Mercy Lomelin, 20

Give us a brief bio:

Where are you from? Born? Raised?  

Born in Corpus Christi, raised in Lewisville and Flower Mound.

Where did you go to school?  

Flower Mound High School and the University of North Texas

What did you study, and how did you become interested in design?  

Communication Design at UNT. I was introduced to graphic design by an Advertising Design Class at the Dale Jackson Career Center my junior year of high school.

Do you find that there are difficulties for female designers to find their place in the design community? How about to become leaders in the field?

I personally have never had a problem, but I don’t believe that I have been in the field long enough to run into one.

Who are your personal role models, and what styles influence your work the most?

Over all, I’ve found myself admiring the work of James Victore, Louise Fili, Stefan Sagmeister, Jessica Hische, Chip Kidd, and Alvin Lustig, who are all very different. I enjoy creating a look and feel for each of my projects, so depending on the piece I’ll find different styles that may influence the mood, or even time period, that I’m trying to convey. I would say that in the end, my role model would have to be James Victore. He’s an elaborate character who puts a strong emphasis on concept rather than form. “I’m less interested in what the words look like than what they say.” – James Victore 

Who have you worked with who has impacted / influenced you the most?

Frances Yllana! I had the pleasure of working for her last summer at MasonBaronet. From last year to this year, I had a noticeable growth spurt in my design because I was able to come back with a completely different mindset. Not only did she give me the confidence I needed, Frances helped me to shape myself around creative thinking. I started to take risks and play more during the creative process, where I think before my complete lack of confidence mobilized me from exploring everything I could.

What are your personal organization or time-management tips – professionally and life-wise?

I think everyone needs to find a time management method that fits his or her own working style. I’ve created my own system with Text Edit to create a calendar/list type To Do List to strike through and keep up with different classes, projects, competitions, etc. It’s simple, quick, and works with how I work.

Have you had to make sacrifices one-way or the other (relationships, jobs, hobbies, etc) for any reason?

Oh definitely, I think everyone in my major has had to make some kind of sacrifice or another. It’s a competitive program, but I would argue that even though I’ve fallen out of a relationship before, I found someone later on through graphic design (we are in the same major together). We’re constantly challenging each other in our work, plus our dates include illustration nights, critiquing packaging at the grocery store, going to bookstores… fun little things that keep us creative with our busy schedules.

Do you think your persona is reflected in your work? If yes, what aspects, if any, of your designs and illustrations reflects parts of your personality?

Yes, but it might be a bit of a stretch… I think I have a very sporadic personality. I’m constantly excited and enthusiastic, and I think the majority of my work has a movement that’s gestural, or you could even say a little unrefined.

Favorites:

• 1 aspect of design you give the highest priority to.  A strong idea/conceptualization
• 1 design-related book you highly recommend to read.  I am Almost Always Hungry by Cahan & Associates
• 1 design magazine you read on a daily/weekly basis (online or offline). Communication Arts
• 1 website you have bookmarked (design / non-design)  Eight Hour Day and Good for Grasshopper

If you could take a trip anywhere in the world for design inspiration, where would it be?
Denmark!

What are three qualities that you admire most in a designer?

1. Creativity
2. Concepting (ability to create a wide variety of quality ideas)
3. Multitasking (ability to do a lot of projects, including personal ones, well)

If you had to choose another profession, what would it be?

A Marine Biologist! Or maybe even a Pilot.

Lastly, what would you tell people outside of DFW, about the opportunities for women here? How would you describe the women in the field here?

Badasses. The women here are smart, talented, and have been the most influential to my design career.