Tabitha Kristen is a talented young woman who has a passion for logo and brand creation. She is persistent, single-minded and determined which is very evident from her success on Brandstack. She not only creates great logos but also excels in marketing her designs and finding homes for her logos in a very crowded marketplace, a task which is definitely not easy. I have watched her since the day she started on Brandstack back in the Incspring days and still remember some of her earlier logos, I look at her now and am amazed with what focus and passion for something can do for a person. Tabitha has evolved and blossomed into a designer who understands exactly what is required and then delivers it without a hitch. Today, Tabitha takes some time out from a busy life and schedule to chat with us about how she started out and what is her secret for becoming the best-selling designer on Brandstack.

We welcome you to the blog Tabitha, thanks for doing this interview.

1. Tell us something about yourself. Who is the real Tabitha Kristen? What have you studied and what is your work profile?
Well, I’m 27 years old, I’m engaged and I have three amazingly wonderful children. They provide much of my inspiration. Just the simple day to day life with them keeps my creative gears turning. I just recently moved from the upper peninsula of Michigan to the Dallas area. I love Texas. If you’re interested, a few of my favorite things (other than my family and logo design) are reading, art and music. Family is the most important thing in the world to me. My family and I are very close and we spend most of our time together. My mother, (Swede on Brandstack) is my best friend and my father, (a Navy veteran) is my hero. I believe it’s very inspiring to have a bond like that with your family.

I never took any classes for graphic design or studied branding or anything along those lines. I basically just taught myself. The same way I taught myself web design when I was 15. I really enjoy learning.

2. How did you get into logo designing? Tell us about your first brush with Brandstack.
Actually, I can thank Twitter for finding Brandstack (which was actually Incspring when I joined). I had just started an account on Twitter when I got a new follower that tweeted something that caught my eye. I can’t for the life of me remember her name (Julie K. maybe?) but I remember she mentioned selling a brand on Incspring and she included a link. I was curious so I went to check it out and decided to give it a shot. I was getting that “it’s too good to be true” feeling but thought it couldn’t hurt to try. It turns out I was right.

3. How does it feel to be the highest selling designer on Brandstack ? Was that your goal when you started out?
Honestly, it feels awesome. The first time I became #1 in sales, it lasted for about 10 seconds. It made me laugh though at how quickly someone else slid into the spot. A designer that I really admire actually took the position from me, Penflare (Brandclay). But, I decided to work hard to get there again and I made it. I’ve been there for a while now but I’m sure I’ll have to “fight” to get it back again soon. Brandstack is just too full of amazing talent.

4. Where do your source your inspiration from? Tell us about your typical brainstorming process to create a fictional brand.
Well, as I said before, alot of my inspiration comes from my children. Other sources are my parents, my fiance, random things in my life. When it comes to fictional brands, most are made when something just pops into my head and I grab my pencil/pen/wacom/mouse.

5. Can you share some marketing gimmicks and “promote your work”  strategies? How important is word of mouth in the world of online design selling?
My biggest strategy is just getting out there on the internet and promoting myself in any way possible. I use Twitter alot for advertising myself and my brands. I like to tweet about a brand for sale at least a few times a day. I really think it’s helped a lot in sales on Brandstack and getting some new clients.

6. What are your tools of trade? Favorite software and hardware?
The traditional pencil or pen and my Wacom Cintiq. Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop of course and for my digital painting or sketches, I use Corel Painter. That program is amazing. If I can’t find a pencil or my sketch book, I can grab my tablet, open Painter and sketch away. The pencil strokes are so natural and I think it’s the closest you can get to the real deal while staying digital.

7. What do you think is the most challenging part about the logo design process? Why?
Believe it or not, making the client happy. I know, I know. “That’s what we’re supposed to do! That’s the whole point.” It’s challenging because it’s so personal to them. Taking the idea they have and making it a reality. When the client is satisfied, it’s such a rewarding feeling knowing that you were a part of creating something that they could only imagine.

8. A logo that absolutely knocked your socks off? Why?
I have to say the Fedex logo. I know, lots of people say the same thing but, what’s not to love about it’s simplicity? I didn’t even notice the arrow in the negative space until someone pointed it out about a year ago. I was immediately blown away, which in turn knocked my socks off.

9. PC or MAC?
As they say in the commercials, “I’m Tabitha, and I’m a PC”. (Just don’t tell them that I’m planning to make the switch soon.)

10. 5 websites and 5 fonts you couldn’t live without?
Hm. I don’t think there are 5 websites that I couldn’t live without (Well, other than Brandstack of course). But, a few that I definitely frequent on a daily basis are Twitter, Facebook, Google (nobody ever says that when asked about their favorite websites), Brandstack and Logopond.

5 fonts that I couldn’t live without? Aller, Fontin, Museo, Quicksand and Comic Sans (Ok, just kidding about that last one). I really can’t think of a 5th font that I couldn’t live without. The 4 fonts that I listed are definitely my favorites.

11. We all know that logos have to be timeless, simple and classic. But what kind of logos do you think work best in today’s market and are more in demand?
Minimalistic. Simple, clean and to the point. I love logos that catch my eye, but not because they’re busy and tacky, but because they’re elegant, simple and effective. Those definitely seem to be in demand right now and I’m sure we all know why.

12. What is in store for you in the near future? What are you currently working on?
I really don’t know. I wish I could predict the future. Things would be much less complicated wouldn’t they? Right now I’m not too busy working on anything. I’m taking a little break over Thanksgiving to spend time with my family and stuff my face. Wow, I love Thanksgiving. I didn’t mention food as one of my favorite things, I should have.

13. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Still doing my favorite things with my favorite people. I’ll still be designing logos. I hope I’ll have learned more, absorbed more from other designers advice and grown from it.

14. What is the most valuable piece of design advice you have ever received? Who/where was it from?
I’ve received a whole lot of good advice from great people. Designers, family, friends. I can’t say what the most valuable is because I’ve improved from every bit of it. So I’ll say thank you to everyone who’s ever given me design advice or feedback.

Thank you Sneh!

And Thank you Tabitha. It was a pleasure chatting with you and we hope you have many more sales on Brandstack in the future and we also wish you the very best for all your personal and professional endeavors.

You can follow Tabitha on Twitter where she tweets as @tabithakristen.

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Sneh Roy is a designer and creative trends blogger. You can follow her @LBOI on Twitter and keep up with her at her site, Little Box of Ideas.