Brandon Read
Q What do you do?
“I am a graphic designer, I am the intersection of today and tomorrow.”
I craft companies with business owners and together we write stories, new and old. To the purest understanding making something so simple yet memorable, transforming ideas into something iconic. This could go from marketing, down to strategy. Everything you see has been crafted by a graphic designer, that's why I love what I do - there is a new story everywhere you look.
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
In high school I always knew I wanted to be creative, my strongest subjects were business and design, one day in the library I came across a logo book and I was mesmerised by it. Next I went to college where I learnt of Illustration - I then studied Illustration at University, About 1 year in I felt it wasn't right for me so I switched degrees to Graphic Design, at the time I had to basic learning of design so I started my own project.
The project was to design a poster a day for 500 days, because of this journey I got my theory and basis of design, I also spent extra money on other design classes, then my final year project came, one thing I always loved was sports growing up, so I designed the Olympics in 2048. This project has landed me interviews at some of the best agencies in London but I have now decided to start my own business and that leads me here.
Q How do you stand out in your field?
Don't wait to be asked. Be persistent and don't give up, keep at it. In any industry I believe if you do these things you can do anything. There were some days in my 500 day poster project where I didn't want to do one but I remembered what it was for, I had to show up.
The design industry is so competitive but if you find your purple cow (Seth Godin). I feel like you don't just come up with a good idea, no one does first time, it's about looking at something holistically. It's also about finding your voice through reading new ideas or seeing new work. It's about showing people how to see something different, while showing something they know. To stand out in this timeless field takes a lot, but if you're giving it all you've got, then thats all you can do. I will always show up.
Q What are you working on right now?
Right now I'm working on a project to give back to creatives, it's a workshop where creatives all get given a brief, they have 48 hours to come up with ideas then over a livestream they all can get watched for 1 hour to create and execute the brief, these will be on my YouTube channel along with some other videos of mine.
I'm also starting my own design agency, which looking back has always been a dream for as long as I could remember to have my own business, and we have one life.
Q What’s your style?
My project 'The Five Rings' encapsulated this perfectly, it is a futuristic yet future proof redesign of the Olympics, it's very audacious yet I think for it to stand out against the status-quo it needs to be. My style is very playful, yet clean and elegant. It is not one thing as we all are not one thing, It can adapt from project to project. A lot of the work I see myself creating are works from the larger branding agencies of the world.
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
I love branding and strategy and the boundary the two create for each other. A lot of my work process is very multimedia based, one day I'm working on logos, the next I've printed it and I'm cutting it out. I see brand identities everywhere I go and see different ways to improve it or make it better, if I could have a career of doing just that, that wouldn't be too bad now would it?
Q What is frustrating you right now?
I've found marketing difficult in terms of new lead generation, how do I make clients know about me and what I can do who will have higher budgets. My time right now is stretched over client work, bus dev, accounting and more. I have an idea for a new model but need to test to see if it will work.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
I'd make them contact businesses and contact for pitch proposals, also to have someone else work for me and to do some of the designing and I could see overhead. That would make my life a lot easier, I've researched some sites which is where I came across yours.
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
I wish I would have told myself when I was younger to read and learn more. I used to read and learn in school but since coming out of school I've been learning and reading a lot more and this has had a big increase in what I know and what I can bring to the table for my clients and help them more.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
It would be about their process of starting a design agency as a owner and any tips they may have about the trade, business and running a team.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
I'm looking for branding projects with likeminded creatives of all fields that align with the project, I'd also like to meet other creatives at similar levels so we can learn from each other and grow as one community.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
A client came to me once with a clothing business, the business was his child. He was very protective of this business as it was his last 2 years work, anyone would be protective of that. Oscar and I worked on the brand together, coming up with campaigns, marketing material, and most importantly working on is ability to let others help him with his brand.
Now him and I are working on even bolder ideas together and it's a great working relationship.
Q What is your rate?
Branding projects typically start at £2000 however that can depend on other factors such as how much scope of work there is, I am open for a conversation to adjust this if needed. The branding starts at £1000 & web and UX/UI design starts at £2000 with content creation being £500 a month.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
bread@breadmakes.com is my email address and to talk about the budget and scope first would be ideal.
Q Who is a creative you admire?
My good friends at The Futur, I've been following them since 2016 and they have a great array of people working there and in the community. thefutur.com , @thefutur
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
Inspiration from everyday (even nature)
This member profile was originally published in December 2022.