Meet Jaden Gray | Graphic Designer

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

Hi Jaden, why did you pursue a creative career?
I decided to pursue an artistic/creative career simply because I want to enjoy what I do. As a child, I would constantly draw and doodle in class. I even used to make “abstract” art and try to sell it to family members during holidays and gatherings.

My first semester in college I actually went in majoring in aviation. I either wanted to be a commercial pilot or an air traffic controller. I knew those made money and it seemed like a cool job. What I didn’t think about was how much math was involved. I was so bored in the classes that I would literally start falling asleep.

During that first semester, I was also taking a personal growth class. At the end of this class, I remember taking a personality test, which also gave a list of 100 jobs that would match up with my specific personality. All the way at the bottom was number 100: Pilot, and at the number 1 spot: Graphic Designer, which was the other major I had considered before starting college.

After looking at that job list, I had a flashback to a high school project where I had to create a brochure in my German class. I was failing this class at the time, and the grammar was subpar, but she was extremely impressed by the way mine looked compared to the rest of the class. Although I felt that this teacher didn’t like me because I was a poor student in her class, she sat down with me and told me I should think about pursuing graphic design. The very next semester, I signed up for my first graphic design classes.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As a graphic designer, it can be extremely broad. There are all kinds of different niches for graphic designers. I would say that the space I focus on the most is branding and visual identity. I really enjoy bringing a brand to life from someone’s vision for their business, or helping to rebrand their business to keep it up to date, or changing how their business is perceived. I love branding because it involves a combination of creativity and strategy to make it both visually appealing and functional.

I got where I am today just by trying to put myself out there and networking. When I landed my first internship at Dynamo Design Group, I just shot them a DM on Instagram. I also had the privilege to intern under Matt Hawes at Harland Brewing, which was a great experience to learn how an in-house designer works with a team to produce social media posts, packaging, merch, and all sorts of print media. I worked there as a bartender, and just asked my manager if there was a possibility of interning as a graphic designer. I think it is really important to just try. If nothing comes of it, then at least you tried, but you can guarantee nothing will happen if you never try.

Not all of it has been easy. I struggled with depression on and off throughout school and even after school, which made it really hard to do any work at all sometimes. Something that helped me was finding different hobbies for myself or doing something physical like skateboarding or going to work out at the gym. I have never gotten back from doing something physical and felt worse than before.

I would like the world to know that design isn’t just about making things “look good,” it’s also about making it functional, and to maybe tell a story. I try to do this in my own work. I want to design with purpose. I think that good design can make the world a better place.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I think the first place straight from the airport that I would take someone in San Diego is a taco shop. Everyone deserves to try San Diego’s Mexican food at least once in their life. Then I would take them to a Padres game to see the best stadium in the MLB. The next day I would take them to see Balboa Park and the San Diego Zoo. To finish it off, we would go to one of the many amazing breweries that San Diego has to offer.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to shout out Allan Manzano at Dynamo Design Group, who gave me a chance as an intern when I was still a student, and has been my mentor not only in graphic design, but also in life. I would also like to shout out Sean Bacon, Bradford Prairie, and all of the amazing professors at San Diego City College. I don’t think I would be the same person without all of them.

Website: https://www.jadengraydesign.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jadengraydesign/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jadengraydesign/

Other: https://www.instagram.com/dynamodesigngroup/?hl=en