I had the chance to discover Eva’s Instagram through a dear friend. The story behind those rich authentic photos is even more inspiring. She purposefully masters several disciplines from web branding to graphic design and visual communication. Excellence is her brand. Eva is always in the search for fresh ideas and new strategies, pitching new and exciting collaborations. You can follow her utterly inspiring outcomes on her website or Instagram.
Tell us please about your life, how did you evolve and end up being the talented and successful woman that you are today?
From a young age, I’ve always been interested in technology—when I was 5 it was playing Oregon Trail on an Apple II, in high school I created rough digital presentations, and so on. Naturally, after my childhood in New Mexico and California, I set my sights on New York and moved here to study advertising and marketing with a focus on digital content. That was 15 years ago (!). Between now and then, I moved back West, was a legislative aide for a brief stint, then started in the creative world and landed at Everlane. I was one of the first employees and was given the task of building out their social media. And while I loved it, I always wanted to be my own boss. So three years ago, I quit and started my own web and brand strategy studio. Then I started a watch company. And now we’re working on condoms. Oh, and I moved back to New York. It’s been a fun, interesting, unexpected journey.
You work as digital content creator, web designer and brand strategist. Can you to tell us a little bit more about your work?
I really have two jobs: One one hand, I’m a solopreneur with my own web and branding studio, eg° studio who builds Squarespace websites primarily. On the other hand, I’m the co-founder of a watch company, Tinker Watches, and a condom line, Maude.
What is your day-to- day life like?
Luckily, I work from home so while I keep busy, I am in a quiet, casual environment. In the mornings, I’ll make a quick breakfast and then sit down to work through the day’s tasks (I have a folder for each day that I go through). Many days, I’ll have meetings around New York and then I’ll return for a few more hours at my desk before dinner. Having just moved back, we make it a point to explore as many neighborhoods as we can in the evenings. Also, when you work for yourself, it’s nice to go outside, meet friends, and get your brain out of workland.
Do you have a certain working method/philosophy?
I am meticulous about organization and making sure to complete everything I can for that day by using a folder marked for each day of the week. I also try to use tools to make my workflow easier. I recommend: Proposify, Assistant.to, Appear In, and Wave Apps.
Is there a certain way to cultivate our eyes & mind to achieve such an impeccable eye for details?
Simplify, simplify, simplify. I believe that both in work, life, home and personal style, you should aim for quality and clarity over quantity. You want people to remember what you make and who you are and if you have too much going on, either digitally or in your aesthetic, you’re not “sticky”. That is, people don’t remember you.
What would one should do in this line of work not to become just mediocre?
Keep learning. Try and keep up-to-date on what the latest is in design and technology (I use siteinspire.com and sitesee.co) and see if your work measures up. If it doesn’t, think about evolving. It’s one thing to have a certain style, but you don’t ever want to be behind just because you’re stubborn.
What kind of projects would you like to develop more?
I love building out product websites, especially for small business that are just getting started.
How important is for you the place you work from?
Very important. I’ve hesitated to leave my home office because I need a quiet, clean and distraction-free place to work.
What is your main source of inspiration?
I’m consistently inspired by the sources I mentioned above and by my friends who are incredibly talented. A few of note: Jessica Comingore of the Elysian Edit, Jessie Webster (a photographer), Puno Dostres (founder of PeopleMap, ILOVECREATIVES and an amazing designer), Clemence Poles (founder of Passerbuys), and Nicole Franzen (photographer).
Who do you follow on Instagram?
I use Instagram to follow brands and interesting people. @lisasaysgah, @act_series, @grampaa_, @shopundone
Thank you Eva for sharing with us your ideas, knowledge and experiences.
By Dana Chels
Love this post! x