So, how’d I get into web design?
Well, it definitely wasn’t a straight shot. Think more scenic route with a few detours. Back in 2006, after a super brief try at college, I figured out pretty quick that the traditional path just wasn’t clicking for me then. So, I dropped out and landed a job at this massive industrial bakery in Houston. Yeah, a bakery – a place making tons of hotdog and hamburger buns for the big chains. For about two years, that was my world: early mornings, heavy lifting, and a whole lot of dough. Definitely not what you’d call a creative gig. But, funny enough, that’s where I first heard about “graphic design” from a coworker, Jeremiah Wright. I had zero clue what that was, but it sounded interesting.
Stumbling into the Design World
My curiosity got the best of me, and I found out the Art Institute of Houston had programs for this “graphic design” stuff. Even though I was always a creative kid, I’d never really thought about doing art on a computer. Quitting a decent-paying bakery job as a young guy with no college degree felt like a big jump, but I went for it and enrolled. At the Art Institute, I started learning about design basics, like perspective. Around then, I also linked up with my childhood friend, Joshua Dada, and we kicked off our first little venture, “First Generation.” It was all about music, and I got to put my new design skills to use making album covers and club flyers. Man, those flyers were a big deal back in the early 2000s! We were actually making some cash, figuring out printing, shipping – the whole small biz hustle.
But the real “aha!” moment? That came when I was watching another friend, Skip. He was on his computer, just whipping up these insane mixtape covers, moving stuff around, layering things. It looked so cool, and I was just blown away. Seeing him create that kind of art digitally – that’s when I knew I was hooked on the digital side of things.
Leveling Up My Skills
I ended up switching to Lone Star Community College, which was a better fit for me – more focused, and easier on the wallet. That’s where I really got into using Photoshop and Illustrator. One of my teachers there actually pointed out that I had a knack for typography. I barely even knew what typography was back then, but I was already playing around with how text could look and feel in a design. That’s something I still get geeked out about today.
The big confidence booster came during a portfolio class competition. Instead of just showing off some digital files, I decided to go big. I found this food blog and turned all her recipes into a legit, 100-plus page printed recipe book. Making a real book when everyone else had posters just felt like the move. It was a ton of work, but it paid off – I won the competition! That project taught me a lot about having a vision and just going for it.
How I Accidentally Became a Web Designer
Here’s a funny thing: I never actually planned to be a web designer. I almost signed up for web design at the Art Institute, but they steered me towards graphic design. My first real intro to making websites was this one class where they showed us a bit of WordPress and some super basic HTML/CSS for our online portfolios. Then, out of the blue, my buddy Joshua Dada told me his associate, Raoul, needed a website for a business thing he was doing related to US-Africa trade. I was straight up with them – “Look, I don’t really know how to build a website.” But Raoul was cool with it and was willing to pay me to figure it out and build it. So, that’s exactly what I did. I just jumped in, learned as I went, and got the site up and running, updating and managing it. That was my first real web design gig, and it kinda opened my eyes. I started thinking, “Hey, there might be more money in websites than just graphics,” especially since flyers were all going digital anyway.
From Paychecks to My Own Boss
After I was done with school (well, the parts I did), I landed my first “real” job at d-mars.com through a college connection. It was all print, all the time – laying out newspapers, making ads, the whole nine yards. It was good experience, and I liked the events they did; I got to meet a lot of cool entrepreneurs. But, long story short, something went down with my boss there over a picture that wasn’t printing right, and I knew it was time for me to bounce.
Another call from the college actually led me to my next job at Unified Energy Solutions. This gig wasn’t creative at all, to begin with, but it turned out to be a game-changer. While I was there, I started doing design work on the side. I had this idea to offer logos and websites for $65. Back in the early 2010s, most folks were charging thousands for websites, so $65 was pretty wild. My thinking was, if I do good work for cheap, people will tell their friends. And it worked! People loved getting a good deal, and word got around. I was posting all my side projects on social media, so my passion was pretty obvious.
Making the Leap (and Sticking With It for 16+ Years)
I kept grinding, saved up some cash, and the demand for my $65 deals was growing. Eventually, it just made sense. I quit my job at Unified Energy Solutions (they’re still clients today, which is awesome!) and went full-time with my own design business. My old CEO wasn’t even surprised; he’d seen all my hustle on Instagram!
Let me tell you, that first time I had to pay myself from my own business? That’s when things got real. If the business didn’t make money, I didn’t make money. Talk about motivation!
And here I am, over 16 years later, still at it. Still designing websites, still helping people get their ideas online. I’ve gotten to work with all sorts of clients – marketing agencies, politicians, celebrities, real estate folks, you name it. It’s been a wild ride of learning new things, rolling with the punches, and just loving what I do, which all started because I got curious about something I’d never heard of while working in a bakery.