my story
|
|
What do I do?
I am a long-time publication designer with experience creating books, ebooks, and magazines. I believe in the power of stories, communication, and art; plus the magic of books and reading. Also, as a career freelance designer, I have a wide range of experience working on a lots of other kinds of projects including advertising, marketing collateral, branding, swag, and more. How did I get here? I became a publication designer because of my deep love for the magazine medium. When I was young, I thought I wanted to be a magazine editor — I loved to read anything and everything, I inhaled the magazines I had stacked around my bedroom, and I became an English major. In college, I had an internship at Sassy, the most perfect magazine for nerdy reading girls who also loved pop culture and music and fashion. When I moved to San Francisco, I got a job at a publishing company and started as editorial assistant. Yay, I was working in magazine publishing! (Even if the subject was tech stuff, which is not my thing— who cares?! Magazines!) But as I moved up the ladder, I learned production and the programs used to put the pages together and realized that maybe what I loved more than moving the words around was designing the whole. So that's what I've done: I've made magazines and books and buckets of other stuff along the way. I’ve also become a fully fledged font nerd, collaborated with amazing photographers and illustrators, and have been honored to have my work recognized by various organizations and by a society of my peers. What's next? Right now, I am dreaming up a new creative future, and I’m super excited by the fact that I don’t quite know what it holds. I’m actively looking for new projects and collaborators. In trying to visualize what I’d love to do next, I realized that although I’m not totally sure what that is, I do know some of what I’m what I’m craving (and also what I’m not interested in). Among other things, I would love to write and illustrate children’s books, paint a mural, design movie posters, work on TV or theater set design or production. I’d love to do work that delights and surprises (and also teaches) kids. I want to make things that are playful and meaningful. Instead of just making a list of what I want, I put together what I call my “future resume” (you can download it here) — it’s a summary of what I hope my future work life will include. Where else to find me? You can check out my career path on LinkedIn, see some of my photography and SF life on Instagram, peruse the downloadable art & stationary in my Etsy shop, or buy my art on products in my Society6 storefront. |
word
Kind things my lovely clients have said about working with me.
We love working with Sutton. She is so easy to communicate with and her turn-around time is incredible. She's very creative, comes up with multiple idea concepts, is open to input and always willing to collaborate on designs. She is that rare designer who has a great eye and is also a joy to work with.
—STEPHANIE & JONATHAN FIELDS, GOOD LIFE PROJECT |
I hired Sutton to design The Freedom Journal, and I loved working with her. She’s collaborative and professional, and I couldn’t be happier with the end result. She rocks!
—JOHN LEE DUMAS, ENTREPRENEUR ON FIRE |
I'm astounded by Sutton's magical ability to take a few words of direction and translate them into a cohesive visual story, including everything from images and color schemes to font choice. She consistently delivers a finished product that is even better than I imagined it could be.
—MELISSA SUZUNO, AFTERCOLLEGE |
awards
|
VegNews
Maggie Award // Best Cover 2019 Maggie Award // Best Lifestyle Magazine 2019 Maggie Award // Magazine of the Year 2017 Maggie Award // Best Lifestyle Magazine 2017 Maggie Award // Best Lifestyle Magazine 2016 Nichee Award // Best Niche Magazine 2018 Nichee Award // Niche Magazine of the Decade 2016 |
Study in the USA
Maggie Award // Finalist 2016 Maggie Award // Finalist 2015 Maggie Award // Finalist 2014 Maggie Award // Finalist 2013 APEX // Award of Excellence 2015 APEX // Award of Excellence 2014 APEX // Award of Excellence 2013 |
