Timeout: Matt Erickson

Matt Erickson Designer at Cue. MPLS. Dogs. Bikes. Other things.

Who are you?

I’m Matt Erickson, a designer/illustrator/typographer/whateverer out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Mostly, I specialize in Brand Identity and Packaging Design. Currently, I’m a designer at Cue, Inc. but do an equal amount of freelance on my own time.

What are you working on?

I’ve got a few things in the works- I’m working on a brand/packaging update for a national spirits brand and a smaller craft brewery rebrand at the moment. Also branding a small nonprofit and redesigning Cue’s website. I’m also doing a big rebrand/strategy/naming project for an awesome Minnesota-based clothing company which is a really fun one. So basically, I’m a bit busy right now, but I’m loving it all.

Choose a favorite shot of yours. Why is it a favorite?

PANTSUIT Amber Lager

by Matt Erickson

Doing a really fun project for some of my friends at Fair State. The ladies there teamed up with the lady brewers from North Gate and the Thirsty Pagan in Superior and brewed an amber lager. What else could possibly be a better name than Pant Suit? Girl...

View on Dribbble

I’d say Pantsuit Amber Lager has been one of my favorite projects I’ve cranked on lately because a year ago, I never would have dreamed that I’d be working on projects like that one. Not only does it have an awesome, badass, empowering message behind it, it’s helping out some great people in the brewing industry. I’ve really been pushing my illustration work in the last year and this project is special to me because I’m finally getting some of the gigs I want to do.

Tell us about your setup. What tools did you use to create the shot (e.g. hardware, software, pens, paper, blowtorch)?

I drew that poster on a scrap of paper at a brewery actually, then snapped a shot of it on my phone and brought it on the computer and pen tooled that baby out. That’s generally my regular illustration toolkit.

My home setup is a nice lil’ monitor, a desk, and a dog named Archie who harasses me to pay attention to him rather than my computer. He usually wins.

Choose a favorite shot from another Player. Why do you dig it?

This is one of my favorite projects I’ve seen for a while. Not only has Alana been stepping up her game like crazy lately, but Helm’s Workshop always has a knack for breaking conventions and throwing something totally disruptive into the game when it comes to brand identities. It’s inspiring me to push my limits and try and build brands that push the expectations of the industry.

Find Matt on Dribbble, on Twitter, Instagram, Behance, and at ericksondesign.co.

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