1.0crowdspring Bloghttps://www.crowdspring.com/blogAudree Rowehttps://www.crowdspring.com/blog/author/audree/rich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="Oc0A345DJb"><a href="https://www.crowdspring.com/blog/12-questions-meet-connie-carlson-usa/">12 Questions: Meet Connie Carlson (USA)</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.crowdspring.com/blog/12-questions-meet-connie-carlson-usa/embed/#?secret=Oc0A345DJb" width="600" height="338" title="“12 Questions: Meet Connie Carlson (USA)” — crowdspring Blog" data-secret="Oc0A345DJb" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script type="text/javascript"> /* <![CDATA[ */ /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); //# sourceURL=https://www.crowdspring.com/blog/wp-includes/js/wp-embed.min.js /* ]]> */ </script> https://images.crowdspring.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/27132454/Iconic-set-with-circles1.jpg500200In our 12 Questions blog series, we feature interviews with someone from the crowdSPRING community. For these interviews, we pick people who add value to our community – in the blog, in the forums, in the projects. Plainly – activities that make crowdSPRING a better community. Be professional, treat others with respect, help us build something very special, and we’ll take notice. We’re very proud to feature Connie Carlson (crowdSPRING username: iconicdesign) today. Connie lives and works in Northern Minnesota. 1. Please tell us about yourself. Hello! I would like to introduce myself to all the talented creatives and buyers at cS. My name is Connie Carlson also known as Iconic Design. I was beyond thrilled to receive the April cS award, and then asked to be interviewed for the cS blog. I hate to admit it but I am not much into blogging, but I now can see it is a wonderful way to connect with others and express yourself. My husband of 23 years and 22 year old son and I live in beautiful Northern Minnesota and own a small hobby farm in the country, close to beautiful Lake Superior. 2. How did you become interested in design? I am what you call an “old school, self taught designer”. My father, a sign painter, started a small sign company in 1967 out of the basement of my childhood home. When I was young, I knew I was interested in art, I seemed to always be visualizing letters, shapes and how things were made. Our family recreation was mostly driving around looking at potential sign work, and long discussions about how signs could be constructed to be visually pleasing yet most importantly functional. While growing up in the expanding family business, I soon realized that I wanted to work in the family business but didn’t quite know in what capacity, so I started out doing odd jobs, sweeping floors, deliveries, coating boards or anything to be useful. In 1983, after my father invested in the first “signmaker computer”, it was a rather simple machine, first designed to cut fabric for clothing. You really had to have a good imagination because you couldn’t see your design on a monitor, you had to lay everything out on paper first and then choose your fonts and letter sizes and cut the letters out of vinyl and then apply them to your substrate.  Most people don’t realize that even a simple parking sign need to be properly designed, what words should be emphasized,  minimal text to get the message across and best color combinations for viewing. That is where my design work started and with the progression of new technology in the sign industry, I was able to learn new design software and my love of logo design took off!