Heidi Rohr of Heidi Rohr Design, LLC

I'm incredibly excited to post this interview with the lovely and talented Heidi Rohr. Her work as a graphic designer is very inspiring to me as I work my way through a marketing job where I dabble in design. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did posting it.

Name: Heidi Rohr

Occupation: Graphic Designer and Owner of Heidi Rohr Design

Sites: Heidi Rohr Design on Facebook, Heidi Rohr Design website, daily design ideas blog

Dream occupation: Getting to donate my services to various ministries, such as groups that work to end the Sex Slave Trades that are going on all over the world. I'd love to help promote the work of these organizations by designing t-shirts, creating their websites, etc. (I'd also LOVE, someday to be a mom).

Favorite Dessert: Well, recently I'm pretty obsessed with FUN DIP :) but if I could choose a more "elegant" dessert, I'd probably pick Creme Brulee.

Where did you go to school? I went to College of the Ozarks and majored in Graphic Arts, where I also worked in the Print Shop and was able to take projects from concept to finished product.

How did you get started?
In 4th grade I became obsessed with handwriting and in my teens I LOVED making signs, doing crafts and drawing. I also really liked computers and was the go-to person in my family when we had computer problems. My mom suggested I do graphic design but I felt like it was cheating to use a computer to design things. Long story-short, I my first design class and fell in love!! Next thing I know, 3 semesters later, I'd completed my entire major and graduated from college with 4 internships under my belt on top of several freelance projects.

Do you ever get "designers' block?" What do you do to get rid of it?
Yes! Especially when I work for days without a real break :) I subscribe to MANY creative blogs and constantly find inspiration through them. Also…it just helps to stop for a bit. Some of my best ideas hit me while taking a shower or a walk.

What's the hardest thing about your job?
The toughest part of my job is managing my time. I'm such a go-with-the-flow type of person and LOVE not having a schedule, but sometimes that means, tons of work and no time to clean the house, etc or dropping work to see friends/family then getting behind or saying yes to too many projects and pulling all-nighters to meet deadlines.

What's the best thing about your job?
The best part of my job is being my own boss and working from home. It's also awesome to get to work with tons of different clients and to have new projects all the time so nothing is ever boring :)

What is the greatest misconception about graphic design?
Hmmmmm….I guess I'd have to say it's that anyone who is creative can do it (w/o training). What I mean is designing for print is very different that designing for the web or creating a t-shirt design. People seem to think it's easy to just whip up a logo but you need to have a vector program, such as Adobe Illustrator and know how to use the various tools and how to create different formats so the logo can be used for whatever the client will need it for in the future. Also knowing the copyright laws are also important. Many clients seem to want to pull an image off of a website or copy another person's logo and that simply not allowed, so knowing those rules are also very important.

Can regular people really afford to pay someone to do custom work for them?
Of course!! The way your logo/website/invitation, etc. ends up looking is a reflection of YOU and what you are doing, so I feel like the look of it is SO important. Most designers will quote a project up front for free so there is no risk in asking. However…one thing I've realized is just because someone has a cheap hourly rate doesn't mean you'll get good work OR cheap work :) A lot of "new" designers are cheap HOWEVER they take MUCH longer to do the work which ends up costing more than an experienced designer.

Another idea is to talk to a college professor of a design class and see if they'd like their students to have the opportunity to design something for your business/wedding, etc. and the best one will be used.

Can anyone learn to do what you do?
Of course! It just takes focus and determination. I feel like there are SO many people who are creative but just don't have the "UMF" to make it happen LOL….I mean you can tell people how to do something, but it's the person who is out there looking to find out how to do it his/herself that will be successful. Most of what I learned came from me asking questions and searching for answers.

What is your advice for someone who wants to be a professional artist?
My advice is to get a job/pain internship in the creative field and practice art on the side. Use your spare time to create and sell your pieces and when you get to the point of working about 40hrs at each job (freelance and your other job), then quit your job and just do your art! That's how it worked for me so there was no risk, but it was just really hard work while I did both.

What do you do in your spare time, just for fun?
I LOVE to play with my nieces, they really could entertain me for hours :) I also love exploring new places, restaurants, food, drinks, etc. I'm sorta obsessed with food/drinks!! I love other cultures and learning. However, usually I am so wiped out when I get time to relax so I settle for watching some TV alone while eating a delicious snack/meal. My favorite things to watch are old Alfred Hitchcock movies, random reality TV shows, and anything funny!