Twenty Questions With Kate

You are so happy. Like most people my life hasn't been all roses. I went through a rough patch from the age of 15-25. Now, back in my hometown Wanganui with the love of my life and family all around me, life couldn't be better. Mum just takes hold of me, looks into my eyes and stares with wonder at how happy I am.

Being a designer is my dream job. I chose design as I was always making things and Mum researched that the up-and-coming career was Computer Graphics and Design. Dad wanted me to be a vet so I took sciences all through college, as well as art and design.

In the end, design won. I love creating something new from what's around me. It's a way for me to express myself. Design is such a powerful tool for expressing emotion.

I believe that it's all about keeping the client happy. When it comes to weddings, there are so many important things a newly married couple has to deal with, like the wedding and family, houses. It's an expensive time of life. It should be about love, not money - plus my designs are fabulous and you won't find them anywhere else!

For an online business with so much going on, what you see on the website is so simple and easy to use. I am a 'one-woman band.' To develop this business I have had to become more than a designer. I am the secretary, owner-operator, accountant, event manager, spokesperson...

I want to know what you think, if you love or hate something about the site, especially if you have suggestions.

Wow, that's a really hard question to answer, why wouldn't you? I believe in the good in people. I trust those around me and in return am trusted. I am a happy and loved individual and have no reason to lie.

Purchasing over the Internet is a new idea for many people. You are putting your trust and money in people you have never met. With this website, and these 20 questions, I hope you can learn a bit about me and put your mind at ease by seeing and reading about the type of person I am.

There are two parts. Firstly, the buzz and excitement about a new project, brainstorming ideas with a client and getting their input. Secondly, when it's finished, printed, all new and shiny and looking fab, handing it to the client and seeing their face light up at the final product.

Extremely. I want you to come back and purchase more of my designs. I want my clients to recommend me to their friends and family. When meeting with a client you see how they dress, how they speak, what their lives are about. With the website I don't get to meet a lot of my clients, so I go to expos and talk to other people in the industry and my peers and get feedback from them.

After my first expo I completely changed the process of my website because I learnt that people don't care how things are printed or what range they are in. All they want is quality and to know how much it is up front. At the expos I meet hundreds of potential clients and I listen to their questions and ideas and try to take as much from them as I can to improve my business. The client is what will make or break my business.

I have a degree in Computer Graphics with distinction from the prestigious Wanganui Polytechnic, now known as the Wanganui School of Design (part of Whanganui Ucol). I loved studying here; it was a great environment with tutors who really cared about developing your design style.

Family and friends doing extraordinary things every day.

Mum with her patience, she home schools children with learning disabilities.

Dad and my brother can build anything, especially something with an engine.

My sister who is so hard-working.

My husband manages to have a great work/life balance.

My mother-in-law who manages to be a thousand things in one day, mother, grandmother, event manager, host, and support person.

The nieces and nephews with their completely different outlook on life and the magic that happens around them.

I have friends who seem to live normal lives and then I find out that they do extraordinary things through their jobs to save the planet and the people that occupy it. Every day there seems to be someone new who deserves recognition for what they do.

Work hard, be honest, there is nothing more important in this life than love. If I work hard and treat my clients with respect and honesty, then I can build inkprints.com to be a great and fun source of income for my family and me.

My sister running over me with the four-wheeler (motorbike). I fell off the trailer in the long hay. She came back around to find me, didn’t see me and ran over me and broke my leg. I have to add here that my sister has a completely different idea of what happened that day and is horrified at my version of the event. We have had much hilarity around the dinner table arguing our cases.

It is quiet at home during the day and we have this amazing view of Wanganui. People ask if I get lonely and yes, sometimes I do. But I have my two cats Stewie and Angus for company and my husband comes home for lunch every day.

Also, my husband likes computer games so we have a high-spec computer, which is also great for graphics. It's all I need. When we have children I will be able to work comfortably from home with my family around me and have a great work/home balance that so many women strive for when starting a family. This is my plan.

Ahh... the furkids. Stewie and Angus are a constant source of amusement. They are brothers from the same litter but are different breeds. Don’t ask me how that happens! One is Burmese and one is Mandalay. They play fetch and want cuddles and pats all the time. They love people and enjoy showing off to any guests that come by.

As much as I hate getting up at 6:15am (I am not a morning person) I have to say that it is so beautiful to watch the sunrise while I am eating cereal with my husband and cats. In winter you can see the fog slowly lifting and sometimes it looks like it is flowing into the valley.

When I am working I just have the radio on in the background. My favourite type of music would be "house" but I love a bit of rock, too. Old favourites would be Groove Armarda, St Germain, Nice n Urlich. With rock I love The Killers, U2, Franz Ferdinand...

I love exploring new places; a source of constant inspiration near my house is Virginia Lake. Taking a walk round it and feeding the ducks or taking photos is extremely calming. I love being near water. I grew up with a family bach on Lake Taupo, so I love the water and boats. The bach is also close to Mt Ruapehu and I adore skiing, the speed and the beauty of everything white around you, mulled wine...mmmmm.

In our house we work to travel. I love travelling through places that are really different to New Zealand. I think it really adds to a person to see how the rest of the world lives. I get great inspiration from the colours, patterns and food around me. I travel with notebooks and cameras and try to take it all in.

To unwind at the end of the day I am sad to say I cook and watch TV. I find cooking can be very creative and soothing. My favourite part of the day would be after dinner when we lie on the couch and the cats jump up for cuddles and we watch Heroes or Lost or the Amazing Race.

Right now I am reading a very odd novel called, The Enchantress of Florence, by Salman RvShdie. As usual, I chose it because of the cover. I also want to go to India soon so I thought it would be interesting. Interesting it is, but it's also a difficult read. Normally I read historic romantic novels. I loved the Philippa Gregory series with, The Other Boleyn Girl. I try to expand my reading repertoire but nothing beats old-fashioned romance.

I want a world like the one I grew up in for my kids and grandkids. If we don't do something now we won't have a place worth growing up in. There is always something more I can do to help the environment. Right now, I am concentrating on using less plastic bags with my groceries.

In regards to the business, I use environmentally friendly papers and inks where possible. I wish everyone would do the same. I used to recycle paper when I was young. Mum bought me a kit and I still have it.

To just be me in the world. Easier said than done but I try to be happy, positive and realistic about life. I try to be true to myself.

I love it. I have a friend who needs some design work done. Would you be interested?

For a client to recommend me to someone they are close to is a huge deal and means that they are really happy with what I have done for them.

To work hard on inkprints.com, and travel through India and South America before I am 35. Long-term, I want to continue to grow myself, love my husband and work on our marriage and have children. I want to run a successful business doing something that I love.

PATCH print and the production house that do a great job with inkprints.com printing requirements.

Bachelor of Computer Graphics and Design with distinction from the prestigious Wanganui UCOL.

A C Nielson, Adidas, me Occasions, Balustrading Concepts, Black Tomato London, Cardinal Solutions, Centurion Print, Cowper Engineering, Creative Country, Dori McCormick Photography, Dupont, Embassy 3, Espresso Garden Cafe, Farnesi Fabrics, Future Considerations, Hawera Dental Surgery, Horsley Christie, Hospice, Hyundai, IDEAction, Independent Liquor, James Price Photography, Jewels by Bev Symes, Kando, Katie Brown Glass, Lucien Lloyd, Lumley General Insurance, McKean Carnel & Associates, MacVad Australia, My Pay Global, Nivea, Normanby Fibreglass, New World, Pack n' Save, Philip Stein Watches, Plastic Repairs, Pop Runner Promotions, Pronta Print, Realm Estate, St Johns, Studio 6 Design, Style Italia, Suffolk Stud Association, The Collar Club, The Gent, The Warehouse, True Card.

Packaging Design award, Save the planet reducing packaging waste in the children's toys section

Wanganui Chronicle 2007 Designer Kate Jones believes, inspiration comes from everywhere to make something look wonderful. She shares her philosophy with freelance writer Gayelene Holly.

During a proposal to share their lives together, Brendon Jones told Kate Cowper he would cherish her.

The word cherish has been special to Kate since. In March last year when the graphic designer decided to start her own Wanganui business, Cherish Design was born. The name came out of a great event. It's my concept of how design should be. It is a personal experience. All too often it can get left as a process.

Kate works from home with sweeping views of the city and the couples two cats, Stewie and Angus, for company. The Mandalay and Burmese cats throw out the welcome mat for visitors, and come at Kate's whistle. They're a special part of the very happy life she has in Wanganui. A graduate of the reputable Bachelor of Computer Graphic Design degree offered by the Wanganui School of Design and Waikato University, Kate is an advocate of the personal approach.

I love meeting with the person, getting to know them, and coming up with a design that will enhance their branding and business. That's where my forte is. I have an ability to read people, and am able to get what they want quickly. That skill is upheld in a testimonial from a client, who says Kate's final design was what I meant, only so much better.

Kate, who grew up at Turakina, wanted to be a designer or veterinarian, taking a combination of science and arts classes at school. But there was one big stumbling block to becoming a vet. Kate admits she's a bit of a softie, and wouldn't cope with some aspects of the work, like surgery. It was Mum, a teacher, who said that graphic design would be a really good career and I'd always shown an interest in art and design.

Her work is extremely varied. About 90 percent is for overseas clients, and package design is a significant component. She does everything from advertising, publication, logo and brand development to packaging. Her favourite job is designing wedding invitations. It's such a happy time, Kate says.

After graduating, next stop was Auckland where a job with a printing company for two years of pre-press, was extremely beneficial, learning how to set up work for print. A job with Independent Liquor followed, working on packaging and product design, with IL founder, the late Michael Erceg, who was tragically killed in a helicopter crash in 2005. I got to work on some great products with him. He didn't give me too much creative licence, but still kept all my concept ideas.

Deciding to travel overseas, Kate was offered a position with Independent Liquor in the UK and worked in Oxford, before moving to London. It took only a week to get a job. She'd noticed a design agency was about to open near her home, and dropped in a CD of her work. She was interviewed on the spot, and offered the position. Everyone was in there to get this company up and off the ground. I did the whole nine yards, from design to sales, and going out to visit clients. Then Brendon arrived with a proposal, and Kate returned to New Zealand with a wedding to plan.

When I visited she'd spent the morning designing packaging for garden lighting by Australian television personality and landscaper Jamie Durie, who now has his own range. Kate is sent the brand's guidelines and a sample of the product to photograph. The rest is over to her. She has also recently created a laundry brands guideline booklet for her Australian client.

What makes a good designer, in the branding sense? They will turn your ideas into a viable brand to distinguish your company from everyone else's. If that's what's required Kate will ask the client to provide her with brands and colours they like, to get a feel for what they require, and begins by sketching ideas with a pad and pencil. She finds and works with a typeface that will suit the client, and then puts her idea on computer. Once the proof has been approved, the job is readied for print. She's a firm believer that the product's function must be right before it can be made to look beautiful. Form follows function. But inspiration comes from everywhere to make something look wonderful, Kate says.

What work is required if, for instance, you're launching a new beer? Kate says that process can take up to six months. You're looking at the label, the wrapping, the carton, advertising, point of sale, and media. A lot of effort is put into getting the details exact. For instance, when bringing a premium international beer into the New Zealand market, the foil necktie on the UK beverage couldn't be produced in New Zealand. Instead, the same look was created, using different materials. A special lacquer was made to go over the foil neck, replicating the UK packaging. At the end of the project it was hard to tell the two apart, Kate says.

You've got to have that attention to detail. You've got to be willing to stay on the ball, keep up with trends, develop new markets and be prepared to step outside the box. You've got to love what you are doing. If you're working for yourself you have got to have determination and that passion for design. Keeping up with trends means Kate spends a lot of time studying packaging. She's one of the few women I know who likes grocery shopping.

I love going to the supermarket. I can spend hours in there. I'm always picking up products in shops and examining them. The Wanganui District Library stocks up-to-date magazines, and the Internet is a good research tool. Keeping an international aspect is made easier when Wanganui hosts its Design Camp, attracting top overseas speakers.

So where does her creativity come from? My parents, Kate smiles. Mum is very creative, and Dad loves building things. He's building his own ride-on mower at the moment. Like writers, there is the dreaded designer's block. If that happens, Kate heads outdoors, often for a walk around Virginia Lake or to Kai Iwi Beach. And while she has done some design for websites, she's much happier working with tactile products, things you can touch, rather than just look at. Among her favourites is a booklet she designed for St John to promote youth activities. It's packed with lots of colour, interesting information and cleverly folds out into an eye-catching poster. It's fun, young and colourful.

She's keen to continue expanding her business, and is developing her passion for greeting cards into another arm of the business. I'm very happy with what I'm doing. Wanganui has been very good to me. By trade I'm a graphic designer. But I'm a designer of many things, says Kate.

Kate Jones, a designer of many things‚ at her hilltop home.