Meet Elizabeth Maxwell, Partner and Design Director of Beagle.
This week we talk to Elizabeth Maxwell of Beagle, a new design studio based in our hometown of Oklahoma City. Elizabeth is a newly minted business owner, designer, and illustrator. Elizabeth and Beagle focus on the work that lives comfortably in both the space of art and function, efficiency and exploration; the partnership of visual production and written content development. Their services range from print and product design to voice development and content creation. This is a special “hometown” interview and we chat with our friend Elizabeth about her background, what’s she’s up to now and starting your own design studio.
Sandip: So let’s start from the beginning. Tell us where you’re from, your background and a bit about growing up.
Elizabeth: We moved to Oklahoma City when I was about six, and maybe two years later settled in Edmond. I went to Oklahoma Christian University under scholarship, as a painting major. I kind of hated the idea of being a graphic designer, because I thought it meant sitting at a computer in a basement eating hot pockets all day. After my first design class, I found myself really drawn to the problem solving and more technical aspects of design. The rest is history.
Sandip: Growing up, would your parents say your current career choice was pretty obvious given your hobbies or what you were good at?
Elizabeth: I think so. I was always drawing or painting as a kid. And I’m stubborn, so my dad says he knew I’d eventually start my own business. In sixth grade they gave us a career assessment, a little test to tell us what we would probably enjoy doing as grown-ups. I got “museum curator” or “clown”. I guess I’ve found a happy medium?
Sandip: What was your first job in “design”? What did you like about it? What lessons did you learn?
Elizabeth: I interned at Finch Creative (also based in OKC) during my senior year, which turned into a full-time job when I graduated. I was extremely fortunate to be a part of that team. I was allowed into every meeting, I learned how to talk to clients, how to manage projects, how to bill. I made many mistakes under the supervision of a very caring and patient team of “Work Dads”. Creatives have a reputation of being too “right-brained”, and I’ve always felt I straddled the line of creativity and logic pretty evenly. Finch offered me plenty of opportunity to explore both of those sides as they pertain to the business of design, which is invaluable.
Sandip: You design, illustrate, paint, speak at events, and run a studio. How do you do it all? If you had to pick, what would you say you’re the best at? What would you say you enjoy the most? What do you enjoy the least?
Elizabeth: That all sounds… a lot cooler than it actually is. I enjoy playing the Design Director role. Big-picture planning, organizing a team, strategizing, overseeing. I feel like I’m good at orchestrating those moving pieces, and it’s satisfying to see something come together. I probably enjoy speaking the least. I’m always wondering, “what the hell do you want me to talk about? Surely there’s someone more qualified?” It’s the perfect opportunity for that Imposter Syndrome monster to rear its ugly head.
Sandip: So you’ve just started your own design studio, Beagle. That’s awesome and congrats first and foremost! Did you face any challenges along the way? What made you want to go out and do your own thing?
Elizabeth: Thanks! Mostly I wanted to take those risks I couldn’t take at someone else’s shop. I also wanted to experiment — with design, with process, with pricing, with business. You can only really do those things when you’re responsible for yourself.
Sandip: I can see that. What’s the hardest part of running your own studio?
Elizabeth: Networking. I’m an extrovert, but networking wears me OUT. Always ready to meet people, always ready to make a connection no matter where I am, always with a big smile on… I feel like I don’t ever get to turn fully off.
Sandip: What’s the best part of running your own studio?
Elizabeth: The satisfaction of taking care of myself. My bills are paid and there’s food on my table, all because my partner and I have taken the initiative to start something of our own. That’s pretty magical.
Sandip: You’ve worked on all sorts of projects and for big clients and small. What would you say are some common themes you’ve noticed that makes for successful projects?
Elizabeth: First and foremost is trust. When I get a client who trusts me to be a partner rather than just a designer, that’s where the good stuff happens. We never “just make someone a logo”. We start projects with a lot of research and strategy, and everything we do builds on that foundation. So when a client hears us out, looks at the research, and then trusts us to move forward in a direction that is in their best interest, regardless of any preconceived ideas they may have had — I live for that!
Second to that is a strong line of communication. My least favorite projects have undoubtedly been the ones where a client can’t or won’t try to tell me what they want. I’ve had a few who think they’re playing hardball by making me play guessing games instead of just being straight-forward and honest. I’m not a mind-reader, guys. I understand that it can be really hard to express opinions and feelings on design. I will meet you halfway and do my best to help a client express themselves, but only if they put the effort in on their end.
Sandip: Walk us through the process of starting a new project at Beagle. What’s that look like? How do you like to start, your processes, the different phases, tools you might use, etc.
Elizabeth: The first thing we do is research. We interview the client, we interview their target, we look at what their competitors are doing, look for gaps in the market. We present that to the client, have a few discussions over it to make sure we all understand the data the same way.
After that, we create a mood board. I find these really important, as a client’s idea of “clean and minimal” may be very, very different from mine. Once we are all in agreement on the overall vibe/aesthetic, I get to designing.
Unless otherwise requested, I typically show a client one logo. I tried giving clients several initial options, but I found they were getting three “okay” options as none of them could be fully fleshed out. Instead I hash out my ideas over a week or two, before honing it down to the final direction I think most accomplishes all of our objectives. I present it ready-to-use, on various pieces of collateral and different applications. There may be some revisions. When that’s approved, we move forward with all the small pieces (print collateral, signage, etc).
Other projects follow the same formula — research, aesthetic, development, revisions, finalization.
Sandip: Have any mentors who helped you along the way?
Elizabeth: The original Finch team still holds my hand from time to time. They really are my “Work Dads”. Grant Hill, Chris Castro, Clint Williams, and Scott Scrivener. I know I can reach out to any of them at any time, for advice or feedback.
If they’re my “Work Dads”, Erin Cooper and Cara Bell are my “Design Moms”. Having strong female designers/business owners has been huge. We have a no-holds-barred kind of friendship that never lets me down.
The team at Future Haus has also really taken us under their wing. Right when we started Beagle, they took us out to lunch and let us know they were always there if we needed anything. They’ve helped us navigate some really large projects, and I’m ever grateful.
Sandip: What’s been your favorite project to date? Why?
Elizabeth: I’d say the work we did for The Makeup Bar. I told Alex (the owner) that I’d cut her a big deal on her branding package if she let me go crazy with it. For some reason, she agreed. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever done, which was exhilarating and terrifying all at once. I had so much fun putting all those pieces together, and couldn’t be prouder of how it turned out.
Sandip: So for those that don’t know, back in May of 2017, a big storm hit OKC – BIG. It destroyed lots of areas and included signage. You and your partner offered to help people replace signage and offered design services for free. I loved this! Tell us a bit about that and why you offered that up?
Elizabeth: It’s hard to find things I can do to really help people with my vocation. We wanted anyone impacted by that storm to have a hand, whether they just wanted to replace what they had, or wanted the opportunity to get something entirely new. It was really a very small gesture on our part. The building next to us literally blew down. The least I can do is get someone some new signage.
Sandip: What are some of your favorite brands and some of your favorite designers?
Elizabeth: Caterina Bianchini and Counter Print Books are doing some of my favorite work right now. I also never tire of Phaidon. The University of Bergen’s new identity for their fine art/music/design department does things to me. And I think Elizabeth Suzann has done an amazing job at selling a lifestyle. Their principles, their aesthetics, their brand messaging — it’s all perfectly cohesive and attractive.
Sandip: What inspires you? In those moments you’re feeling in a creative rut, what’s something you do to help pull you out?
Elizabeth: I do everything I can to remove myself from the problem. Sometimes it means a beer, sometimes a nap, sometimes a vomit-inducing workout. The only thing that hurts more than it helps is looking for inspiration in design itself. I have to get off social media, away from Dribbble, out of design books. If I don’t, I can’t get out of that rut.
Sandip: We’re both based in Oklahoma City. What do you love most about living in OKC? If someone was coming to OKC for a few days, give me your list of must-do, must-see, must-eat places!
Elizabeth: OKC is a unique place in that it’s so underestimated. Sure we have a ways to go in terms of catching up to bigger cities, but people are always surprised at all the things OKC has to offer. I really love that “under-the-radar-cool”.
Must-do include: Gospel Brunch at the Boom, Shakespeare in the Park, Commonplace Books and a show at Tower Theater. Must-see include: MOA, the Botanical Gardens, Museum of Osteology (I know, technically not OKC but close enough). And must-eat include: Pie Junkie, Anthem Brewing, Sheesh Mahal, Pho Cuong and Tokyo.
Sandip: Favorite book or podcast (or both)?
Elizabeth: I love, LOVE the Lore podcast. My favorite book is Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.
Sandip: What are you listening to? Do you have a favorite artist?
Elizabeth: I’ve been cycling between Devendra Banhart, Paramore, and Anderson .Paak over the last couple of weeks. It’s a solid summer playlist.
Sandip: Last question for you. Do you have any daily routines?
Elizabeth: Every morning, I make a cup of coffee and go outside to my garden. I check each plant, pull a few weeds, water what needs to be watered. Sometimes I just stand and think about what else I’d like to plant, how I want to design the rest of the space someday. It’s such a zen way to start the day. Away from a phone, outside looking at flowers and smelling herbs, slowly sculpting a three-dimensional space. I feel like my mother.
Thanks so much for reading! Each week our team publishes an interview with a designer, illustrator, filmmaker, animator or artist that inspires us. A big thank you to our friend Elizabeth for taking the time to chat with us! You can see more of Elizabeth and Beagle’s work over at Beagle Studio and Dribbble. You can also follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
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