Bill Beard, our Senior Graphic Designer at The Relish Jar, finds joy in the ever-evolving world of graphic design. With a passion for learning new programs, techniques, and styles, Bill thrives on the challenge of blending marketing trends with innovative presentations. His dedication to pushing boundaries ensures that our messages are delivered in the most creative ways possible. Whether he’s animating a cartoon pickle for Pickleman’s Gourmet Cafe or drawing caricatures at local festivals, Bill’s commitment to continuous learning and creativity shines through in every project.
What is the best part of your job?
The best part of my job is continuing to learn new programs, techniques, and design styles. Graphic design is always evolving; it’s a combination of marketing trends and presentation that makes it not only challenging but allows you to push boundaries and discover new ways to deliver a message.
What’s a project that you worked on that really stands out to you? Why?
I enjoy video editing and creating animations with Adobe After Effects, and there have been various projects for clients that stand out to me. Animating a cartoon pickle for Pickleman’s Gourmet Cafe was a lot of fun. I dissected the character into individual elements and then brought them back together in the software to bring him to life. It may sound like tedious work but the final results always make it worthwhile.
What are some of your hobbies outside of work?
I spend my off-time drawing caricatures and illustrations. This past month I drew caricatures at various high school after proms, and this summer I will be at local festivals doing the same. Besides drawing, I enjoy traveling to different countries and learning new things. If I don’t know an answer to something or am curious I will always Google it. Never stop learning!
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
There have been a couple of pieces of advice I’ve received that I abide by. “Don’t burn your bridges” being the first one. The second one was from my history teacher in high school. When I started drawing editorial cartoons for my hometown newspaper, she sent me a letter praising my work but encouraged me to sign my work legibly, so people would know my name and who did the drawing. So I’ve always been cognizant of that.
If you had to pick a song to portray the culture of The Relish Jar, what would it be and why?
The Beach Boys “Good Vibrations”.