We were lucky to catch up with Allyson Crotty recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Allyson thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

When I first began my business as a virtual assistant, it was suggested to me that I try using Photoshop to create a basic logo. Not long after that suggestion, I came across a free Photoshop masterclass that would teach basic yet high-level skills. I signed up hoping to learn the most basic skills to use in my own business.

I enjoyed the free masterclass, so I went on to purchase a graphic design course by Lindsay Marsh on Udemy. While working through the course, I was designing for my VA clients, and I would supplement my learning with specific how-tos on Youtube.

Recently I’ve begun learning UX design as well, and I’ve been taking a course by Daniel Scott on Skillshare.

Knowing what I know now, I would have dedicated much more of my free time to the Udemy course and worked my way through the assignments. I learn best by doing, and the assignments were perfect for implementing the most recent skills taught in the course.

I feel some of the most essential skills are understanding typography, color theory, and white space. It makes all the difference in amateur work as opposed to professional work.

A couple of things stood in the way of my learning more about design.

1.I had a full client load as a virtual assistant and did not have a lot of time to dedicate to learning more in the Adobe space.

2. I convinced myself that graphic design was a distraction and not my zone of genius, so I dropped design for a while and pursued online business management and project management.

Allyson, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Sure! I’m from the Midwest US. You can find me cuddling with my cats, crocheting while binge-watching my shows, reading a good book, or traveling. I am also bilingual in English and Spanish and have a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish.

As I mentioned previously, when I first began my business as a virtual assistant in 2020, I wanted to make a basic, typography-based logo. I was playing around in Canva in an attempt to make one when my mentor, Maggie, told me to try using Adobe Photoshop instead. I was clueless when it came to using Photoshop, but not long after Maggie recommended I try it, I found and signed up for the free Photoshop masterclass I had found.

Like many free masterclasses at the time, the instructor assigned [optional] homework for us to practice the skills learned each day. While challenging, I grasped the concepts and was more or less successful in recreating the designs the instructor asked for.

The final homework assignment was to design a Facebook cover image using all the skills learned during the week. We had free reign over design elements (stock photography, typography, layers, etc.) I came up with my design and shared it with Maggie (who is an incredibly talented, high-level designer herself), and she was blown away. She even said it’s a design she would deliver to her own clients. I was proud, but I took it with a grain of salt. Surely I couldn’t be THAT good.

I purchased the beginner graphic design Udemy course that covered Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, but I barely got through the Photoshop modules. I had a full client load and had no time to invest and work on things in my own business, but I had learned enough to design for my VA clients’ various needs regularly.

Eventually, I pivoted from virtual assistance to online business management and project management – and I was MISERABLE. Even when my client load lessened, I had no motivation to work on my business, and I sat in struggle for months and months. I bought course after course for project and launch management. I convinced myself that I just needed to learn more to be an amazing project manager. Still, I had no motivation to work on my business. It did not bring me joy.

This past August (2022), when discussing my struggles, Maggie asked me what I thought about taking a step back from online business management and project management and refocusing on design and learning UX design. I admitted to her that I had been considering getting back into graphic design simply to supplement my OBM/PM income, but Maggie planted the seed in my brain that maybe project management wasn’t for me, and graphic (and maybe web) design was.

Maggie’s faith in my design skills sparked renewed hope for myself and my design skills. I started the Udemy course I had purchased almost 2 years ago and made an effort to finish it. I’ve invested in web design courses as well, but my main focus has been honing my graphic design skills to support me now and prepare me to begin web design.

I’m continuing to learn new skills, but more than that, I continue implementing what I have already learned to serve my NEW clients – clients I get to service with design, and I am so much more fulfilled.

Currently, I offer various graphic design packages for social media, workbooks, and lead magnets, and one package for Showit template customization.

With my expertise in design, I elevate brands from amateur to refined, making them irresistible to their ideal clients. Whether you need help transforming lackluster graphic and web designs into stunning, professional works of art or guidance on incorporating DEI principles into your design practices, I am here to help My clients trust me to take their designs from boring to attention-grabbing, and we work together to achieve their branding goals while promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.

I want whoever is reading this to know that I feel it is incredibly important to bring more diversity, equity, and inclusion to the design industry.

I am proud of my dedication to entrepreneurship and not giving up until I achieve success. Following my instincts, I persisted in my efforts. Looking back, as a virtual assistant, I particularly enjoyed working on design-related tasks for my clients.

Entrepreneurship is a winding path full of challenges and surprises. Through these obstacles, I’ve embarked on a journey of self-discovery. In navigating this adventure, I’ve identified my strengths and weaknesses, improved my skills, and gained a better understanding of my interests.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

The book “We Should All Be Millionaires” greatly influenced my entrepreneurial journey by questioning conventional notions of money and success, which historically catered to straight, cisgender, white men, and often do not apply to those outside that demographic. I appreciate how it challenges these assumptions and encourages alternative methods for success and making money.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

As a designer, my mission is to create solutions that meet the needs and desires of diverse individuals and communities. Prioritization of diversity, equity, and inclusion is a must in the design process. This means actively considering the perspectives and experiences of people from different backgrounds and ensuring that your designs do not perpetuate systemic biases or exclusion. By incorporating DEI principles into my work, I can promote social justice by giving voice and agency to underrepresented communities and helping to build a more equitable and inclusive society. This means designing products, services, and systems that are accessible, culturally sensitive, and equitable for everyone.

Contact Info:

• Website: allysoncrotty.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allysoncrotty/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/designwithallyson
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allysoncrotty/

Image Credits
Eileen Crotty