Niara Innovations Design Studio...About The Graphic and Web Designer


	What inspires you? I would have to say that I pull inspiration from many different arenas of life. It could be a drive down the highway and watching the colors of the leaves. Or it can be an layout in a fashion magazine. I often look at alot of stock photography websites for inspiration in mixtures of color. Inspiration is everywhere...its as far as the eye can see and then even further into the imagination. What are some of your favorite colors, fonts and concepts? From the look of my two personal sites, I have acquired a love for the family of burnt reds and orange. I think this comes from my recent love for fall since I moved to Michigan a year ago. The elegant effect of combining any color with black seems to be becoming a trademark in my designs. I'm currently working on a project that combines dark brown and lime green, as well as another that combines the same brown with turquoise. My most favorite font right now is Carpenter IG, which you'll see in several of my most recent design projects. I also like alot of the contemporary fonts such as Felix Titling and Copperplate Gothic Light. As for concepts, I don't really think I have any favorites simply because everyday as I design, trying a little of this and a little of that creates something new in my world of concepts that I enjoy. What is your background? How long has design been your passion? My career in design begin in 2001. I started an online writing organization for women writers of color. With no money to spare, I toyed with several web design programs hoping to be able to build the website that I couldnt afford to pay for. It became addictive, and at times, an obsession. Long into the hours of the night and early morning, I would work on designs changing colors and shapes and layouts. It was then that my love affair with design began. What would you tell folks interested in doing what you do? Be sure that they are passionate about it. Graphic and Web Design can be a repetitive, mind-wrecking, exhausting profession. There are days that I spend hours simply trouble-shooting a portion of code or changing a design for perfection. But I love it. And thats a requirement. Otherwise, your heart and soul are missing from your work and you wont ever put out your best. Though the end results are great, even glamorous at times, it isnt for everyone. My other word of advice is to build your resource library. Oftentimes, in the middle of a project, its easy to get caught up in research. This often slows down my inspiration for ideas. So build a library of codes, templates, photos, etc...you'll need them. Design with your soul. Break the rules...in the name of design.
	All images and text are the copyright property of Niara Innovations Design Studio (c) 2008-2009

What inspires you?
I would have to say that I pull inspiration from many different arenas of life. It could be a drive down the highway and watching the colors of the leaves. Or it can be an layout in a fashion magazine. I often look at alot of stock photography websites for inspiration in mixtures of color. Inspiration is everywhere...its as far as the eye can see and then even further into the imagination.

What are some of your favorite colors, fonts and concepts?
From the look of my two personal sites, I have acquired a love for the family of burnt reds and orange. I think this comes from my recent love for fall since I moved to Michigan a year ago. The elegant effect of combining any color with black seems to be becoming a trademark in my designs. I'm currently working on a project that combines dark brown and lime green, as well as another that combines the same brown with turquoise. My most favorite font right now is Carpenter IG, which you'll see in several of my most recent design projects. I also like alot of the contemporary fonts such as Felix Titling and Copperplate Gothic Light. As for concepts, I don't really think I have any favorites simply because everyday as I design, trying a little of this and a little of that creates something new in my world of concepts that I enjoy.

What is your background? How long has design been your passion?
My career in design begin in 2001. I started an online writing organization for women writers of color. With no money to spare, I toyed with several web design programs hoping to be able to build the website that I couldnt afford to pay for. It became addictive, and at times, an obsession. Long into the hours of the night and early morning, I would work on designs changing colors and shapes and layouts. It was then that my love affair with design began.

What would you tell folks interested in doing what you do?
Be sure that they are passionate about it. Graphic and Web Design can be a repetitive, mind-wrecking, exhausting profession. There are days that I spend hours simply trouble-shooting a portion of code or changing a design for perfection. But I love it. And thats a requirement. Otherwise, your heart and soul are missing from your work and you wont ever put out your best. Though the end results are great, even glamorous at times, it isnt for everyone.

My other word of advice is to build your resource library. Oftentimes, in the middle of a project, its easy to get caught up in research. This often slows down my inspiration for ideas. So build a library of codes, templates, photos, etc...you'll need them.

Design with your soul. Break the rules...in the name of design.