As a top-ranked graphic designer, redcrackers aka Marty Walker's design services are in high demand! Rated as #6 on DesignCrowd, this US-based graphic designer, Marty Walker, hails from Gig Harbor in Washington, has earned over $50,000 from winning logo design contests on DesignCrowd. But logo design is not his only specialty, Redcrackers is a graphic design allrounder, who can provide stationery and business card design, t-shirt, icon and banner ad design and more!
Marty is a graduate of the The Art Institute (Seattle) which counts notable alumni such as the tennis player Venus Williams and the Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Carol Guzy. Since school, Marty's career has blossomed, counting clients like Toyota, National Basketball League (NBA) and Intel as clients. When he's not freelancing on DesignCrowd or working on client projects, you'll find Marty in the great outdoors hanging out with his family, enjoying the simple life.
Check out some of redcracker's incredible work below and read through the interview to learn a little more about this talented designer, who says inspiration for a great designer can come from anywhere:
You don't have to spend 4 hours on a design - some of the best designs come together in a matter of seconds.
redcrackers intervew:
DC: Describe your personality in 3 words
Happy, funny, helpful.
Describe your design style in 140 characters or less
Minimalist. I like sharp clean designs that can convey the company’s brand with as few elements as possible.
Brief: OWG International, an international business deal brokering business
requested a rebrand.They wanted to portray themselves as an established,
trustworty, and world class organization.
Design by redcrackers
Name your Top 3 Typefaces and what you love about them.
- Trajan Pro - Elegance
- Avantgarde Bt - Clean
- Harabara - Fun
Name your top 1-3 design tools or apps you can't live without and what you love about them.
- Adobe Illustrator – This is the industry standard for creating great vector elements.
- Adobe Photoshop – Any version. I kind of prefer the old Photoshop7 without all of the bells and whistles. Sometimes less is more.
- Because I used to be a high ranked Flash Designer, I still use Adobe Flash to create vector elements. The platform is awesome!
"This is a VERY brand-able mobile accessories
company name and is not taken. The chipped logo
makes it edgy and memorable."
Design by redcrackers
How much training/experience do you have in Graphic Design?
I have always been an artist. It really went to another level after attending the Art Institute of Seattle. Since, I have worked with The National Basketball Association (The NBA), The Intel Corporation, Toyota Motor Corporation and Ford Motor Corporation to name a few.
What type of design is your specialty? Explain your specialty in your own words.
Creation in general is what I do best. Bringing ideas to fruition is a huge reward for me.
Logo Design Brief:
Photo4Me requested a simple,
contemporary, timeless logo.
Briefly describe your design process.
I start with the companies brand ideas. You don’t want your plumbing company to look like a nightclub. I follow industry standards, then pretend it is for “my company” and try to make it better than the others out there who are leading the market in that particular field.
What does your workspace consist of?
I call it “the Cockpit”. It’s my own world all wrapped up into a small space that is easy to maintain.
redcracker's Work Station
What/Who are the major influences on your style?
For design, I really don’t have influence. I usually listen to the client’s requests and paint a picture in my head. I then create that image digitally and submit it to the client. Voila.
Where do you draw your daily inspiration?
A peaceful environment. I open a separate tab in my browser and find some Zen music on YouTube, dim the lights and relax. There’s no stress in what I do.
Brief: A new social media marketing group based
in Florida asked for a logo that included a storm icon.
Design by redcrackers
What hobbies do you do outside of design?
Spending time with my family is definitely #1. We like to go camping, enjoy the outdoors, play games and watch movies. I’m pretty simple.
Why do you prefer DesignCrowd to find design jobs?
Designcrowd helps in a lot of ways. They manage the “business end” and allow designers to be designers, not accounts receivable/collection agencies and all the other things business entails. I do about 50% of my work on Designcrowd and the other 50% from my own site.
Brief: A nonprofit organization needed a new brand
for their fraternity/sorority club.
Design by redcrackers
What new design skills are you looking to refine or learn this year?
I just hope to evolve with the times and remain relevant.
What are you top picks for design trends in 2013?
I like the minimalist approach. You don’t always have to spend 4 hours on a design. Some of the best designs can come together in a matter of seconds.
Brief: Waterproofing Logo for Barrier Seal
within the building industry.
Design by redcrackers
redcrackers' Favorite DesignCrowd designer is Art Tank
There are a lot of great designers outthere. I think if I had to choose onefrom Designcrowd it would be Art Tank.The designs are great and seem to go theextra mile. My 8 year old son says hechooses redcrackers though. Haha
Check out redcrackers' portoflio here: redcrackers
Be sure to Like redcrackers' Facebook page as well.
We appreciate your time, redcrackers, and hope that our readers thoroughly enjoyed learning about redcrackers too. Leave a comment below and tell us who you'd like to have us interview next!
Written by Jo Sabin on Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Jo Sabin is Head of Designer Community at DesignCrowd. She's led the company's public relations and social media programs since 2012. With more than ten years' experience working with Australian and international tech startups in the creative industries, Jo has been instrumental in meeting DesignCrowd's objectives in Australia and abroad. Get in touch via Twitter.
