Today we’d like to introduce you to Wells Collins.
Hi Wells, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hello, my name is Wells Collins and I’m the Creative Director for Two Bridges Design. We’re a nimble brand design studio based out of Denver, Colorado. I graduated from the University of Georgia’s exclusive graphic design program, and started my career in Atlanta as a web/digital designer. I quickly realized that web design is usually one of the last steps in a branding project. I was often given assets to manipulate versus creating the brand look and feel up front. I started taking on more and more logo and identity design work to start thinking big picture and following the process through from ideation to execution and launch. About four years ago, I moved out to Denver, Colorado to work for a good friend of mine, Jeffrey Zucker. Jeffrey is a serial entrepreneur and working as his creative director has given me the opportunity to design and refresh visual identities for a wide array of companies. And after a couple years of working together, we built up a wealth of branding experience. Jeffrey and I co-founded Two Bridges Design – a nimble design studio.
Whether working from the ground up for startups, or helping established companies refresh a dated look – we specialize in creating elegant visual identity solutions. We’ve worked with a lot of great people all over the world, and through a wide range of industries. We’ve created brands for coffee shops, restaurants, builders, fin-tech startups, an expansive list of cannabis ventures, and we’ve even helped other agencies find their look. I really enjoy the process, and I thrive on the challenge to learn and adapt to new industries and solve new design problems. It keeps the work fresh and exciting, and constantly pushes me to grow through experience. When it comes to process, I always start with pencil to paper in the ideation phase. After a couple years of working together, we built up a wealth of branding experience and officially co-founded Two Bridges Design.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s always a struggle for new companies to establish credibility. While I had over ten years of graphic design experience when we started Two Bridges Design, we still needed to build our portfolio, network within the Denver area, and build relationships that would lead to trust and referrals. After some time, we started to gain momentum. I really look forward to growing the business over the next few years!
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Two Bridges is a brand design studio based out of Denver, CO. We specialize in building identities and bridging the gap between you and your clients through thoughtful design. We believe a brand should evoke emotion, strengthen loyalty, and attract more of your audience. The design studio was founded in 2017 by Jeffrey Zucker and Wells Collins. Two creative minds bound by a passion to make things better. We continue to challenge expectations, define progressive design and experiment with alternate methods of production. We design what matters for people who care.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Here are a few key lessons I’ve learned over the years working as a graphic designer:
2. Sketch Your Ideas, and Then Sketch Some More. This sounds old school, especially in the days of iPad Pro pencils and Wacom Tablet Styluses, but it’s an essential skill in the art world. I grew up drawing, but lost the habit once I started my first job. After a year or so of completely designing/thinking on a computer, I started hand-drawing letters as a battle against the same 3-4 fonts I kept returning to for web projects. A return to thinking with pencil and paper has been one of the best moves I’ve made in pursuing a design career. You can think MUCH faster, knock out hundreds of ideas in an hour, and the ability to draw quickly as a designer goes a long way. It is remarkable how often I am now the go-to illustrator for product concepts because I have the ability to quickly sketch out what the client is thinking. Sketching is also great for wireframes/layouts for an app or site, illustrations for a book, exploring layouts for campaign ads, … the list goes on. Put a pencil (or pen or piece of chalk) back in your hand!
3. Say Yes to Difficult Projects. Even if you’re lacking the experience a project is going to require, jumping into the deep end will accelerate your growth as a designer. You’ll be surprised what you can do, when you HAVE to. If you’re not uncomfortable, you’re not growing.
4. Never Stop Learning. This is something that our teachers would constantly repeat in school, but only because it’s the most valuable advice! Whether it’s teaching yourself how to code to better equip yourself for web/app design, learning how to build fonts, or learning new Adobe programs like Lightroom or Premiere, never stop exploring and teaching yourself new things. This habit helps you adapt better to new jobs and new requirements, and makes you much more valuable as a designer.
Contact Info:
- Email: wells@twobridges.design
- Website: https://www.twobridges.design
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/twobridgesdesign/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/twobridgesdesign/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/twobridgesdsgn
Image Credits
Blurry black and white studio shot by Leigh Germy – https://www.instagram.com/leighgermyphotography/
