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If you’ve ever emailed the studio, gotten feedback on a logo concept, or had a design tweaked exactly right after one message, there’s a good chance you were talking to Vanessa, not me. I realised recently I’ve been doing her a disservice. I mention her constantly but I’ve never properly introduced her, so this blog is that introduction.
Why I hired a designer
I never planned to hire anyone. But a few years ago, a friend who’d been helping me out with client work suddenly couldn’t continue, and I had a backlog of work with nowhere to put it. One evening I was talking to friends about needing a designer and someone said, simply, “I do.” That someone was Vanessa, someone I already knew, and someone I already knew was an incredible designer.
I messaged her that exact minute. The message was six words: “Hey Ness, are you looking for design work?”
Should you hire a friend?
There’s a well worn piece of business advice that says don’t hire your friends. Vanessa and I both broke that rule, and so did my husband, separately. What made it work wasn’t luck, it was that we were already aligned on values and work ethic before money ever changed hands.
Shared values matter more than a resume when you’re bringing someone into a small team.
How Vanessa started her design career
Vanessa’s path to design started young, and funnily enough, I was part of it without realising. She watched me build White Deer from the ground up when she was around 13 or 14, and that was the moment she decided design was what she wanted to do. She went on to study a Bachelor of Communication with a design focus at Swinburne, worked in social media management, and eventually landed exactly where she’d always pictured herself.
The project that taught Vanessa to trust herself
We usually pitch two design concepts to every client. But on one particular project, Vanessa got so attached to her first concept that she couldn’t come up with a second one she believed in. After sitting with it for days, she leaned in instead of forcing a second option, built out one strong concept, and sent it through.
The client and her husband cried watching it. Happy tears. It was exactly what they’d been picturing.
How Vanessa is supporting me while I’m on maternity leave
While I’m on maternity leave, Vanessa is stepping into running the Thursday Co+Creation Design Club calls, something she’s supported before but hasn’t led solo. It’s a new stretch for her, but she’s already deeply embedded in the coaching side of things and knows our clients and process inside out.
Want to work with us for branding and design?
The studio doesn’t pause just because I’m going on maternity leave. If you need support for design or branding, here are three ways you can still work with us!
Book a branding/design package with the studio
👉 https://whitedeer.com.au/studio
Sign up for the Co+Creation Design Club
👉 https://www.whitedeer.com.au/club
Take a peek into the DIY Design my Biz course
👉 https://www.diydesignmybiz.com
WORK WITH JACQUI:
// DIY Design My Biz: The best course for business owners DIYing their own brand and graphics in Canva. Learn more: https://whitedeer.com.au/diy-dmb
// The Co+Creation Design Club: Design WITH the help of a professional designer in this high-touch coaching space: https://whitedeer.com.au/designclub
// Design Studio: If you’re after fully done-for-you design services my studio team can help! https://whitedeer.com.au/designstudio
