About
A-Typical Studio
I am Shanna Blasingame, a designer with a lot of experience, and this is where I work. It turns out that fighting traffic, an office building with no windows, cubicles, public bathrooms and community refrigerators wasn't my gig. In 1997 a trip to Alaska inspired me to think about the possibility of attaining a dream that included a cabin, some trees, no boss, co-workers of a four-legged species and remote access to the business world. Not to lose creative "edge" but to be happy in my work environment, ultimately inspiring creativity. Nature to me is the pinnacle of art. The ability to take a hike when my spirit needs a refresher is also part of the package. Located just outside of Pittsburgh, there's easy access to the city and the world, thanks to the turnpike, pdf's and internet.
Computer Skills
Self-taught in graphics software, the programs I use most are Photoshop, Quark, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, Flash, Word, Acrobat, etc. Others have included Freehand, Excel, Pagemaker, Powerpoint, Persuasion, Framemaker, Keynote... whatever it takes. On design projects, I execute all of my own creative ideas using a combination of software programs, with the exception of working with a programmer on more complex websites.
Educational and Creative Background
At East Texas State University, I majored in fine art and advertising (when logos were done with pencils, not software) and business. I was fortunate to learn old fashioned hand and thinking skills in art classes, and computer programming in business classes, like C+. I've freelanced, worked in other design studios and a very large ad agency, have worked temp and part-time jobs, just about everything. Several positions as production artist early on taught me fast and efficient computer skills.
Left/Right Brain and Your Project
People usually lean toward one side of the brain or the other, but mine is split in half. This doesn't mean I've got a brain injury, it means I'm thinking psychologically, logistically, technically and creatively at the same time. Designing (right) on computers (left) is a pretty great deal for me, and for my clients, too, since I can offer a complete package without charging for five employees' brains.