As part of our commitment to elevate creative voices we are speaking to members to our community. We will be celebrating their work and sharing their story because we think it’s important to champion the people that make our sector so damn good! In this edition we are joined by freelance designer, Gabrielle Adam.

Can you remember what first inspired you to be creative?

I think what drew me to creativity when I was a child was how fun it was, and how you could create anything by being creative. I remember that I used to be 'commissioned' for 'work' now and then as a kid. Either other kids would ask me to do certain drawings for them for fun, or I'd be doing 'tattoo' requests. Overall, being creative brought me a sense of joy, confidence and purpose.

Where and what did you study?

I studied quite a few things. I started off with psychology studies in Brussels, but dropped out and started studying accounting in Luxembourg (even though I hated it from the start). After accounting, I did dietetic studies in Brussels, but dropped out due to health issues, and once I was better I picked up accounting studies again, because I had no clue on what else to do. I only actually studied design when I did a three-month course at Shillington. 

It took me a while to figure out it was graphic design that I wanted to do. I grew up in Luxembourg, which is a financial country, so when it comes to creative jobs you don't really know or hear much about it. Looking back through the years of trying to find what I wanted to do as a job, I can see there were many things I liked that were actually graphic design, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

It was in 2018, after a day at work as an accountant, that I was doing yet again some soul-searching to find the right career for myself and was on YouTube looking at random videos. I found one about typography, which led me to look at others about colour and layout, this led to my eureka moment.

Can you walk us through the early stages of your career?

I completed Shillington in 2019 and started an internship a few weeks later. I stayed at this small studio for five months and left at the end of 2019. I was looking for jobs for a while before finding a junior position at a marketing agency, which I started in March of 2020.

During my first Friday there we were told to take all our equipment back with us in order to work from home because of Covid. I was able to try quite a lot of things when I worked there and really got into motion design, and my team was really kind and put a lot of trust in me and in my work.

I was there for most of Covid, I was lucky and was able to work through it all, however I did experience a burn out that started in March of 2021. Back then, I felt so silly about being burnt out as a junior. The world felt like it was crumbling and lil' ole me, who's job it was to play with colour and type, was crying at the drop of a hat, unable to sleep and exhausted no matter what I did.

Looking back on it now, I can see how the combination of a global pandemic, being isolated from my team, and wanting to make a good impression, all came together and threw me off balance. It took a while to get back to who I was, but it honestly taught me a good lesson; your health is the priority at all times.

In September of 2021 I went freelance for the first time, but I was so panicked and anxious about it that I took the first job offer I got, and found myself at another small, one-man band studio. I didn't stay there too long, leaving it for a bigger studio during the summer of 2022. I got a lot of branding experience there, which was a big plus for when I went freelance in January of 2023.

Overall, I'd wanted to try and experience many different work experiences, from small to big agencies, design studios to being in the design department of a bigger company, etc. Being able to do all that really helped me then narrow down what it was I liked and disliked, and to keep chasing what I loved doing.

Did you find it hard to enter the design?

Not, really no, I think I was lucky, or just very easy and open to trying everything/anything. My original plan when starting out in design, was to try EVERYTHING. After years spent in the very dry land of accounting, the design industry felt like what a candy store feels like for a child. Everything looked fun and worth a try, I just wanted to dip my toes in it all. 

Why did you decide to become a freelancer?

If you have the answer, please let me know! haha no but on a serious note, I think what really helps here is being fully, authentically yourself (I sound like an early 2000s pinterest quote). It's easy to find a whole list of designers for a project, but I think it's different when you know you're working with a human who brings more to the table than just a set of skills.

It's things like showing your humour, or thoughtfulness, or kindness, through the way you present yourself in your folio/website/socials. But that's just my opinion. Sometimes I wish I was more of a mysterious designer, very serious and all that jazz, instead of venting about how my period makes me feel on my instagram.

You are currently based in Copenhagen. What’s the design scene like there?

I am! It's very different to what I was used to in London, a bit smaller. I had heard so much about the design scene before moving here, but probably should've paid closer attention to the fact that the product design scene here is massive, in comparison to the graphic design scene. What I like about it here is that it feels like print is still very much present and celebrated, as well as being well carried out.

Another amazing thing is the work/life balance people have here as well as the amount of trust attributed to employees. People know you're going to get the work done, and they leave it up to you on how you want to go about it. It's truly liberating to not be micro-managed or rushed for a social post.

We regularly find inspiration outside of the industry bubble. Is this something you do?

Yes! I love doing this, I usually find my inspiration when I'm walking through the city, exploring shops, cafes, museums, street stickers. One thing I really love to do is to go to flea markets or to stores that sell vintage/retro/weird stuff. I think there's so much to learn from the world of all that is silly and kitsch, it makes me feel like I can let go of having to be serious and it just makes me want to explore and try stuff and stay true to myself.

Your bio says you eat five cucumbers a week. Why?

I should change that soon hahah! For almost 6 years, 2016 to 2022, I would cut up a whole cucumber and take it with me to work as a snack. Every. Single. Day. It was my obsession/fixation. I think I went a bit too far with it though as I haven't had that as a snack since 2022!

Finally, is there a single challenge or issue that our industry should be better at?

'd say trust is a big issue. Be it clients who hand-hold you as you design or those senior to you who micro-manage what you do, there's a lack of trust. Which is so weird, because people decide to work with you or hire you based off the work you've done, and yet when you're working together, they don't trust that you're executing the vision the right way. So yeah, trust those who work for you, they're working in a creative field because they love it and they love the craft, they're not trying to cheat you or do a crappy job.

Fore more about Gabrielle Adam visit: gabrielleadam.com

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