We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Victoria Webb-Johnson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Victoria, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?
Although I am only at the beginning of my career, I have thought a lot about where I want to end up in my career and what kind of legacy I want to leave. One of my many loves when it comes to design is its ability to target its appeal to specific groups of people through creative direction alone. As a designer, the ability to reach people you will likely never meet is such a cool and empowering feeling. However, even with the best intentions, some groups can feel excluded from a particular brand or message, even through the design itself! As a life-long sports fan, I have felt that feeling of design exclusions before when it comes to areas of design in the sports industry. Everywhere from merchandise to graphics, female fans can sometimes feel like a bit of an afterthought. As a designer with an interest in breaking into the sports industry, my goal is to open up the world of sports to new groups through the power of design. Sports have a unique quality of unifying people around a singular cause and creating a diverse community. Design has the ability to reach out to people and bring them into this community as well. I have been so excited watching women’s sports grow in popularity and young girls taking interest in sports they otherwise did not before (huge thank you to Taylor Swift for bringing a whole new crowd to the NFL). It has been amazing watching how designers and creatives are taking an interest in appealing to this new audience, and I would like to be a part of that movement. This extends to things outside of the sports world as well. I want to be remembered for helping to invite new groups into new and exciting spaces through the power of design, both inside the world of sports and out of it.
Victoria, 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?
Absolutely! My name is Victoria, but most people call me Tory. I am a motion designer with a focus in 2D animation and art direction, with previous experience in game and interactive design as well as graphic design. My wide range of experience across the design world definitely sets me apart: finding ways to integrate these skills and concepts to create is a constant inspiration and goal of mine. Even as a kid, I have always found joy exploring all sorts of creative disciplines, from drawing my own clothing lines to performing in musicals. I love the challenges that come along with the creative process, and I would consider myself a skilled creative problem solver. I would describe my style as bold and humorous, with an underlay of cleverness. Through all my creative pursuits, design has become my true passion.
It was during my final semester of my undergraduate degree at West Virginia University, while working with my professor’s game studio, MonRiverGames, that I truly discovered my specific passion for motion design. At the studio, we were given the freedom to explore all the roles at a game studio and take on projects or tasks we were passionate about. Although I at first imagined myself doing mainly game art, I ended up taking charge of social media platforms and videography for the studio. I pitched ideas about creating game trailers to promote our new projects and other content for Youtube. This experience allowed me to see more clearly my passion for motion design, and inspired me to continue my education by attaining my master’s degree from Savannah College of Art and Design to acquire a stronger skill set.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
I think non-creatives sometimes struggle to understand how much training and time it takes to build your skills as a designer. It is a lot more than just picking a cool color palette or placing information on a screen: it’s practice, research, problem solving, learning complex softwares and principles, and so much more. The learning never stops, too! The field is always evolving and changing, with the challenge of continuing to learn and evolve yourself. It takes a lot of work to make it look easy. I would also mention how vulnerable being creative can be! Being in creative fields means you have to open yourself up to your work being critiqued or criticized, which isn’t always easy.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
One of the biggest resources I wish I had earlier in my creative journey is more information about the variety of creative careers there are to choose from! When I was a high school student thinking about where I wanted to go to college or what I wanted to major in, I felt really lost in what I was searching for in a creative career. The only person I knew on a creative journey like me was my grandmother, who was an interior designer and architect. Though I knew my career would be different, I was always inspired by her journey and accomplishments as a creative professional. I had a variety of interests and skills, but was presented with very few career or degree options that felt like a good fit for me. It felt like my only options were film or media studies, with very little information about what kind of careers I could achieve with those degrees, if not outright discouragement in pursuing a creative discipline at all. Many years and a few career pivots later, I finally feel like I have found my home in motion design. I am grateful for all the support my family, friends, peers, and mentors have given me in order to reach this point in my creative journey. One of my career goals is to reach out to aspiring young creatives to show them just how many opportunities there are to pursue a creative career. I wish I had the opportunity to talk to creative professionals across the spectrum to learn about the diversity of careers options there are to choose from and just how vast the possibilities are when embarking on your creative journey. So, I hope to become that resource for others so they can explore their interests and find a career they will love.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://victoriawebbjohnson.myportfolio.com/work
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victoria_webbjohnson/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-webbjohnson
- Other: https://www.behance.net/victoriwebb-jo#