Branding Co. Owner:

Q&A for your homework

Are you required to interview a professional creative for your homework? We've compiled a list of our most frequently asked interview questions here. If you have additional questions for our owner, Kelsey, send us an email.

Kelsey Thomas

Founder - Hyper Branding Co.

Tell me a little about yourself (hometown, college, etc).

I'm an army brat that grew up on or around military bases in the U.S. and Germany. I went to college for, believe it or not, early child psychology. I have no formal education in design but have passionately pursued my own education over the course of my career. (Queue the eye-roll from your teachers).

Why did you choose your career?

With a short corporate career in development under my belt, I started this company due to the fact that I couldn't shake the feeling I was meant to do more than my moonlight freelancing gigs allowed for. Full service branding brought together all of the tasks I loved to work on most.

What was your first design job?

My first design job was creating album artwork for bands and musicians here in Nashville. I loved bringing together elements to create a complete design, but working with other passionate creatives can have it's own hurdles...

Who are your clients?

Small businesses and funded start-ups in a broad range of industries
Larger corporations who need branding for a new initiative
Creative firms looking for a branding or logo design specialist

What type of projects have you worked on?

Logos, brand identities with style guides, icons, business stationery, corporate brochures, sell sheets, ads, websites, trade show displays, packaging, gifs, social media content, and much more!

What are your favorite and least favorite types of projects?

My favorite projects are advertisements; I love the idea of condensing huge concepts into clear and eye-catching visuals. I dislike creating patterns. Part of me thinks this is due to my loathing of math and sequences in general.

About how long does it take to complete an average branding project?

Our branding happens pretty fast, with three weeks being our average.

How much involvement do the clients have?

The clients are heavily involved in the branding process. It's our opinion that a brand works best when leadership takes full ownership of the process for their teams.

On average, how many hours a week do you work?

You don't hear much about this before starting a business but it's hard to stop working. There's always more that you could squeeze into a day. I generally work 40 hours a week unless I have a deadline creeping up on me.

What day-to-day activities are involved in your career?

Seeking out / speaking / meeting with clients
Writing quotes
Researching a client’s business
Researching a client’s competitors
Developing design concepts for logos, branding, and print materials
Making revisions
Managing printers or other collaborators
Writing invoices (and following up)
Logging client payments, and expenses
Updating my website and portfolio
Posting on my blog, social media, and email newsletter
Staring into the void and forgetting my coffee in the microwave

What software are you most comfortable working with?

Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop

I have more questions, can I email you?

Absolutely, if you have a response deadline - please list it in the subject line of your message.