Today our designer interview is with Beth Schneider, a Chicago based designer and graduate of The Ultimate Portfolio Builder.Her clean yet fun style combines her architectural roots and anything with interesting lines to create unique shapes and patterns.
When did your interest in design first start and how did that come about?
I remember being at a friend’s house in high school and walked in to the coolest architecture and a certain type of black floral wallpaper that I can still remember to this day. It was that moment when I knew I had to go down a creative career path.
What steps did you take to get to where you are now as a designer?
After a college degree in Interior Architecture and working in the field for a while, I went back to school for graphic design and started licensing stationery products and fabric designs. It was after my first fabric license that I signed up for The Art & Business of Surface Pattern Design courses.
How would you describe your style?
My designs are clean and fresh with a fun, playful twist. I see shapes in all types of everyday objects and love to draw them in my own way, whether it be hand drawn marks or geometric lines and shapes. I add some texture, create repeats and then empower them with a modern color palette. (The best part!)
What kind of designer do you want to be known as?
I would love to be known as a designer whose patterns make people happy and make them want more of my designs because of that.
What are you working on currently?
I am currently organizing all of my collections and getting ready to exhibit at Surtex in 2016, still designing stationery and fabric, and I’ve also licensed a few of my designs from the course to Guildery, a home décor company. They should be making their debut in October 2015!
What advice would you give emerging designers wanting to build their portfolios?
Take the Ultimate Portfolio Builder! The name says it all. There are so many prompts and opportunities to start building collections and a fantastic portfolio.
What would be your dream design gig?
Licensing designs to Crate & Barrel or having one of my prints be on or inside a Kate Spade bag!
Looking ahead what are your major goals for the next couple of years?
Exhibiting at Surtex 2016, possibly The Licensing Expo or Printsource. And I would love to have my own line of Elizabeth Victoria products like Orla Kiely – bags, luggage, shoes, stationery, etc.
If you were a pattern what kind of a pattern would you be and why?
A really colorful geometric. #1, I love color (even though I wear a lot of black and gray!) And #2, geos can be so laid back, playful and fun and I think that describes me pretty well.
What was the most important lesson you took away from UPB?
Don’t be afraid to send your designs to potential companies. You never know what they are looking for and your designs just might be it!
What difference did it make to have a supportive community of fellow students and how important do you think that will be going forward?
Invaluable. I have already formed an art collective with other students from the class. It’s so nice to have someone there that understands the process and to share knowledge and advice with.
Please tell us about your experience of the live briefs and student work reviews.
The live briefs were a great opportunity to again not only build your portfolio, but also design with certain parameters set from a real company. I was fortunate to have been reviewed by Deny Designs which was exciting, they have been on my radar for a while. It was nice to get that validation that you’re heading down the right path!
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Beth Schneider is the designer and owner of Elizabeth Victoria Designs, a surface pattern design studio based in Chicago, IL. Her clean yet fun style combines her architectural roots and anything with interesting lines to create unique shapes and patterns. She likes to sketch on paper and then empower her designs with some texture and a modern color palette making each design fresh and unique.
https://www.elizabethvictoria.com
https://instagram.com/elizabethvictoriadesigns/
https://www.pinterest.com/schneido2/
https://www.facebook.com/elizabethvictoriadesigns
Amazed by what you see above from our talented students? Join our next class of The Ultimate Portfolio Builder which starts September 21st 2015.
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