In this series of articles, we continue to interrupt Herbies employees from their main duties (just for a little bit) to talk about their experiences working with us. This time, we’re with our Senior Graphic Designer, Berta, who allows Herbies to speak to customers not just through text, but through a variety of visual media.
Are you loving the bright colors of our shop and the imaginative illustrations on our blog? Then you’ll definitely love Berta, the person behind it all – let’s get to know her and Herbies a little better!
Starting as a Designer at Herbies
You don’t always have to look for opportunities – sometimes, if you do what you love and put it out into the world, they find you! That’s what happened to Berta. After graduating from a fine arts program, she took a year off to make art and learn some new design skills. She was drawing a lot, taking freelance jobs, and even making her own merch – that was enough for recruiters from Herbies to notice this young talent and give it a shot.
One day, HR from Herbies reached out to me and invited me for an interview. It went really well, and I joined the team right after Herbies moved to Spain. I've been working here ever since! My job here is to provide visual content for the website. This includes creating icons, banners, illustrations for articles, etc. Some part of the work I delegate to freelancers, so assigning tasks and checking the quality of their work is also a part of my job.
Berta and the Team by Her Side
Herbies is a machine that never stops turning its gears. That’s why, every month, we publish dozens of articles and reports on our blog, put out new strains in the shop, and create new deals and ad campaigns to direct customers to the best products. All that requires lots of new visual content to be planned and created on a daily basis. Obviously, Berta wouldn’t be able to do that all alone without a solid team by her side:
We have an art director, a senior graphic designer, a web designer, freelancers, and hired artists on our team. Each of them is responsible for his or her area of expertise, and they all contribute to the final product.
As Herbies constantly grows and evolves, we always try new things out with our products, and we’re never scared to experiment – the same applies to our design team. In some cases, it's enough to make visual materials based on the already existing formula of our brand, but often, they need to engage thorough analysis, brainstorming, and imagination to create something unique – something we’ve never done before – like the time they collaborated with artists to make an awesome, eye-catching illustration for each strain from Herbies’ own seedbank:
Creating illustrations for strains from the Herbies seedbank was a very inspiring challenge because the works had to capture and convey both the character and the name of a certain strain in an associative way. Our team brainstormed and generated ideas for the illustrations, then we picked the artists whose styles were best suited to make these ideas come to life. Eventually, we got what we wanted and even more. Now our customers can enjoy not only the seeds from Herbies, but also these beautiful illustrations.
Behind the Images
The company's design style is constantly evolving and brings simplicity and clarity to the forefront. At the same time, we try not to miss out on current trends and technology.
In addition, the visual content you can see on our website is more than just pictures or icons – all of it also serves the purpose of conveying the philosophy of the brand. It’s bright, playful, and at times even whimsical, showcasing our positive outlook on the cannabis culture and strong beliefs in its bright future. Our blog always features images with a range of characters to show that cannabis is a natural remedy and a source of energy, inspiration, and optimism, which should be available for everyone to GIY (Grow-It-Yourself).
As Berta points out, one of the main goals for her team is to make the site as easy to use as possible. There’s lots of info at herbiesheadshop.com, and thanks to our designers, you can easily find what you’re looking for because your eyes will naturally catch the elements you need.
A lot of work has been done to update the look and the feel of the site. Now the store is definitely fresh and current. It’s also more convenient, functional, and easy to use. The work doesn’t end here, obviously, and we continue to improve Herbies, its visual content, and the user experience.
What Helps the Creative Process
Obviously, creative work can’t be rushed or put on a conveyor belt. That’s why for our design team and Berta, it’s important to have some space, take breaks, experiment, and maintain a healthy, chill working environment.
My favorite part of the job is creating something new for our store. For example, I've had a lot of fun working with our team to create designs for the strains from our Herbies Seedbank. Since I also draw, working with different artists who created illustrations in their own unique style was very important and fulfilling for me.
After the big move to a new location, Herbies Seeds had to build a new home with its own vibe and personal culture almost from the ground up. Luckily, from day one in Spain, Herbies has been blessed with an amazing group of individuals as its employees, so the rest came naturally. Some of the current Herbies culture came from the company itself, like the exciting corporate events that we covered in the previous editions of “Meet …” or our regular events for employees like book clubs or game nights. The rest, though, our employees created themselves, and it’s different from team to team within Herbies. For example, there’s this cute little tradition that Berta describes:
It all started when I saw a woman on the street selling toys. I stopped by to take a look and one toy dinosaur immediately caught my eye, so I bought it and took it with me into the office. Then, my colleagues began to give them to me for birthdays or as souvenirs from their trips. And since then, my collection of dinosaurs has grown like crazy – some of them even have their own names and stories! It sounds funny, but now, my favorite things on my desk are the dinosaurs!
Nice Meeting You, Berta!
The more we talk to the people behind Herbies, the more we realize that the secret to running a successful project and having happy employees is as simple as having the right people in the right positions who truly love what they do! Coming from a background in arts, Berta continues to apply her knowledge and transform her vision into practical application daily, and it just feels natural: “Honestly, I wouldn't say there's anything exceptionally difficult about the work I do. Yes, we have big, challenging, and time-consuming tasks, but they’re still easy to me because I love what I do and time just flies by.”
That’s all for now, folks! What part of Herbies do you want to see from the inside next? Let us know in the comments below, and we’ll keep showing you what it’s like to be part of the team!
Herbies Head Shop expressly refuses to support the use, production, or supply of illegal substances. For more details read our Legal Disclaimer.
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