Today we’d like to introduce you to Tad Dobbs.
Hi Tad, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’ve spent almost 30 years building a career focused on crafting unique visual stories, coaching graphic designers, and helping clients build brands that connect to their audiences. With a recent work separation, I took a step back to reconnect with my initial passion – illustration and fine arts. Drawing as a kid brought me joy, and bringing that back into my day-to-day work has reignited my career.
I began doing pet portraits for family and friends as a thank you for all that they do, and it has become a new focus for me. I work in graphite from photos provided by clients to create portraits that come to life. Though most people reach out wanting a memorial for their beloved dog, I have also worked on portraits for horses, cats and just about any other pet you can imagine. I’m always excited when I get a chance to work on an animal that I’ve never drawn. The best part about the work is that it’s deeply personal for each client, and I often get a chance to hear wonderful stories that show the love for their pets.
While this started as a side quest while doing freelance creative direction, it reminded me of the importance of using my hands and getting dirty to make art that matters.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Whether it’s a new industry or new tools, I am always excited to learn. I’m a curious problem-solver, and it’s the whole reason I chose this career path.
AI has been a struggle for many creatives, but it can be a great tool for designers. The perception with many companies is that it is a replacement for designers rather than another tool in the box for designers to leverage. Whether you’re working with AI or a designer, the outcome is determined by your input and feedback. If you can’t communicate clear feedback to a designer then you will face the same challenge with AI. The big advantage of working with a designer is the conversations that happen while collaborating. AI doesn’t have a conversation without a prompt.
I have found that AI is a strong tool that I use regularly for helping with production needs like retouching and formatting. I have also experimented with it for early concept development, but I don’t find that it is any more efficient than sketching and writing. It really all comes down to the input gathered from conversations with the client.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Tad Dobbs Creative?
I am a freelance creative director that provides consulting and strategy for marketing materials, as well as building all of the marketing assets. My specialty is developing, refreshing and growing brand identities which could be as simple as logo design or as deep as full brand guidelines. Having had a long career in design I offer expertise in print, digital, social media and video/motion graphics.
I’ve been featured in over 15 national books and publications for logo design, and I’ve won 28 awards for communication and design work over the course of my career. In addition, I’ve been a speaker and contributed articles to design-industry organizations and magazines.
When it comes to leading teams for agencies or corporate in-house teams, I am unique in that I’m a people-focused leader who develops processes and workflows that drive efficiency. I leverage both sides of my brain for the analytic and the emotional needs of the project or team. For clients, I am a competitive listener who is able to pick up on the nuances in a conversation to define the problem-statement while crafting unique solutions to connect to your market. The empathy I use to connect and lead teams is the same strength that I use to connect to clients and collaborate.
Most projects start with consulting which helps identify areas we can impact. I can work within most budgets, because we can scale deliverables based on what fits best. Most clients reach out for campaign concepting, digital ads, direct mail, social media content, and logo design.
I am most proud of the brand work that I did for the Starr Conspiracy, 16 years ago. I had a recent conversation with two of the partners to discuss the impact that work had on my career, and to thank them for the collaboration and trust. I am also equally proud of the mentoring that I have done both through AIGA and for the designers on my teams in the past. I don’t often stop and look back at my work and the impact it has had on others, but over the last year both of these examples have continued to come back to me in unexpected ways.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I’ve always been a natural introvert though when it comes to work I’m less so. Clients are often surprised that I am introverted.
As a kid, my world was always filled with imagination, reading/writing stories, drawing and music. When I wasn’t drawing I was outside skateboarding. My first inkling of being a designer was in 1985 when I saw an ad in Thrasher Magazine that Powell Peralta was looking for a new artist, and I sent my portfolio of sketches to apply for the job. I received a free deck and an encouraging letter that said something like “your work is great, so please reach out when you are 18.” I was 12 at the time.
Although, I was a voracious artist, I also loved math. I think that balance of right and left brain is what drew me to graphic design.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://taddobbscreative.com
- Instagram: @creativesquall
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taddobbs/
