Kristin Casaletto

I've been drawing and creating since I was a little girl. I didn't really find out what graphic design was until I got to college, but it seemed like the most natural direction to take so I could work and be creative on a daily basis. I was also able to combine my love of drawing into an illustration degree as well and it's been a wonderful compliment to my design work.

I work for Sasquatch, a medium sized agency in Portland, Oregon. We specialize in 3 main areas: Eat, Drink & Play. Within the Drink category, we've carved out a packaging department focused on beer, wine and spirits.

I love designing packaging for alcohol brands. A lot of times it's such a blank canvas and there's a lot of room to inform the brand direction by what you create.

Not sure I have one favorite, but pretty much anything from Stranger & Stranger is wonderful. They are definitely one of my hero companies.

First thing ever? I think a logo for my brother-in-law's company while I was still in college and still figuring out what graphic design was. After college, it was a set of informational kiosks for the Miners' Memorial Park in Pittsburg, Kansas. The park was started by my grandpa, Louis Casaletto, to honor the coal miners from that area.

Paper! I love print pieces. I think it's amazing what you can do with paper, especially with new print technology and the beautiful papers we have access to now.

This might sound a little backward, but I think I feel most creative when I'm looking at work by other people. It doesn't really have to be graphic design work. I just love seeing how other creatives' brains work and what they have built, designed, created, etc., and how they've pushed the boundaries. Architecture, interior design, typography—all of it gets me really excited and inspires me to create things that I hope are also pushing boundaries.

I think it's important to start with messaging first, then go from there. Even if what you've made is pretty, if you're not saying the right thing with your design it's not going to be successful.

It really depends on what I'm working on. If it's something that excites me and pushes me creatively then I'm usually feeling a mix of passion, motivation and anxiety. The anxiety part is key. For me if I don't feel a little bit of that, I'm probably not pushing out of my comfort zone enough.

There's pride and sense of accomplishment. That's why I love working in packaging. It's usually a show piece designed to catch someone's attention. You get to put a lot of creative energy into it and it's exciting to see the final product.

Back to messaging first. Are you reaching your intended audience? Is the message there? Then definitely aesthetic beauty is huge. You have to draw someone in with your design and grab their attention.

Is it aesthetically pleasing? Does it stand out from the rest? Is it conveying the right message and reaching the audience it's meant for? There are a ton of aspects to good design, but these are high on the list for me.

As designers, we have a huge responsibility to society and the environment to constantly be educating ourselves about new, greener technologies and then to educate our clients with this info. We have a lot of power to inform how people think as well, so it's important to know where you stand on certain issues as a designer.

For one, designers are younger and younger these days. It's natural that designers start early now with the access they have to technology. I think that also creates a need for a lot more digital design as well.

March 4th & 5th in Portland, Oregon. I'm not sure when the next will be.

Inspiration comes from everywhere. Signs on the street, architecture, magazines, antique shops, vintage books and online sources. I also like looking at some of my favorite blogs: The Dieline & Oh Beautiful Beer, but it's also interesting to just scan through Pinterest sometimes.

I think my design style is pretty diverse. I like to try new styles a lot and challenge myself to do things differently than I have for previous projects. I always want my work to feel fresh and new instead of staying in the same style.

Portland, Oregon. I'm sure the cultural heritage of where you live affects everyone's designs to a certain extent. Politics, cultural aesthetic, worldview, etc. of the area you live would all affect design. The pros of where I live are many. I have access to a huge design and art community and there's excitement in those areas. Cons are probably lack of cultural diversity.

We try to maintain a close partnerships with companies and build relationships. We like to work with people local to the area so we can get more face-to-face time, but we work with clients from all over.

I think it's important for companies to educate themselves on the design process before going into it. Often times clients aren't aware of the steps it takes to create thoughtful and beautiful designs. There is an extremely wide range of designers in the world. If they are barely charging anything for their work, they might be skipping some important steps. Be aware of that before choosing a designer.

There's a lot of research up front. Learning about the client, what they do and who their target audience is. There's also a lot of stylistic research to be done. What style best represents the client and is there a direction that is more appropriate. Next comes concepts and sketching, into design rounds before landing on a final product.

That's a tough one. I'm going to have to think about it.

Walk my dog and get ready for work. Head to the office and coffee is first thing. Depending on the day, I'm either in a bunch of meetings or researching or sketching for current projects.

Try lots and lots of things to find what you're passionate about. And if you don't have a job that is giving you great portfolio pieces to land an even better job, then create your own work. Don't wait for client projects. Create some passion pieces. Maybe you redesign your favorite brewery's packaging or the book cover of one of your favorite books. Just create some work you're proud of and that you put a lot of effort into so you can show off your talent.

A few positives are getting to be creative on a daily basis, work with other creatives and usually work with clients that are really interesting. One negative can be stress when you're expected to design on demand.

Curiosity, computer skills, composition & typography skills, communication

The Adobe Creative Suite, namely Illustrator, Photoshop & InDesign. I love my iPad Pro and Apple Pencil. I take it pretty much everywhere and I'm always sketching on it. Whether it's for a new design or just doodling some illustration pieces, I just like how accessible it makes creating wherever I am.

I keep a written planner and fill out my weekly goals and schedule. I'm a visual person so having a digital calendar isn't enough for me. I like the have my planner with me all the time so I can easily reference what's going on.

That's not an easy question to answer. It really depends on the project.

Probably my first job in Portland. I was able to work on wine packaging and it's when I discovered how much I enjoy packaging work. It was a brief experience, but it provided me with a portfolio that led to bigger things down the road.

Widmer Brothers Brewing, Redhook Brewing, Craft Brew Alliance, Double V Distillery, Colter's Creek Winery, and more.

Spirits packaging is up there. I like being able to combine illustration with design as well.

Keep growing and learning. I'd love to get more spirits projects. I really enjoy working on the packaging for spirits. I also want to help other designers find their passion and grow as well.

A combination of both. I usually start alone by doing some research and sketching, then I bring my ideas to my team and we discuss our combined thoughts and the direction we'd like to go.

I earned a BFA Dual Degree in Graphic Design & Illustration with a minor in Art History from Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri

I wanted to have a job where I could be creative on a daily basis and also pay the bills. I didn't really know much about graphic design, but my art instructors encouraged me to look into it after noting that my work had a graphic/iconic style to it.

I mostly create alcoholic beverage packaging, but my work can range from branding to digital design.

Haha, I don't think of myself as a legend, but I would encourage young designers to learn as much as they can about a lot of things, be curious about their world, see what other people are doing and how others are solving problems creatively, etc. Don't get stuck in a rut with your work. Instead, challenge yourself to try new things.

A good designer solves the problem. A great designer also solves the problem, but tries new ways to do it.

When it goes beyond being a visually pleasing piece and also informs & problem solves.

It will usually mean the difference of how well your product does in market. If you put a ton of time, energy and passion into an idea, you should take it across the finish line with good design.

I have a secret dream to create a home decor line consisting of lighting, art, textiles, etc. I draw a lot of inspiration from that world and I'm really passionate about