Meet Bree Rice | Graphic Designer – Letters, Brand Identity, & Print Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bree Rice and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bree, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I made the leap from agency life to full-time freelance in November of 2019. I had been thinking about it for awhile and saving up. I don’t have any dependents and figured there would never actually be a perfect time, so then felt as good of a time as any. My biggest issue at the agency was that I needed to physically be at my desk everyday. I found that frustrating because a lot of times I could get more done at home when I wasn’t being constantly interrupted and I wanted to take advantage of travel opportunities I had through my husband’s work. You can truly do graphic design anywhere. I also realized that the most stressful parts of agency life were that everything was a rush job and everything had a million edits. I couldn’t explain rationale or why certain edits would negatively impact the design because I usually wasn’t talking to clients directly and we just needed to push the work out. Starting my own business allowed me to come up with a pay structure that capped edits and charged double for rush jobs which made them worth it. I see the money for the stress. Capping edits makes clients more mindful of them too. I also talk to my clients directly now, not an accounts person, so I can hear their feedback first-hand and they can understand my thought process. It really streamlines everything. It’s been difficult – especially starting off right as COVID hit, but it’s been worth it.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My career has been interesting. Growing up I wasn’t artistic at all. I had always been really interested in business. My job in high school was actually working as a prom then eventually bridal consultant at a local bridal shop. I wanted to go to school for fashion merchandising and be a buyer but was dissuaded and told to be a doctor, lawyer, or engineer. Instead I settled on marketing which was a loop-hole because it was a Bachelor of Science. I wanted to switch to advertising but couldn’t because it was a Bachelor Art and art degrees “don’t make money,” so I minored in Web Design/Development and Advertising/PR instead. After graduation, I worked in marketing for a non-profit, destination marketing organization. Being in charge of the production of their annual Destination Guide was my gateway to design. When I could afford it, I went back to school for my Masters of Arts in Interdisciplinary Design and secured an agency job in the city prior to graduation. After leaving that job my business background definitely helped my freelance career, so I don’t really regret my different trajectory.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This is tough! It really depends on the time of year. If it’s summer and the Pirates are playing, I’d take my friend to a game for a true “Yinzer” experience – walking across the Roberto Clemente Bridge to get to PNC Park, listening to the saxophone guy play, eating a Primanti’s sandwich with an Iron City beer, and looking at one of the best skyline views in the city. We’d also have to hit up the Strip District on a Saturday morning for some Pamela’s breakfast, the market, and Colombino Coffee. We’d go to the National Aviary one day. We’d also have to ride the incline up to Mount Washington for another great view and check out the love, Pittsburgh gift shop where everything is made by local artists. We’d have to spend a few days exploring the outdoor adventure and history in the Laurel Highlands too! My favorite fall festival, Fort Ligonier Days, always happens in October.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people to recognize that really impacted my career and influenced me to do design. For graphic design I need to shoutout my early influences – Aimee Downing and Mark Bender. Aimee was the designer who’s work inspired me to pivot from marketing to graphic design and then I was lucky enough to work with her. Both her and Mark taught me so much of the fundamentals. I also need to shoutout my Bracks Collective crew for being so inspiring, talented, and helpful. It’s amazing to have a group you can bounce ideas off of and share work with! For type I need to shoutout Jamie Otelsberg for introducing me to Juan Villanueva’s work and classes. I’m fortunate enough to be in the Letterform Archive’s Type West Online program which he’s the lead instructor of. He’s taught me so much and is an amazing type designer, mentor, and human. Finally, I need to shoutout my husband who has encouraged me every step of the way – to change careers, pursue my masters, go full-time freelance, and apply to Type West. He’s truly my biggest cheerleader.

Website: breerice.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/breerice_

Image Credits
Headshot by Alexa Frankovitch Photography