We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kimberly Hager a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Kimberly 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?
I have fine art background and was one of the first graduates at my college in Nebraska to use animation in my thesis. Afterwards, I attended UCLA Design|Media Arts graduate program for interactive installation. While there, I interned at school in the Laboratory of Neuro Imaging where I got a taste of 3d modeling and animation in a professional setting. After graduation I had a decision to make, accept a full time job at the lab, or look for a job in the fine arts. I took the job, which led to learning different softwares and applications. When I decided to go freelance a couple years later, I had the technical skills I needed to get the jobs I wanted. I would say the biggest obstacle for me was time management. Working full time, having a family, and spending time in traffic eats away from setting aside time for self-development. It’s something I’m still working on!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I spent around 8 years as a freelance designer in Los Angeles. Sometimes as a motion designer, illustrator, graphic artist, 3d modeler, UI designer, you name it. That’s not always sustainable, as keeping up with trends and tools in so many disciplines is overwhelming. A few years ago I decided to niche down and work in entertainment, as a motion graphics designer for television shows. This has worked well for me, as I like the variety of shows coming in, working with different people, and the creativity the jobs entail. I use all the tools and knowledge in my wheelhouse to create whatever it is the client requires. I’m most proud of this year being included in a daytime Emmy nomination for graphic design on the show Car Masters on Netflix.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
In graduate school I had a tough professor with whom I didn’t have much in common with. I could tell he hated my thesis installation, and had some unkind remarks about it after the defense talk. To his surprise I’m sure, I won a fellowship (split with one other) based on that installation. It always reminds me that when doing personal work, to follow my gut, and ignore any negativity.
Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?
What has been helpful with keeping in touch with clients has been using an app like Airtable. I have a list of people I know, with different labels saying if they’re an advocate, former client, hopeful client, etc. It helps me keep track of who I haven’t talked to in awhile, what project we worked on together, and their email is right there.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://designandmotion.tv/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimhager_art/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimhager/