Elliot Ulm
A spotlight on Elliot with 8 questions and our favourite pieces.
Do you remember the moment you knew you wanted to become a designer?
I was lucky enough to have been introduced to Photoshop in high school in visual arts class, and it only took a few lessons before I downloaded the free trial on my family computer. I would take on a little bit of work here and there for a few years after graduating while trying other things, and it was only until I started my Instagram page that I realised I could truly consider graphic design as my career.
Did you go to design school? Do you think it was necessary to get to where you are today?
I didn’t! Completely self-taught aside from a few high-school lessons. I’ve had a lot of luck on Instagram with getting clients but I’ve never been asked if I went to design school by any of them!
Who is your favorite designer right now?
Braģulio Amado. His confidence in his own work is very inspiring. He could make something in 2 minutes and I’d think it’s amazing. I love all of his work.
What is your all time favorite font?
Neue Montreal by Pangram Pangram. I honestly think I’ve used it in every project this year and pretty much every design I’ve posted on Instagram. Love it.
What is your method of getting out of a designers block?
I always come back to just trying to have a fun time while designing. I usually look back on a previous design to find an element I really enjoyed experimenting with and then experiment with it further.
Can you describe your ideal working environment?
I’ve got a pretty trash home office setup right now that gets very warm whenever my computer heats up so honestly anywhere with good ventilation and a supportive chair is where it’s at.
Some of our Favorites
What advice would you have given yourself 3 years ago?
Well I gave myself a challenge 3 years ago to either do a 3 year design degree or try and be a graphic designer myself and I think that was very good advice. That being said, I would tell myself to start taking it more seriously much sooner. The Instagram algorithm was better a few years ago.
What is the greatest challenge you have faced in your career so far? How did you overcome it?
I think most designers face some sort of Imposter Syndrome when starting out… I just could never get my head around the “professional” side of the design industry and would end up deep in projects I didn’t really have the right skill set for and would end up having a terrible time, and I always thought that was because I never went to design school. But as my career has progressed, I’ve been really fortunate to work with some amazing clients who appreciate my work and my style and treat projects as collaborations rather than just giving me a set of instructions. Hopefully there will be many more to come!
