A Day in the Life of Estland’s Digital Designer – Austin Raines
Building a visual brand goes far beyond just developing something beautiful or creating a simple logo for the sake of making a few quick sales. It’s about constructing a sound strategy and establishing a true connection with an audience to earn their attention and loyalty.
And that’s exactly what Austin Raines, Estland’s Digital Designer and “Director of Playfulness & Charm”, does on a daily basis. It’s fun, challenging, interesting work, but it requires careful thought and a never-ending reservoir of creativity.
We’re pulling back the curtain on our Harrisonburg, VA, operations to give you a glimpse of a typical day in the life of Austin as he connects with audiences near and far and makes brands shine.
Working With Purpose
7:37 AM: Austin embarks to Estland’s new office in the Harrisonburg Innovation Hub, but not before saying good-bye to his wife and adorable corgis, Bumi and Pabu.
7:58 AM: The day’s first cup of coffee has been poured, and Austin begins fueling his mind and imagination. On this particular morning, he’s finishing up some fresh logo concepts for one of Estland’s new clients.
Whenever Austin is creating a client’s updated visual brand, he’s reminded of the words of his favorite college professor:
“We’re in the business of designing meaning, not shapes.”
Sean Yoo, Furniture Design Studio Class Professor, James Madison University
9:41 AM: It’s time to shift his attention back to an ongoing web design project for a local Harrisonburg client. A second cup of coffee is Austin’s sidekick as he works on wrapping up the wireframe of the client’s new home page.
Like branding and visual identity work, web design is rooted in intentionality and purpose in the pursuit of connecting with website visitors and potential consumers.
Ultimately, this ability to connect with audiences is the driving force behind his career path. A self-described “Passion Pusher,” Austin loves connecting with people to hear about their dreams, visions and businesses. It energizes him to play a part in affirming, motivating and helping them bring those visions to life.
Time to Refuel
11:16 AM: Success – the home page wireframe is done. Now it’s time for lunch. Austin strolls over to The Broad Porch Cafe, where he orders his favorite item on the menu, The Trash Plate.
12:15 PM: With a full stomach and renewed focus, Austin returns to the office to continue working on the wireframe of the new website. Estland is meeting with the client later in the week to go over the initial web design, so he’s putting the finishing touches on that work.
2:00 PM: Time for an internal team meeting to review Austin’s logo designs and the broader branding work from the team. While Austin’s focus is visual design, he works closely with Estland’s writers, strategists and developers. This level of collaboration helps ensure clients not only look polished but resonate more deeply with their target audiences.
Here, he receives positive feedback on his concepts from Estland’s Creative Director, Beverly Virkler. Logo options that will be shared with the client are selected, and direction is given on refining the final designs.
3:47 PM: Austin makes recommended edits to the final logo options. They are now ready for the client to review them.
5:03 PM: After completing some graphics for a blog post, it’s time for Austin to head home to the rest of the Raines fam.
Let’s Work Together
Few digital designers know how to connect with people better than Austin, and few agencies can build a brand like Estland. If your organization’s visuals, website, branding or logo are in need of a refresh, contact us today, so that we can bring our brand of creativity and purpose to yours.
