As a company, we want to put our best face forward. This includes everything from our staff to to our mail-outs to the look and feel of our website. We present a clean and professional image, with a unified look throughout all of our properties and all of our correspondence. Fortunately, we have Marty Smith to keep us looking sharp.
Meet Marty
Marty is IZEA’s creative director (though I still slightly prefer his original title “pretty maker”). He’s been beautifying our corporate face for nearly six and a half years. Marty oversees the design on our websites, graphics, print and promotional materials.
Marty actually met our CEO, Ted, back in their college days at Florida State University. Marty studied Graphic Design, Art and Photography. He moved out to San Francisco to work at IGN. After 5 years there, he moved on to CNET. Then leaving their fate to a flip of a coin, Marty and his wife moved back to Florida. He heard of an opening with us and the rest is history.
Fun Fact: Marty is quite skilled at juggling. Additionally, he and his wife are expecting their first child this year. We are thrilled to add another baby IZEAn to the mix.
Keeping it Real
Marty works with all the departments at IZEA so there is always something to do. Whether it’s making new one-sheet for the sales team, creating an image for a blog post or redesigning a website. He has to manage the demands from all sides. Staying on top of things is essential, especially when it comes to new web design. He has to stay ahead of the development team’s coding efforts.
We have a lot of little side projects that come up to add a little spice to Marty’s life. Some of you may have gotten our Valentine’s Day unicorn card; that was Marty. Those are always fun for him because he gets to break out of our usual style and get a bit more creative.
Divine Design
Designing is often a challenge. Marty’s got some advice:
- Know your audience: Designers have to learn they can’t just go with their preference; they need to create designs the client likes.
- Stay current. Keep on top of trends and new technology. What made for good design a few years ago may not cut it nowadays.
So what is new in design right now? According to Marty that’s the idea of responsive design. One design that fits your desktop, tablet and mobile device. Hmmm.. perhaps that’s something you’ll soon be seeing from us?
