Every so often, you spot design talent that stops you in your tracks. And you just have to find out about the person behind it. I'm super stoked to introduce you Dave Coleman, a young designer and insanely talented letterer who shows how working in a big city for a big agency does not define a designer.... And that good guys can produce BAD ASS work.
Pixels are good, but Dave likes playing with the tangible, too
You've just gone freelance recently. How did that come about? Well to tell that story, I need to take you back to the end of 2008, when myself and my best friend hurled our college education and barista's apron strings aside respectively, and started a freelance design studio. It was a gloriously exciting and very challenging road that lay before us - any freelancers reading this are empathetically nodding their heads at this point.
We were young and inexperienced, but we did great work and we sucked up knowledge and online photoshop tutorials like a sponge.
We met plenty of resistance; our clients had a penchant for ignoring invoices, work came in slowly and irregularly, and our bills/rent stacked up! But we were living the dream, and so pushed onward; until the end of 2011, when we parted ways. It was a sad and difficult time, but also the beginning of the rest of our lives, respectively. Though he may not know it, I feel the years we spent together as mates and in business were invaluable to my growth both as a designer and a person. Around that time I started dating the girl I would one day marry, and began the search for a design job in the big city!
I applied for a myriad of positions and with a week got an interview at a small but energetic mobile design agency in the middle of the Sydney CBD. I began as a junior in the February of 2012 - with much gusto as this was my first 'real' full time job.
I enjoyed my time there, but yearned for the freelance life - bringing jobs from beginning to end myself, dealing personally with clients, working from home etc. After staying there for a year (to the day!) I left and now I am blessed to be freelancing full time, with Laura helping me every step of the way.
It is the most incredible thing to have the honour of doing what you love each day, and have it earn you a living. I thank God for that honour!
What's a project you'd love to work on? I have a few 'bucket list' projects, but one of the most long-standing (since I was a wee toddler!) is to write and illustrate a children's book. I've got a few ideas there - I was on the phone to my Mum the other day and she loved them so I think that's a good sign.
There is also a fantastic letterpress shop in California that I've been chatting to lately about getting some limited edition prints and books done, which I'm really stoked about. I have a deep love for letterpress.
But I'd also really like to design a beer label, make a sweet backpack out of canvas and leather and brass zippers, creatively direct the entire fit-out for a cafe or little bookshop (logo, website, signage, interior etc), design/build/release a mobile app and a bunch more.
What's your favourite piece of work/project/job you've done so far - and why? I think my favourite on-going project is with my church, Blue Mountains City Church - they constantly pass me open design briefs (the good kind of open!) for events that are happening, and I'm able to get really loose with the designs. They held a Holy Spirit Conference a while back and I had heaps of fun designing some custom type for that.
Currently working on the album art and little website for a singer/songwriter -
She - from the Gold Coast, which has been so much fun!
Ask me this in a month or two though; there are some really fun projects that are starting to come in, as more folks are noticing my work - it's a very exciting time!
What are you looking forward to? Actually it's funny you ask me that now - Laura just applied for a scholarship to go to Spain and teach English there for a year - and GOT IT! We couldn't believe it! Which means that her and I will be packing up and moving from our little house in Glenbrook to a new place in the beautiful Spanish community of Asturias in October this year.
I am so looking forward to that, as I will be continuing my freelance practice from Spain, and gathering new clients and new opportunities in a new country! As well as travelling far and wide from our vantage point in Europe.
Up until just recently, I have operated under the simple moniker of 'dave'. With my photography becoming something I'm more passionate about, I decided to keep my dave logo for photography, and split that off into a separate website and brand (
http://dvclmn.com |
www.facebook.com/dvclmnphotography). This means I needed a new business name and identity for my design work! It has been an exciting process thus far, and I have been documenting every step. I have a name, a logo, am currently nailing a website together and hope to have these released in the next month.
OK, I love a good recommendation Dave – tell us about something or someone that we should know about:Well you just HAVE to check out
Bek Grace, a dear friend and one of the most incredible photographers around. So inspired so constantly by her.
Recently I was quite taken with a fantastic design studio
A Friend of Mine; their work is amazing. I am constantly inspired by the illustrator
Matthew Hodson, the letterer
Simon Walker, the photographer
Andrew Myers, the painter
John Tierney.
Dave's workspace - on the deck, in the morning sun.
A couple of pages from Dave's sketchbook(s) - including an idea for a children's book character
Besides design and photography, what else do you love to do? There are few things I enjoy more than sharing a coffee with my love, especially early in the morning when it's cold but sunny. I married a very active and adventurous girl so Laura is teaching me (slowly) the joys of leaving the house/desk/computer/sketchpad and taking bush walks, and going camping and hiking and road trips (which I do love!). And I couldn't be happier because of it...
You should totally hire Dave, or keep an eye on his ridiculously good work at:Dribbble • Tumblr • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram
