There are few social media powerhouses in the creative realm that rival the Bri Emery's designlovefest empire. Her consistently on-brand content is a marvel for anyone who has ever tried to fill a feed with content that truly reflects them. And while many bloggers have learned the ropes of Photoshop through her Blogshop courses, there are also opportunities to learn from her in a more intimate setting through the studio workshops she hosts on craft and social media. We caught up with designer Renee Pulve who recently took one of the designlovefest social media workshops.
Photo by George Cox Photography
Q: Introduce yourself!
A: Renee Pulve, Creative Director/Owner of Smudge Design Co. After obtaining a degree in fine art, I started my artistic journey working for a publishing company, designing color palettes, creating advertisements as well as digitally painting comic book covers. I then turned to a full-time graphic design career -- first, working for an agency in Santa Monica, California, and, ultimately, founding Smudge Design Co. in 2003. My speciality is corporate identity, packaging, and stationery design. In my spare time, I also love to paint. When you’re passionate about what you do, it shows in your work and I feel extremely fortunate to do what I love!
Q: How did you hear about the designlovefest social media workshop?
A: I follow Bri on IG, Facebook and Pinterest and after seeing a post about the class having a few openings, I decided to jump at the opportunity and made a reservation.
Q: Why did you decide to attend?
A: I’ve been wanting to broaden my business through social media and really admire the way Bri is able to promote herself and others in such a fun and unique way.
Q: Who is it good for (and who is it not)?
A: The social media seminar is great for beginners that already have a basic understanding of how to post content. I saw the main objective of the class being, how to get more followers. If you and/or your business has a good handle on that aspect, I don't think the seminar would be necessary.
Q: What surprising information did you learn?
A: Bri was able to give us specific information on when to post, and how often to post. Part of this knowledge included using Bitly.com to shorten links and keep our feed uncluttered and inspiring (bitly also offers the ability to track your posting activity). Another helpful tip, was learning how to maximize the space available within each outlet.
Q: What was the workshop like?
A: The seminar was conducted exclusively by Bri through a slideshow taking us through the highlights of Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.
Q: What was the most valuable piece of information?
A: The most valuable information acquired, was to provide new and different feed for each social outlet. For instance, if I want to post photography of my invitations or art, keep a similar theme, but don't just post the same image and copy to each outlet. Change it up, and create your own voice with the type of imagery you post.
Q: Did you think it was worth the price?
A: $194.97 was pretty pricey for a 2-hour class, but considering my lack of knowledge, I definitely feel it was improved by taking the workshop.
Q: Where can people find your stuff?
A: SmudgeDesignCo.com
Q: Anything else?
A: The things you are passionate about are not random, they are you're calling. -Fabienne Fredrickson
left to right: Renee Pulve, Bri Emery, Sarah Curry
