News

Grace Beagle, one of Upstream 360’s newest graphic designers, may be young but her life has been packed with unique opportunities that she uses in her work every day. She’s here to share some of what she’s learned along the way.

A Jane of All Trades

Grace didn’t start her working life as a graphic designer. From high school onward, she worked in a variety of places including at a pizza shop, as a secretary at a collision center, and as a volunteer sound engineer.

She remembers growing up and wanting to be a racecar driver, a geologist, a fashion designer, an animator, or an artist.

She chose to make a career out of art by attending Northern Kentucky University to study Visual Communication Design. “I remember not necessarily being excited by the idea [of design],” she admits, “but after a few classes, I found I really enjoyed it. Especially after my first type class where I learned about the origin of type and letters.”

A Lifelong Learner

It’s this keen ability to constantly adapt and learn that has helped shape Grace into the graphic designer she is today.

Some of her favorite tips and tricks that she’s learned while at Upstream 360?

“The importance of keyboard shortcuts and features like type and paragraph styles for designing quickly and efficiently.”

Plus, she has learned the importance of prioritizing layout before focusing on refinement. “It’s like when you get ready to move, you need to bring all the boxes into the house before you worry about putting the silverware away in the drawer.”

One of her favorite parts of the job?

“We do a lot of different things here, and I can see the process of how things come together since everything is done in-house. I like learning new things, and we learn a lot about the different products we design for.”

In fact, it’s this ability to dig into a product, understand its nitty-gritty science, and apply what she learns to her work that makes Grace a great designer and a helpful team player.

And her background in a variety of jobs has come in handy, too. From using her sound engineering knowledge on a project about digital to analog converters to the project management skills she learned as a secretary to organize complicated, lengthy designs, she is always drawing from what she already knows and using new knowledge and skills to improve her craft every day.

Words of Wisdom

Looking at a career in design? Grace has some advice for you.

Be prepared to work quickly. “Working is very different from school. The time given to work on or complete a project is much shorter.”

Follow the golden rule: treat others how you want to be treated. Especially when things go sideways on a project.

Find your inspiration. “I find a lot of inspiration and motivation from being able to see the work that friends create.”

Learn from your coworkers. Whether they are senior designers, illustrators, or creative directors, having an open mind and a willingness to learn will open up opportunities and allow you to always build upon your skillset.

In her free time, Grace spends time with family and friends, creates art, and plays games. Plus, with the last name Beagle, of course she has an adorable pet beagle named Marcie.

Want to check out the work that Grace does? Interested in learning more about Upstream 360’s graphic design capabilities and more? Check out our website and be sure to contact us if you have a project in mind!