We recently connected with Cameron Austin and have shared our conversation below.

Cameron, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Innovation comes in all shapes, sizes and across all industries, so we’d love to hear about something you’ve done that you feel was particularly innovative.

Thanks for having me! My freelance design business, Ent Design, is still pretty young, but I’ve had a steady amount of growth in the past year that I’m extremely proud of and thankful for. I believe this growth stems from many different factors in my life, but one essential step was clearly defining my niche right from the beginning. I knew I wanted to work in the music industry specifically with punk, metal, post-rock, and alternative acts along with creative brands that align with those values. But to take it a step further, I think what has given me a lot of leverage and insight is having been a touring musician in the DIY Music Scene for the last 7 years of my life. Having the experience of being in that scene, witnessing first-hand the landscape of the crowds, the merch, and the sounds regularly has been an invaluable asset, especially in an environment that seems to evolve every few months. Along with this, traveling and networking with other people face-to-face has given me a lot of opportunities that straight up would never have happened if I were not on the road. All this to say, taking a grassroots approach in the age of social media algorithms and content creation is still a valid business model, and you’re not doing it wrong if you don’t feel like doing a song and dance online to grow your brand.

Cameron, 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?

Design is something I fell into by complete chance. I graduated from college with a jazz drumset degree in 2016 and within a month I was forklift certified working in a warehouse. I was not getting any gig work in the jazz world, but I was still regularly playing in the DIY punk scene in Atlanta during this time. In 2017 my bandmate got me a job at a screenprint shop in Atlanta and it was around this time that I took an interest in apparel art and design. I had no idea how any of the design aspects worked or how to remotely get involved, but seeing the process from start to finish was something that I was completely enamored by. By sheer coincidence, at the end of the year a friend and local promoter reached out to me saying they needed a flyer asap for a show my band was playing. I threw together something on my iPhone for us to use out of an Uzumaki google image and Instagram’s story mode text, and within 5-10 minutes we had a flyer for the show. About a month later he asked me to make another one, but this time I was feeling inspired and wanted to put actual effort into it. So I downloaded Gimp, did some research, made another flyer, and my passion for design was set in motion.

Since establishing this business officially in 2022, my goal has been to provide bands and creative entities with bold, innovative designs that authentically reflect their sound, voice, aesthetic, and audience. I offer a variety of style in my work from abstract digital collaging, to brutalist concepts, to hand-drawn illustration. I love using textures in all of my work, and have recently graduated from using online resources to scanning and photographing my own textures out of a variety of sources (my favorite one I made most recently was setting a printed design on fire, dousing it in water, letting it dry overnight, and scanning it back into photoshop). Overall, what I’m most proud of with Ent is the steady growth I’ve experienced out of the gate and the connections I’ve gotten to make with clients and other artists. I could not be more stoked on all of it, and I’m so thankful to be where I am.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I try to maintain measurable growth whether I’m moving an inch or a mile, but part of that challenge is also making sure I’m not overloading myself or feeling down if certain days yield smaller growth than others. I don’t really know if there is a particular end goal where like… once I get a particular client or job that’s it for me. I am totally embracing the journey and keeping myself open to any opportunity that may manifest itself, while also trying to learn as much as possible about the craft and the industry.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

A lot of my clientele in this industry are people who currently or at one time were touring with bands regularly, and I think having that shared experience and camaraderie has allowed me to make deeper connections with people, and understand on a personal level what they experience and what they are trying to achieve with playing shows and selling merch. Being versatile and adaptable to people’s needs has also been a big plus.

Contact Info:

• Website: ent-design.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/entdesign.jpeg
• Other: thecultofcult.com