Hello! My name is Mackenzie Staten and I am a lover of all things creative.
My first love was illustration. I started drawing when I was 11 years old, and I quickly became the quiet student scribbling on notebook paper in the back of the classroom. As I improved over the next few years, I was often asked to create flyers for clubs, and eventually was asked to design t-shirts. At that time, I had no idea that these small projects were a part of this broad term of graphic design. Now, here I am, ten years later, pursuing it as a career. I currently work as a graphic designer for the marketing department of ECU’s Campus Recreation and Wellness. Working in the Eakin Student Recreation Center, which is lovingly referred to as “The Rec,” I have had the opportunity to design event advertising, signage, merchandise, social media posts, t-shirts, and a deck of cards.
My process changes depending on the nature of the project I am working on. No two problems are the same, so why would I have the same approach to all of them? There are times when the answer is shining like a lighthouse on a distant shore, and others where it is shrouded in fog so thick that it’s impossible to see through. The one thing that nearly all my projects have in common is the sketching process. Having a background in illustration, I can produce a lot of ideas very quickly with simple pencil and paper. There are times when I create the image first, then choose a typeface that matches, while other times I choose a typeface first and then create illustrations that complement it. When my love for illustration and typography merge, I often find that the two artforms enhance each other. Intertwining my two primary skillsets can help aid the communication of ideas to make them more effective. This is what makes me a strong designer.
My ultimate goal as a designer is to be as versatile as possible. I do not want to be limited in the things I design but would rather be able to do a little bit of everything in any style to suit any project. However, this does not stop my own personal style from coming through. Whenever the project allows, I lean towards designing in a way that allows me to include my own illustrations. I find that there is something special about having a custom illustration as one of the defining portions of a design. It allows me to balance my own self-expression with my client’s needs.
Graphic design allows me the privilege of using my creative skills to help people bring their vision to life. For this reason, I often describe it as “the practical way to use art.” It is a blend of beauty and functionality, art with perfect precision.
