Jacqui Lindsay is an Australian graphic designer, known as JACQUI on DesignCrowd. Jacqui specialises in logo and business card design and has been a member of our designer community for over two years and is a top ranked designer in the DesignCrowd worldwide designer rankings at 39th place. To her credit, Jacqui, a tertiary trained graphic designer turned horticulturalist, has won over 50 design contests in the four years she's been working as a designer. In this interview Jacqui shares with us favorite designs from her portfolio, how to win more design contests, why she loves being a freelance designer on DesignCrowd and balancing work life with family.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Jacqui, has selected designers from Australasia as her favorite DesignCrowd designers. There's more to learn about this Aussie designer, let's get to know Jacqui!

In just three words, describe your personality.

Easygoing, Upbeat and (slightly) Eccentric.

Describe your design style in 140 characters or less

I like to think of my style as adaptable to suit the client's needs. So some of my designs are simple and clean and others more decorative.

Brief: PhotoMonkey photography business needs a new, fun but classy logo. Design by Jacqui

Name your Top 3 Typefaces and why.

• Gotham - very common, but always looks simple and professional.
• Appetite – casual and friendly feel.
• Handwritten fonts – love the fonts on Kevin And Amanda as they have a natural rawness.

Which apps can you not live without?

• Of course my iMac - I'm definitely team Macintosh.
• Adobe Creative Suite – Cannot imagine designing without using AI, PS or ID!
• Pinterest – has replaced the old scrapbook I used to collect images for design inspiration.

Brief: Fun kid's logo for educational company. Design by Jacqui

How much training/experience do you have in Graphic Design?

I completed a university degree in Graphic Design in 2002 but due to exploring other areas or employment and other interests following uni, I have really only been working as a designer for the last 4 years.

What type of design do you specialise in?

I would say most of my work consists of logos and layout work. I enjoy a bit of variety so like to mix it up as much as I can.

Brief: Logo Design for a Steampunk Tea Bar. Design by Jacqui

Briefly describe your design process.

I try and gain a feeling of the necessary 'personality' needed for a design through a client's brief. If the brief calls for a more simple and modern design, quite often I will select a typeface to use first and if necessary, then design a graphic that works well with the chosen font. If I feel that the brief requires a more whimsical style, then I will begin with the design of a graphic.

What does your workspace consist of?

Having only recently moved house, I haven't yet made my study nook all that inspiring & it is very minimaIistic. I use an iMac and that's pretty much it. My desk chair is currently a fit ball as I am 41 weeks pregnant and trying to stay comfortable while I work!

Jacqui's Work Station

What/Who are the major influences on your style?

The major influence on my design style is the client. I believe a design needs to be a solution to their needs and not necessarily be an expression of my creativity.

Where do you draw your daily inspiration

Mainly from other designers' work seen in magazines or online.

New photography brand needs a logo. Design by Jacqui

What new design skills are you looking to refine or learn this year?

I would love to learn more about web design so I can add another tool to my belt and to give myself more variety in my work.

What are you top picks for design trends in 2013?

I think the trend of using handwritten type will definitely continue as it adds a rawness to a digital design. I would love to see the use of more hand illustration too as for me it gives a unique feel to a design that you can't achieve with digital design.

Brief: Create a Logo For a Fundraiser Event, the Polar Bear Plunge. Design by Jacqui

What hobbies do you do outside of design?

I am a Mum to a 3 year old boy and expecting another baby any minute now so that keeps me pretty busy. I also love gardening and garden design as I am a qualified horticulturalist but rarely find time to get my hands dirty.

Why do you prefer DesignCrowd to find design jobs?

Because there are such a large variety of projects available, DesignCrowd allows me to pick the briefs that most appeal to me so I always have designs to work on that I can enjoy doing. It also allows you to decide on the amount of work you want to do so as a stay at home mum/freelancer, I can easily balance my time.

Online Wine Retailer Needs a Logo Design.

Tell us why you like this design: "Unbottled – I like this one as I often struggle to make successful use   of negative space and I think I got it to work here."

Gourmet Burger Chain Needs a Logo Design

Tell us why you like this design: "I like the simplicity of the Burgeronomy logo. The idea behind it was to   suggest th euse of science to create a burger so I thought it appropriate  to make 'Bu' a chemical element. I like that it is different to the logos of    your typical burger franchise."

Logo Design for an Italian style cafe/wine bar in bustling CBD

Tell us why you like this design: "This logo is one of my favourites as it is a custom design that I did by hand so it is completely unique."

Brand Identity for Kids & Teens Bedroom Interiors Business.

Tell us why you like this design: "I like this one as I positioned all the stars in the word 'Twinkle'  individually so I think the time I spent makes me appreciate the final  design more."

	sD Graphic designer from Australia
	Bluejet A second favorite Australian designer specializing in logo design
	Goh Ranked #21 on DesignCrowd
	Art Tank #8 on DesignCrowd. One of the best online illustrator and logo designers.

Check out Jacqui's portoflio here: JACQUI

Thanks for your time Jacqui! We hope you enjoyed meeting Jacqui. Let us know who you'd like to see interviewed next time. Leave a comment below.

Written by Jo Sabin on Friday, May 31, 2013

Jo Sabin is Head of Designer Community at DesignCrowd. She's led the company's public relations and social media programs since 2012. With more than ten years' experience working with Australian and international tech startups in the creative industries, Jo has been instrumental in meeting DesignCrowd's objectives in Australia and abroad. Get in touch via Twitter.