Interview with McKenzie Nielson
Meet our newest Design Contest winner! We loved McKenzie’s simple, beautiful design and were so thrilled when you chose it as the winning design this year. We wanted to get to know McKenzie a bit better and ask for her creative insight—we hope you enjoy what she shared!
Tell us a bit about yourself!
Hi, I'm McKenzie! I am a full time graphic designer working as an in-house designer for a larger company based out of Utah. I grew up, and currently reside in northern Utah with the stunning snowy mountains, but spend a lot of time in southern Utah with the beautiful red rock. I love the outdoors, and think Utah is the perfect playground for my little family and two big dogs! I am a new mom to my 5 month old son, and am currently trying to soak up every second with him while finding a good work-life balance. Art, design, and really anything creative has always been my biggest hobby and outlet. I can't get enough, and sometimes need to remind myself to take on one project at a time.
What does your typical day look like?
My typical day looks quite a bit different these days! I would love to paint a picturesque day-to-day life, but I'll keep it real over here. It is a constant juggle of baby naps and playtime, design work throughout the day (and often into the evening), checking in with family and friends, and the usual tasks at home. It is always busy and a little crazy, but I am learning to roll with the changes, try my best, enjoy the journey, and give myself some grace!
What helps you stay productive?
I am, to no surprise, a very visual person. I have to write everything down in my planner as soon as it comes, or I will usually forget it. It is so helpful for me to see the layout of my day, week, and month! This way, I know I am *hopefully* not forgetting anything, and can line things up throughout the day that are the most efficient. As each new day rolls around, I feel much more productive if I can go through my list for the day and check things off. And who doesn't love checking off a list!
What keeps you creatively inspired?
What a good question! There are very few things that I don't pull inspiration from. Places that I spend a lot of time in, like the mountains, lakes, and desert give me a lot of inspiration. I also really appreciate buildings and architecture. Another big source of inspiration for me comes from other artists and designers' work. There are so many styles that I love, that spark little ideas in my head! Lastly, I am a florist in my free time, and really enjoy arranging beautiful flowers for weddings. You will see a lot of flowers in my work.
How do you come up with a new design? Walk us through your process.
I keep a little list of ideas that pop into my head so I don't forget them. If I am not pulling from this, a new design will usually start moments after I see something inspiring. I really love surface pattern design, and little patterns of just about anything seem to always be dancing around in my head. Although most of my work is done on my laptop or iPad, occasionally I love to use watercolor, gouache, or acrylic paints. From there my work is either scanned or photographed, and made into a pattern if that is the end goal.
Tell us about your Golden Coil cover design. What was the thought process behind it? What inspired you?
Rainbows seem to be very trendy right now, and I can't say I'm mad about it! I love the symbolism behind rainbows. There are so many different kinds. For me, they represent my rainbow baby after the loss of my first. So naturally, they are showing up in a lot of my work. For the Golden Coil cover design contest, I wanted to create a pattern that could be widely used by different people. Although I love color, I didn't necessarily want this pattern to scream rainbow, so I kept it calm and neutral. I really tried to design a cover that I would want to have on my own Golden Coil planner.
Be sure to keep an eye out—McKenzie’s design launches soon!