Today we’d like to introduce you to Alli VanKleeck.
Hi Alli, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
Hot Slice Design Studio was founded in 2018 by Alli VanKleeck. I was burnt out from the corporate design world, and I had always dreamed of trying freelance. With no prospects or much pre-planning, I decided to quit my day job at a tech start-up and started my business. The goal was simply to pay my bills and get my creative spark back.
Since then, Hot Slice has grown to a team of two (yay!) as we strive to create professional, unique, and rad visual identities for small to medium-sized businesses. Our services range from branding and packaging for independent retailers (our bread & butter) to marketing design for larger businesses. We continue to create designs as authentic, original, and genuine as each client that we work with.
Our clientele operates in various industries, but ideally, our dream client is a brand that cares deeply about their brand from story to visuals to end product or service. They’re in it for the long haul, not as a whim or short-term operation. We believe good design is a worthy and necessary investment for businesses, and our clients believe and value it as well.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I think it has been a relatively smooth road, but not necessarily an easy one. I quit my 9-5 to get a better “work-life balance”, but quickly found running your own business means working way more hours. No one tells you to stop working and go home; you have to learn how to set boundaries with work and clients. This was one of my biggest struggles because when you are responsible for finding new work, it’s hard to turn down any work that comes your way for fear of the work suddenly drying up.
Another challenge was how to scale my business. It got to a point where I felt like if I raised my prices any more, I would price out the types of people and businesses I wanted to work with, but I could only physically do so much work myself. Figuring what aspects of my business I could outsource, and eventually, hiring an employee (and all the processes that need to be in place in order to make it an enjoyable work environment) was a whole new ball game for me. It’s harder than you think to let go control over things when it has only been you for so long.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
We don’t believe in one size fits all; instead, we look at each businesses’ unique criteria, research the industry, and craft the best-fitting, hard-hitting solutions that aim to elevate the brand. We specialize in thoughtful, well-researched brand identities. We don’t often produce work that is “trendy”, rather an authentic and professional representation of your brand’s unique personality.
Hot Slice Design Studio’s work is often full of personality. I really avoid this “bland”ing trend of SUPER minimal and basic brands. Minimal can still be interesting and unique, in my opinion.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
Covid-19 was an interesting time for the studio. We didn’t see a huge downturn in business, but we didn’t see a ton of growth either. I saw a lot more people go into business for themselves as well, which is rad because when you work for yourself, it can often be lonely, so I was excited to see our freelance community growing. I do think a lot of small business owners really banded together and created discussions, support groups, virtual social events, etc. to keep spirits up, share advice, etc. A few designers even created fundraisers that paired local designers with bars/restaurants to design merch that raised money for the establishments while they were closed.
Also, spending a lot more time at home, I turned back to some more traditional forms of art. I got back into painting and ended up creating another company called Smock and Roll that designs and installs murals. It was really fulfilling to get a break from my computer and produce some more large-scale work.
Contact Info:
- Website: hotslicedesign.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hotslice.design/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hotslicedesign
Image Credits
Jordan Pay
Hannah Schieving
