Interview with Amy Chea
We’re so excited to introduce you to Amy Chea! Amy’s beautiful cover design made it to our top 3 in this year’s Design Contest and is now available as one of our printed covers—we hope you enjoy hearing more about her and her design process!
Tell us a bit about yourself!
Hi! I am Amy Chea, a graphic designer and art director living in Louisville, Kentucky. I have been working at a local marketing agency for the past four and a half years. I love my job because every day is something new. I also am really passionate about surface pattern design which I do in my free time. I am a newlywed who got married during this crazy year, but my husband and I love all of the extra quality time we have had together. We love to travel and can’t wait until we can plan our next big trip.
How did you become an artist?
My story is a little unique but I have always been a creative person. At a young age, I loved to make anything and everything. You could always find my neighbor and I sewing or making crafts for days on end. I took graphic design in high school but thought it would be smart to get a business degree in college. I soon realized that I wanted to be in a more creative role, so I went back to art school to study graphic design. That experience allowed me to see the world in a different light and stretch my creative muscles every single day.
What keeps you creatively inspired?
The biggest inspiration for me is traveling and seeing new places. By experiencing new cultures, I get to learn something new and see the world from others’ perspectives. Whether it's a famous art museum or even trying a small local restaurant, there is always inspiration to be found. In my day-to-day life, I spend a lot of time on the computer so I also get a lot of inspiration from being outside and enjoying nature. This past year has really allowed me to slow down and appreciate each season changing which is something I want to keep noticing.
Tell us about your Golden Coil cover design. What was the thought process behind it? What inspired you?
When I was creating this pattern, we were getting hit with a lot of snow and ice, something we don’t get a lot of each year. The dreary days left me daydreaming about spring and the time I visited the tulip fields in the Netherlands. I was inspired by those beautiful fields of flowers and wanted to create something that was just as vibrant and cheerful. Now that it is starting to look like spring, I am excited to see this pattern come to life!
How do you come up with a new design? Walk us through your process.
When making a new pattern, I love to begin by getting inspiration and gathering a mood board. This helps narrow down a general idea before I start making anything. Then I like to then start sketching. Sometimes this is on paper and sometimes it is on my iPad. I typically will create the different elements first and once they get on my computer, I’ll refine the color palette. From there, I’ll play around with the arrangement of the elements to make the pattern. This part of the process is so fun and satisfying when you start to see the full design take place!
What’s your best advice for staying organized and productive?
I like to make lots of lists and write everything down! I often have so many projects happening at once, so I like to organize my lists by project or even by client. By grouping like things together, I can compartmentalize each project and stay on top of my to-do list. I have a tendency to fill up my schedule so having everything written down helps, from fun events to doctor’s appointments, if it is on my calendar, I won’t forget it!
Be sure to follow Amy on Instagram for more of her beautiful design work and head to our website to see how her design will look on your next planner!