Meet Katie Goodrich | Visual Designer & Illustrator

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

Hi Katie, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I have been intrigued by artists and the different opportunities of expression for as long as I can remember. Art and illustration is not only a personal outlet to create beauty and tell stories, it’s also a way to impact others with what you create. In my personal life, I love using artwork to help bring joy and laughter. I have discovered that I respond very well to structure and love having solid answers to solve problems or tasks. I feel that the freedom of creativity and the structure of design come together with visual design. My day job as a user interface and user experience designer helps me to fill that need for structure, solving problems, and finding the right answer in my day to day. This gives my more creative side time to refuel and get ready to create, which will in turn give my visual design brain the refuel time it will need.Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have 10 years of professional design work under my belt, which seems like a lot and also like it has flown by. Some of that has been branding and print design, while most of it has been digital work and illustration sprinkled throughout. I have been lucky to work on digital language systems and digital accessibility. The design language system work was very demanding, difficult, with an interesting learning curve. It may be my favorite professional work to date. The team I got to be a part of was strong, great to learn from, and very quick. I’ve learned one of the biggest lessons is to listen more, which I struggle with, and to be patient! I love turning around work quickly and I know that leaves an impression, but taking the time you need or taking a few extra moments to just check your thoughts, notes, or find another pair of eyes is so crucial. When I work on illustrations, I know the concept of “always be creating”, but I’ve fallen in love with taking more time with my work, finding the right way for a joke to land, and exploring new techniques. I want to bring laughter, bright moments, and joy with what I create.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
In a Covid-free world, I would want to share my favorite coffee and food places, so expect a lot of time in the car. A great way to start is by grabbing some caffeine at the Nerdvana coffee shop and bringing a game to play or trying out one they have there. Who doesn’t love playing games while drinking tea or coffee? Following this trend, a visit to the National Video Game museum is a great trip down memory lane of vintage gaming. Regarding food, the sky is the limit with places like Legacy Hall and The Shacks dining and dog park. Texas has delicious Tex-Mex and barbecue, but we’ve been getting mouthwatering additions in recent years like ramen and bibimbap as well. A road trip to Fort Worth is in order to visit Race Street Coffee, which is owned by some very sweet friends and they make the strongest coffee you’ll ever need. Fort Worth and Dallas have some very nice gardens, parks, and museums such as the Fort Worth Water Garden and the Perot Museum. If time permits, taking a short trip to Austin is always worth it, but the car ride can be long.The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I am so grateful for all the support and encouragement I get daily from a wide range of people who make me feel like a rockstar even when I’m being quite grumpy about my work. My family and friends are tirelessly helpful and lift me up often, especially my husband who manages to know how to motivate me and when to tell me to take a break! That is a full time job in itself, thank goodness for his patience. My friend Mel, who is an amazing photographer, helps me feel like a strong boss anytime I need a pick me up and succeeds. I want to shoutout Frances Yllana for being an amazing professor while I was in college and leaving a foundation for me to grow from. She stands out in my education for how much support she provided. I also want to shoutout Rebecca Ormsby, who in only working with her for a year pushed me to really grow into my role and push for the work I thought was right. Rebecca has also impacted how I want to be available to others, like she has been for me in the past.

Website: https://www.katiegoodrich.com/

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-goodrich-99347020/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kadusaurus

Image Credits
Profile photo taken by http://www.melissaspurrier.com/