How do you go from an in-house designer to owning your own global brand? I interviewed Benny Gold for Computer Arts Projects magazine about self-promotion and pimping out portfolios…
Do a Google search for ‘Benny Gold’ and you’ll find that the San Francisco-based graphic designer is all over the web.
Beyond maintaining his website at www.bennygold.com, he also writes various columns, runs an online shop, has a MySpace page, a Facebook profile and a Twitter ID.
And it’s not just not high-tech promotional tools that help Benny Gold build his brand. “My friend Bryan spotted my sticker on a Mexican Mariachi band heading to work,” he remembers. “I have no idea how the sticker got there but it’s an honour greater than any press I could possibly get.”
Gold is best known for his logo work. “My favourite type of projects are identity jobs. I really enjoy working on logos,” he says. “There is a lot of brainstorming and thought that goes into them and I find them extremely challenging and exciting…
“I have had the pleasure of creating the original identities for Huf, Mash, Highsnobiety and many more. I’ve also worked with many notable clients, including: Stussy, Gravis, Carhart Europe, Nike, Adidas, Real Skateboards, Ipath and DVS footwear. In addition to freelancing I also run a signature clothing label – the Benny Gold brand.”
The article goes on to talk about Benny Gold’s identity/logo work for Mash, Huf and City Grounds, while exploring the various methods he uses to promote himself as a freelance designer.
“Promotion is important to keep your work fresh in people’s minds so when a job does come up you are their first thought,” Gold suggests.
“The best way to stand out is to put out good work… Concepts are the strongest part of any design portfolio. Everyone knows how to use a computer and programs these days, so it’s not hard to make things look good.”
But while strong concepts and ideas are the bedrock of good design, self promotion is vitally important. “In a weird way, promoting yourself is almost as important as the work itself,” Gold adds. “And the more tools you use the better.”
This feature appears in Computer Arts Projects, issue 122.
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