Paige recently began constructing large paper sculptures, some taller than she is. She helps ROI’s clients see unfolding possibilities, too.
Paige Smith
As a graphic designer, Paige Smith will go to just about any length to get a client’s project right. Once, working on a new logo, she needed a rustic look and ended up carving it from a potato. On another assignment, she designed two entirely new fonts, East and West.
"Good graphic design is part of communicating effectively, quickly. So I try to go in the direction a client needs," Paige said. "It’s never about me. It’s about somebody else’s idea and how I can make it look great."
Ever flexible, Paige has worked on projects for a wide range of clients, from independent film companies to Silicon Valley tech firms to the San Francisco Ballet. Her work has included websites, logos, print brochures, animation, magazines, invitations, brands and interior design.
"Graphic design always poses new challenges, and I like helping people achieve their goals," she said.
Paige, a 2005 graduate of Texas Tech University with a BA in Design Communication and Graphic Art, began her career as an intern at Bonfire Communications, before moving on to do graphic design for the San Francisco Ballet. Beginning in 2007, Paige built a freelance business with offices in San Francisco and Los Angeles. She joined the ROI Communication team in 2010.
Paige believes that graphic design is a collaborative process. Sometimes she commissions a painter to create a necessary background. Often, she’ll use her drawing skills to articulate a client’s vision. Paige credits her abilities and passion to a tag-team of professors at Texas Tech – one teaching typography, and another teaching symbols.
"They were not only teachers, but practicing designers," she said. "They inspired me and I wanted to be a part of it."