Next week Yik Yak opens the doors of their new HQ to the Atlanta Dribbble community for a Halloween-themed night of ghoulish design merriment. Live in Atlanta? RSVP, then dust off that old Scream mask and prepare yourself for a night of RGB (really great beer) and CMYK (creatively making yourself … kreepy). Don’t live in Atlanta? Take a tour with Yik Yak designers Justin Carson and Daniel Haire.
What do you love about Atlanta?
Daniel: Other than the fact that it’s the most resplendent kingdom in all of the South (I dare say, the country), Atlanta offers all of the goods and amusement of any other U.S. metropolis, only we serve it up deep fried and with dignified charm. Atlanta has come a long way in the past half decade to repurpose historic infrastructure to make the city more accessible to folks. Notable projects include the Beltline, a former railway corridor converted to a multi-use public trail, and Ponce City Market, the behemoth 2,100,000-square-foot former Sears & Roebuck Co. building. The thing I love most about Atlanta has got to be the trees though … we practically live in a forest.
Justin: I love how Atlanta is growing into its own. The city has been quietly producing unique skills and individuals over the past 20 years. It’s finally catching on to the rest of the country. There are so many passionate people here that you don’t care what their talent is. You just simply get to see energy and focus create unique experiences right from Atlanta, Georgia.
Where is Yik Yak?
We’re located in Buckhead, an uptown district of Atlanta. It’s a very suit-heavy portion of the city which gets a little disorienting at times but serves as a constant reminder of how lucky we are to work at a startup with a positive attitude and unconventional work environment. Non-conformity FTW.
What is the Atlanta design scene like?
The design scene is definitely growing! Currently, we’re not a city that’s necessarily known for its bangin’ design chops, but it’s a goal we’re all hard at work trying to accomplish. There are some massively talented design teams and one-man shops here in town that are regularly making waves on a national level. Some teams that come to mind are Matchstic, Methane Studios, Nebo, Mailchimp, ShootProof, and 352. We’re all creatively working towards the same goal: Show the nation that “the South got something to say”.
Choose three shots from three Atlanta designers you admire, and let us know why you chose the shots/designers.
DANIEL
Poster for Weezer by YemaYema, above left.
Okay, so for real, this is my biggest illustrator crush in ATL. There’s something about the cool and calculated use of geometry in all of her work that creates these whimsical, sometimes alien, pieces that delight the eyes and mind. This poster is just all-around great to look at. The composition is captivating, the characters are lively and drooling, the color balance is spot on, and it’s for Weezer. WEEZER.
Monster Children - King Crow by Brian Steely, above center.
Fact: Brian Steely is the patron saint of monolinear illustration. His labyrinthine artwork is damn near perfect and highlights the complexities of animal forms in the simplest ways with nary a line out of place. I dig this particular shot because it’s a radical departure from the type of work I’m used to seeing from him. It’s equal parts haunting and elegant.
Websites by Brent Clouse, above right.
This guy is just a damn fine animator. I dig this shot because he took something as simple as wireframes and created an engaging kinetic animation that you can watch over and over and over again.
JUSTIN
Type Growler Series by Wells Collins
Wells is amazingly talented at hand lettering and I love how he enables such witty wording into such compelling forms and shapes. This Type Growler series is my favorite!
Can’t meet Daniel and Justin in person on October 15? Find them online.
- Daniel: Dribbble, Twitter, and www.danielhaire.com.
- Justin: Dribbble, Twitter, and justincarson.co.
*Enjoy reading about the Atlanta design scene? Check out Cape Town and London, then go meet designers from your own great city at the next meetup.
Big thanks to Atlanta Halloween Dribbble Meetup organizers/hosts Yik Yak and our Global Meetup Partners Creative Market, InVision, and Shopify.
Find more Meetups stories on our blog Courtside. Have a suggestion? Contact stories@dribbble.com.
