Jobs for the girls: designer Melissa Laine Scotton

Ever wondered where the designs on your snowboards come from? Well they come from talented people like Melissa Laine Scotton. We caught up with Melissa to find out how she got involved with Roxy and what inspires her work. Visit www.designequalslove.com to find out more about Melissa and her work.

Where are you from and where do you live now?

I was born and raised in the tiny but adorable start of Delaware.  It's a great location because it's close to the mountains and to the beach. Now I'm living in Frederick, Maryland which is about two hours south of Delaware.

I moved here a bit ago after graduating from grad school in Philadelphia and getting a job as a graphic design  professor at Shepherd, University in West Virginia. So I'm kind of  all over the four states of Delaware, Pennsylvania, and now Maryland   and West Virginia. And yes, I have two full time jobs, one teaching graphic design and one designing.

What kind of graphic training did you have?

I got into graphic design in high school. My dad was doing web design and he taught me a lot on how to use Photoshop and how to design web pages. That's when I fell in love with designing things on the computer. I was always into more hand done art but felt that the 
possibilities were endless when combining traditional elements and using the computer to create.

I then went to the University of Delaware and majored in Graphic Design. It was amazing. The   professors really encouraged me to follow my dreams and to develop my own style. It was there that I learned everything about graphic design and how to think uniquely, conceptually, and creatively. It   was also great because the professors allowed me to cater my portfolio  towards the board industry so I was lucky to get an internship at   Four Star Distribution (when they housed Forum, Special Blend, and  Jeenyus). That's where I got my first taste on how snowboard companies were run.

You're now on to your third season of Roxy snowboards - how did you get involved with the crew?

Yes, my third season of Roxy Snowboards just arrived in stores! But I actually just completed designing my fourth season of boards that will be out next year for the 09/10 season. As I said, I was lucky at Delaware to be able to cater my portfolio to the board industry. I created projects such a catalogues, clothing, and brochures to show how I mix my passion of snowboarding into my graphic design.

When I graduated I started sending emails with links of my online portfolio to companies I could see myself working for; all of which were out on the west coast. I sent an email to the art director of Grenade Gloves, Tim Karpinski. He is also the art director for Gnu Snowboards. He said if he ever heard of any openings he'd let me know, but he didn't have anything right then.

So I ended up getting a  full time job at Spy Optic and moved out to Southern California. I   realized quickly that I wasn't the biggest fan of a full time, 8:30   to 6 (or later) desk job and I also was super homesick for the east  coast.

Then one day I got an email from Julia Carlson, who (at that   time) was the product manager for Roxy Hardgoods. She said she got my name from Tim Karpinski and they were looking for new designers to work on the Roxy snowboard line.

She told me to come up with some comps for three to five boards. So I did seven. I didn't get a response right away  so I was a little bummed out that they didn't like my concepts. But as my mom says, "no news is good news" and I got an email a week or two later that said they wanted to use all the ideas I sent in. So my first job designing snowboards was basically designing a whole line of them. That made me realize I didn't have to live on the west coast to work for an industry that I loved. I could get the best of both worlds freelancing while living on the east coast.

Tell us about your boards for this season. What inspired the designs?

For the 08/09 season I designed three of the board graphics. My [always] favorite, the Envi. The Ally, and the Silhouette 'Underwater.' This year the Envi was inspired by a variety of things.  First and foremost I'm always inspired by the beautiful bamboo topsheet of the board. However, instead of going with the usual Asian theme, I pushed a concept of travelling. I thought of the top sheet of kind of a travel journal.

I keep a notebook of textures, patterns, doodles, and clippings that I find in every day adventures. I used that as inspiration for some of the items in the design such as the cut paper and water color flourishes. I also used a silhouette of a map inside one of the flourishes to add an extra dimension to the collage. I also used the idea of pressed flowers and photos, which are other things you may keep in a travel journal.

The Ally was also inspired by the idea of travelling but also nature. It also shows my total love for wood grain! I created the silhouette of the tree and added the wood grain with little roxy hearts as the roots. I then took photos and textures I've collected over time and placed them into the leaves of the tree. The concept with this board was to show "a tree of seasons" one that shows the beautiful colors, textures, and visuals of each season.

The Silhouette 'Underwater' stays true to its name by 'silhouetting' out different underwater creatures and plants. There's a star fish and underwater algae plants overlaying a collage of water color textures.

With all of my boards I am inspired by nature and my every day experiences. However, I always try to come up with some sort of story that goes along with the visual.

How does it feel seeing your board on the podium at the Winter Olympics?(Kjersti Buaas won bronze in the halfpipe in 2006 on one of Melissa’s boards).

It was kind of surreal. I couldn't actually believe that I was seeing what I was seeing. It was a dream come true to just to design graphics for snowboards, but to have one ridden by one of the best woman rider's in the world, was pretty sweet.

Kjersti is such an awesome rider and I was totally blown away that she was riding my little watercolor graphic up and down the pipe. It was also very inspiring. It made me realize that I can set my goals for myself and actually achieve them. It made me want to work harder and push myself in my overall design and style.

What’s a typical day in the life of a designer with so many things on the go?

Oh how I would love to have a typical day, however, somehow that never happens. As I said I have two full time jobs. One is teaching graphic design at Shepherd University. Right now I'm teaching four classes, four days a week, to sophomores and freshmen.

On those days I get up super early, make some coffee, and drive my 40 minute commute into West Virginia. I adore teaching, every day is a new experience and my students are a constant inspiration to me. I usually get home from school around four and give myself a second to relax. I then hop on the computer to catch up on emails and check out some of my favorite design blogs.

If I don't have class to plan for I'll work on whatever design projects I have going on. Sometimes it's for clients and sometimes it's personal projects like my handpainted shoes or greeting cards for my etsy shop. Since I only teach four days out of the week I have the other three days of the week to devote to projects or adventures.

What are your main artistic influences?

I have a lot of talented friends and family that influence me artistically. My sister, Sara, is an awesome painter and her attention to detail and color is a big artistic influence. Even  though I make sure I'm aware of what's going on in contemporary graphic design, I also look for influences outside the world of graphic design. I try not to look at other designers for inspiration because sometimes that can push you to copy their style rather than be inspired to do your own thing.

I love going to museums and galleries to see what's going on in other art fields. Any artist that has a unique style and pushes themselves conceptually and creatively influences me. There are so many amazing and talented people creating art, it's hard to pick just a few.

How would you describe your style?

My style is always evolving. With designing board graphics it's important to stay fresh and come up with something new with every board, every season. So my boards can be anything — hand rendered line drawings, water colors, collage, vector, or photo. In my personal art I tend to have a more hand done style.

I love hand done typography and combining my line drawings with texture and paint. Recently I've been working a lot with collage and pattern but also experimenting a bit with simplified vectors. I love trying different things, but somehow I always get back to my hand done drawings and watercolor, I think that style really represents me the best.

No matter what medium I'm working with, I think my style could best be described as "whimsical" or maybe just plain old "fun."

What's the most challenging part of being a designer?

Time! There's NEVER enough time. I have so so so many ideas going on in my head and just never enough time to do them all. Sometimes it gets a bit tough to stay creative all day every day, so it's important to not force yourself to do so. You have to step away from the computer and go on some adventures, hang with friends and family, play with animals, pick flowers, go snowboarding! As a freelance designer it's easy to become a workaholic, so sometimes I have to 
remind myself to go out and have fun!

Do you still have any ambitions about where you'd like to see your  work appear?

I never want to give up designing snowboard graphics. I love seeing girls riding my boards when I'm out on the mountain. I hope that through my board graphics I can inspire more girls to get into the sport and find their passion. However, outside of the world of snowboarding, I wouldn't mind one day having a line of clothing and accessories, I'd design the graphics of course. My best friend Monica is a fashion designer, so I'd love for one day to collaborate with her on our own brand. I'd also love to illustrate for a magazine or maybe a children's book. Anything I could get my hands on, I'd be happy with!

Do you think it's worth up and coming designers entering the plethora of snowboard design contests that are run every season?

Honestly, I didn't even realize there was a plethora of snowboard design contests. I guess if you're interested in getting involved in the industry it's a great way to start. It's also a great way for   companies to find fresh talent. However, I'd say if you're really interested in designing for the board industry, get the education and build an awesome portfolio to show it around to as many people and companies as possible.

What advice would you have for anyone interested in getting into snowboard gear design?

I think it's important for designers to have a distinct style but also be able to tell a story. Snowboard design isn't about just making something look cool. Think about the story that your graphic is telling. Think about the concept you are trying to convey. What can you bring to the industry that's fresh? Have a unique portfolio that showcases your unique style and skills, and again, just show it to as many people as possible. Find the names of art directors or  designers, send it to them. Get your name out there, make connections, make friends. Keep following your passion and you'll get there.

Which brands (apart from those you have worked with) do you think do a good job with their product design?

I love any brand that is pushing technology for women riders and making an effort to bring more girls into the sport. I love what Element is doing with Element Eden Advocates. I think they have been finding great, powerful, and talented women to promote the brand. Rather than just being pretty faces, they are using their talents to inspire others and pushing girls around the world to find their inner voices and express themselves through art.

I'm also really in love  with Nikita. I'm so inspired by Heida Birgisdottir (the founder and  designer). She started her line at a small shop in Iceland and now it's an international brand that is doing great things for women in the board sport industry. I also love how fashion forward the designs are, from style to pattern, to the overall look.

Which brands and/or products would you like to work on next?

I just want to keep inspiring girls of all ages to pick up boards and ride. Any company that is focused on developing new products, technology, and styles for woman, as well as inspiring them in their daily lives to become unique, educated, active, and independent... I'd be honored to work with.

Do you get much time to go snowboarding?

The past two seasons before the one coming up, no. I was in grad school and had little time to go, which in my opinion was a tragedy. However, this season, I'll be back and hopefully be going as much as possible! Luckily, because I teach at a University, I get a month off  for Winter Break. Sweet, right!?!?

Where's your favourite place to ride?

Because I'm an east coaster I love heading up to Vermont or New Hampshire for Weekend trips. Jay Peak, VT is probably one of my favorites. It is just so cold up there and there's always so much snow!

We love the cute l'il gift cards in your Etsy shop - any chance of  doing some snowboarding ones?

Aw thanks for checking that out! Yeah, I'm currently working on a couple of Winter/Holiday cards that will hopefully be out in late November that will for sure have some snowboarding influences!!