We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Amanda DeVries a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Amanda thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?

In the design world, especially in this digital age, design tends to have a “sameness” to it – once a trend is identified, it’s easy to see how quickly most designers adopt to it.I strive to find more inspiration and ideas from the physical world, and in particular, the past.

One of the greatest compliments I ever received was from a prospective client when she said “Your designs have a retro feel to them”. I don’t necessarily want to copy the past, but I want my work to look timeless, and so I work towards a balance of modern and classic in everything I do, from how I style photoshoots to how I develop brand assets. I would like to be known as the designer who successfully achieves that balance, and in doing so, makes her clients wildly successful.

One of the coolest things about social media is that I regularly get DMs from friends and acquaintances who send me a photo an interior space, or a handmade mug, or a typeface, with a quick message like “I thought you might like this”. I love that people “get” how I see the world; that you can find design and wonder just about everywhere you look!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m a registered graphic designer and have been working for 17+ years. My focus is on building food & beverage brands and packaging design through my company Eye Candy Design. I spend my days and nights thinking about what brands need to do to stand out on shelves and how to engage the psychology of colour and typefaces to send the right message to the right consumer, every time.

My parents moved to Canada from India the year before I was born, and I grew up in a culture surrounded by food and celebration. My relationship with good food continued when my husband started an organic vegetable farm and we became connected to like-minded individuals who understand the power of food and community. Nourishing our 3 kids is also no small feat, and so having a deep understanding of packaging labels is basically a requirement!

At Eye Candy Design, we create visual identities and packaging design systems that will capture the attention of even the most distracted consumer. We also create any and all of the marketing materials required, from business cards to sell sheets, from pitch decks to websites.

My design inspiration comes mainly from the past and the stories it can tell us about culture, heritage, and human connection.

Additionally, I am a prop stylist on food photography and interior design consultant for brick & mortar food businesses. In these cases I continue to blend artifacts from the past into a modern sensibility through a strong exploration of colour, texture and space.

I got into this space because food is such an integral part of our lives, and we are bombarded with food choices everyday. I want to help consumers feel good about the choices they make for themselves, and to feel a deeper connection to a brand. Using colour and typography is a blend of science and art, and the challenge of using them to their utmost is my MO.

When I’m not designing, you’ll find me either thrifting or attempting to upgrade my Indian culinary skills in the kitchen.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

One of the things that took me waaaay to long to learn, was that “If you build it, they will come” doesn’t work as a philosophy for creatives. In reality, you have to get the word out about what you do, to everyone who will listen, and as often as you can. In the early days I sincerely thought that if I just had a beautiful portfolio, people would visit my site and hire me instantly.

I’ve learned the long and hard way that people hire people, not companies. All of my new business early on came from referrals, and I have never taken that for granted. Once I finally understood the power of making real, physical connections, I joined associations and networking groups that opened up many opportunities. When I attend these events, I don’t go in with the idea of “making a sale”; rather, I simply meet new people and learn about their business. Eventually the word about what I do spreads. It’s a slow process that requires patience,

Anything you can do to make your business known is worth the effort: having a strong social media presence, reaching out on LinkedIn, connecting with peers in your industry. Consistent effort will pay off.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

As much as we know better, as creatives we tie too much of our perceived personal value to our work. So when a client is happy and the work is excellent, we ride that cloud nine for as long as we can! The downside of course if when work is slow, or the client is unhappy. It’s hard not to attach a personal meaning to it. Experience has made me better at dealing with this, but this feeling still creeps up from time to time. It’s at those moments that the lure of a solid paycheck and security is greatest.

I guess learning to ride this roller coaster of a career without falling off the tracks is probably the best lesson a creative can learn.!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://eyecandydesign.ca
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adevriescreative/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandadevries/

Image Credits
Amanda DeVries, Alieska Robles