We’re hopping over to our next corner of experts with our Graphic Designer, Elise Coykendall!
When we say our staff are experts in their field, and they do what they’re best at, we mean it. We’re going to give you a look behind the scenes at every pixel, hex code, font, and alignment that allows our graphic designer to take your brand’s visuals to the next level.
Elise is from a small town in Kansas where she would wrestle kids in her kindergarten class for the purple crayon. That is also where she developed her passion for illustration. Throughout her life, she has ventured down different avenues learning and soaking up different forms of expression which helped her find her creative voice and love for design. She started out as a freelance designer with small digital illustrations, and that made her passion grow. She graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from Wichita State University, which makes her the perfect expert in our graphic design corner. The good news is, she no longer has to wrestle for the purple crayon since everything Hexcode does is digital, but let’s see what else she has accomplished and what she does to stay on top of industry trends.
What is a personal accomplishment you’re proud of?
I am a fan of learning, and I’m proud of all of the things I’ve taught myself to do like crocheting. Some people might say I have too many hobbies, but I don’t think there is such a thing. I wish I could teach myself how to make the days longer so I have more time to do all the things I love while I continue to learn how to do more!
What is a professional accomplishment you’re proud of?
Just starting an actual career in graphic design is a huge accomplishment. When you’re in college you hear about all the people who “never made it” so the fact that I’m able to take an idea and turn it into a social media graphic, t-shirt design, logo, or print design is crazy. It’s also awesome when I get to see my work “in the wild.” I’ve had designs displayed at Riverfront Stadium, on t-shirts seen by thousands of people, and of course on social media.
What do you like most about your position?
I never do the same thing twice. As an avid learner, I love that I also get to learn about and work with a variety of industries. It’s also nice when I need a creative break from one project or need to find a way to tackle a problem, I can move to something completely different and “reset” so I make sure my designs are creative and well thought out. However, coffee also helps with this process.
What is your favorite project you’ve worked on?
I loved working on the Bourbon Salute. Some of my favorite things to design are t-shirts and posters and that was a huge part of the project. Seeing this year’s event go from concept to being all put together was great. I also love that the work I did was serving a great cause.
What tools do you use the most and how do you keep up with changes?
Adobe Illustrator is my go-to, but I am a huge fan of Google Slides, and I will use my wrestling skills from Kindergarten if someone tries to mess with my Google Slides templates. As for keeping up with changes, my social feed is 99% designers, so I am always looking for different methods of design or tips and tricks.
What is our favorite thing about Hexcode?
I love the culture. Nothing beats showing up to work every day and getting to collaborate with such a wonderful team. As a creative, when we get together on a project it helps inspire me and is a great way to fully develop a concept. I enjoy everything we get to do so much more when I’m able to share the experience with great people!
We could not be happier about having Elise as our graphic designer. Her creativity and thoughtful approach to design is a vital piece of our client’s success. She is a true expert at crafting stunning visuals that elevate brand recognition for all our clients. If you want your brand to stand out with captivating designs and thumb-stopping social graphics, let’s chat! We’d love to learn about your design needs and let Elise release her creativity on your brand.
