle: My kits are usually inspired by something that I see in a store or a color palette that I like. I’ve also been known to design kits that reflect my own life. For example: a kit for my MANY photos of my dog, a kit for my beach vacation photos, etc.

Q: How did you learn to design?

Danielle: I learned the basics of Photoshop while I was in college, but I’ve really pushed beyond that by exploring the program on my own. If you’re looking to learn more about Photoshop, be sure to stop by my blog to watch my video tutorials ~ specifically for digital scrapbookers!

Q: Do you have a design tip you could give us?

Danielle: The best advice anyone can give is to never, ever be afraid of white space!

Q: What do you do for fun when you aren’t designing?

Danielle: I love spending time with my family, listening to country music, and watching reality TV!

Q: What are your aspirations as a designer?

Danielle: I hope to introduce digital and hybrid scrapbooking to a broader audience through my design style & educational tutorials. To me, it’s important to deliver products that are creative & inspirational.

(Cream & Sugar Kit with sample layouts from Creative Team)

Q: What would you like our readers to know about you?

Danielle: That I would love to hear from you! There are several ways to get in touch & stay in touch!

• Email: danielle@danielleyoungdesigns.com
• Blog: www.danielleyoungdesigns.com/blog
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/danielleyoung
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/danielleyoungdesigns

(Family Collab Kit with Quick Page Set and sample layouts from Creative Team)

Q: If you ever get in a creative rut, what do you do to get out of it?

Danielle: Go [window or online] shopping! Shopping for clothes, or furniture, or anything really! If that doesn’t work, then I just take a break and try not to force the creativity. It’ll come back - you just have to be patient.

Q: Any current or upcoming projects you want to tell us about?

Danielle: I have a few new collaborative kits in the works that I’m VERY excited about!

(Baby Bunches Collab Kit with sample layouts from Creative Team)

Don’t forget to grab November’s Desktop Wallpaper designed from the Family Collab Kit by Danielle Young and Kelley Mickus. Go to the Magazine tab and click on Wallpaper.