Kelly Hamburg shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Kelly, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
I like to wake up before everyone else in the house, even my dog Wrigley. I’m all about routines and I like to start the day with a nice long walk or going to the gym to just get things moving and listen to some music. After making a protein shake or vitamin drink I like to go up to the shop where it’s still quiet. That’s where I start my journal entry in my Field Notes notebook. I’ve done a page a day for over 7 years. I also have another journal for a daily doodle/sketch that I’ve been doing for almost the same amount of time. The first 90 minutes are used to wake up the body and the brain.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Kelly Hamburg. Head Honcho of Hamburg Solutions. I love to create, develop, collaborate and lead. I’m inspired by the design and functionality of everything that surrounds me. While you are at a restaurant figuring out what you are going to order, I’m staring at the menu looking at the font and design choices. I specialize in providing clean and thoughtful results-driven design and art direction. I’m passionate about innovation over emulation and have a strong sense of service, diligence and purpose.
I’ve dedicated over 30 years in corporate and agency settings in Houston growing brands with graphic design, art direction and marketing insight. I diligently and creatively explore and solve marketing challenges. I founded Hamburg Solutions in 2018 to apply my knowledge to build brands large and small with a focus on designing for good.
Being a steward of good design is one thing, but what you lend your talents to put out in the world is just as important. I want my work to serve the greater good.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
God and my family. It started with my parents. They believed in me when I didn’t have the courage to believe in myself. I was always a bit of a dreamer and not the best student unless something really interested me. When I was interested I completely nerded out and learned everything about it. I still do to this day.
My parents invested in my education (and it wasn’t easy when your kid says he doesn’t want to study architecture anymore and instead wanted to become an artist). But they believed in me. And in my life, when the people I care about believe in me, that’s all I need.
The same could be said of my wonderful wife. It was pretty dicey to go out on my own, she had faith in me, when even I wasn’t sure if it would work. I’m naturally “nervous” and she eased that. I had a little luck, some faith from career long clients and colleagues and a lot of help from God who guided me to stay the course. But even before that, God gave me the strength to leave the comforts of my small hometown in Illinois to chase my big city dreams in Houston. I left everything I knew for my entire life to go start a journey where I felt like a stranger. The first few years were tough, and I was pretty homesick, but throwing myself into my work eased the pain.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Everyone suffers at some point. But I think the most important thing is what you choose to suffer for. What and who are you willing to sacrifice for? Carefully define those and get on with it knowing that suffering is temporary. When you suffer and find success, you appreciate it much more knowing that without one you will seldom experience the other, they work together.
We all suffer and struggle, but no-one should feel they are alone in that. Share your struggles and success, because they go hand in hand. And when you make it past your struggles, help someone else get past theirs. And back to my first point, make sure you are struggling for the right person, reasons and things.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
In the design industry I see a lot of “experts” with only a couple years of experience. Most experts will never claim to be one. Design is very subjective and its only constant is change. In order to be successful you must constantly learn and change with it, while still holding onto the basic design principles that seem to get lost as you get further along in your journey.
The biggest term that just makes me cringe is “fake it until you make it”. While I understand the sentiment of sometimes getting in over your head, I’d prefer a more humble and lifetime learning approach of never conceding that you’ve “made it”. We’re all still trying to get there, so instead of declaring yourself an expert, just keep on learning and let the accolades come from your clients and peers.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What do you think people will most misunderstand about your legacy?
That to me it wasn’t work. I was lucky and blessed to be able to do what I do. You can’t fake passion and sometimes passion can be misunderstood. When someone is paying for my skillset, I owe them hard work and honesty. While I’m very easy to work with, I it’s also my responsibility tell you the truth. Or at least the truth from my point of view.
You can find plenty of people who can just design your idea. But it takes a different kind of mindset to ask the questions to truly solve your problem. The “who”, “why” and painpoints that you are looking to solve. Good design isn’t just about making something look pretty, it’s solving a problem. But you have to know what the problems are before you can solve them. I ask a lot of questions, and sometimes that gets misinterpreted. I’m trying to get to the root of the problem before I can offer a solution.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hamburgsolutions.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hamburg_solutions/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellyhamburg/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hamburgsolutions/
- Other: Dribble: https://dribbble.com/HamburgSolutions
