Friday Feature! Soul by Design

Happy Friday all! 

I'm really pleased to be featuring very talented and always chirpy chappy Lee from Soul By Design as my Friday Feature today.................

• Tell us about you......who you are, what you like, what you don’t like…. Basically anything you want to share

Well, I am Lee Darrel Elmore (my parents liked me really), born in Shardlow Village, Derby on the 25th April 1977 to Barbara and Darrel. Although I have a huge family, I am an only child. Bought up in poor surroundings, but with all the love and support a child could need. I have a 6 year old son Joshua which is basically a 'mini-me'. He is my entire life (o:

Left school in 1993 and enrolled myself at Wilmorton College, Derby to start the long road of becoming an architect. Studying a BTEC 1st Construction, then on to a BTEC National. Realizing this was not the career for me, I changed courses. A-Level Art, A-Level Photography, GNVQ Art and Design and other supporting courses like Maths and English.

Since I was young I have had a love for art. My father was excellent with the paints, and my Grandad used to sit me on his knee and spend hours designing garden layouts.

To this day my favourite piece of work I have ever produced was a scaled down pen and pencil artwork of the Rolls Royce Memorial window. I produced many versions of these since I was 8 years old, but the best was for one of my late neighbours Mr Edwards. Like my Grandad he fought in the war and worked at RR since he was a teenager. Before he past away I produced the best version yet. Just done with 0.3 fine liner and coloured pencils measuring 1m in height.

Leaving college I immediately worked in a Textile printing company working on many Disney prints and one off bespoke jobs.

Working for so many genres of design companies and varied printers I have gathered invaluable knowledge of Print Design and Imaging. Litho, Digital, Plotting, Large Format and Textile. Working for a world top 50 company Office Depot, a leading Agency in Wyatts International and for Barkers Recruitment Advertising Agency. Freelance highlights are working on jobs for Nike, Brio and a BTCC racing team ES Racing.

My social life is made up of hanging with my son, sport and relaxing with friends. Some of my private highlights come from the following: Basketball, Karate, boxing, kick boxing, road running, 10k charity running and one day would like to run the London Marathon.

Been in many basketball competitions, also played for the Derby Bucks (now Trailblazers) a few times as a Junior and was lucky enough to represent British schools in Osnebruck, Germany in a mini Olympiad.

Also represented my school twice in the Young Engineers of Southern Derbyshire competition. Winning 2^nd and 4^th respectively.

I have travelled to many countries including Lapland, Egypt, Florida, mainland Spain, Cyprus, Jersey, Germany, France, Holland, Belgium, Corfu, Tenerife, Majorca, Southern / Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales (o:

• About your company......

Formed in 2007 Light Creativity (as it was at the time) was started after I had won my fight with Testicular Cancer. I kicked it well and truly in the nuts (o:

I did not want to work for others no more, I needed a few new goals in life, and having my own business was the main one. I already had all the equipment and a home studio to put it all in. Lots of reference books, a brand new 24in iMac, another 17in monitor for palettes, MacBook, SRA3 printer, Umax scanner, lots of finishing equipment for mock-up purposes and a swivel chair.

After a while I wanted an office, so I rented a decent sized office looking over a train track next to Pride Park Stadium, Derby. This was my biggest mistake I have made in business. This move did not work out at all, I had vastly over estimated how much work I was going to be bringing in off the back of the move. Lots of things were promised, and lots of people let me down. My fault for trusting I guess. So after 6 months I cut my losses and walked away. If I do have another office again, it will be done on the back of a business plan and a real strategy put in place. Was an experience though, just not a good one.

I think it is important to make mistakes, as I shall not make the same mistakes twice.

Luckily I had built up a real good reputation within the industry in the Midlands, so after a while things got back to normal. After a while I changed the name from Light Creativity to Soul By Design. It just fit more with how I was wanting to take the business forward.

 

Soul By Design caters for the following...

Full corporate ID, branding / logos, style sheets, brochures, magazines, annual reports, marketing devices, flyers, leaflets, stationery, posters, packaging, programmes, greeting cards, calendars... basically anything printed. Also layered website concepts.

SO IN BRIEF...

With 15 years industry experience working on branding, print design, press advertising and imaging. Litho, digital, large format and textile print methods. My motivation is from a keen interest in helping other businesses succeed and a love of anything digital. My work related interests include photography, visiting exhibitions and art galleries, digital social networking and internet browsing. Hobbies and interests include motorsport, basketball, walking, fitness, visiting different countries, visiting art exhibitions and galleries, history, architecture, learning new software techniques, visiting restaurants and being with family and friends. Most of my time is taken up by having fun with my 6 year old son. A proud member of the Derby Trailblazers Basketball Club. Helping their community projects with design support since 2001.

CONTACT...

Chellaston, Derby

Call me on 07887601723

Email me on lee_elmore@hotmail.com

Browse my mini portfolio at http://www.behance.net/leeelmore

Join me on twitter for light hearted banter @soulbydesign

Follow me on Linkedin http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/lee-elmore/30/b63/578

• What or who inspires you?

My grandad, my mum, my dad and my son. My favourite artist was Claude Monet with his unique fresh style, which was not afraid of changing up every now and then to fit the piece of work he was working on.

• Top 3 on your wish list right now?

New house

2005 BMW M3 tuned in sky blue

Happiness

• Tell us your best/ funniest joke…………go on its Friday!

 (oh dear)...

Knock knock

Who's there?

I didup

I didup who?

Urrrrrr you did a poo.

(bet you giggled)

• What do you have planned for this weekend?

Saturday I will be going for a bike ride, watching F1 qualifying, then off to a Derby Trailblazers basketball game at night. Sunday I shall be gearing up for the F1 race and watching it. Have food at parents and prep for Mondays work.

•  Finally (thank Chrunchie) what give’s you that ‘Friday-Feeling’?

Looking forward to a rest, playing with my son and drinking a crazy amount of pepsi... with a cheeky Crunchie (o:

I'd like to say a mahoooosive thanks to Lee for being so open & honest in this feature, I'm sure you'll agree its nice to see the human side of a business! Also a thanks on behalf of a lot of people for keeping us all chatting on Twitter and for generously helping me (and no doubt others) with his advice in all areas of graphic design. You're a gem! 


Have a great weekend all, lets hope for some sunshine......
Love Kate x