Artist Spotlight: Interview with Kai Mercer

Today in our artist of the month feature, we are fortunate to have with us the creative mind behind some of the most intriguing visuals of the internet today—Kai Mercer, a multidisciplinary artist whose body of work ranges from graphic design portfolios to impressive demonstrations of motion graphics.

We sat down with Kai Mercer to learn more about their past, how they go about approaching creativity, as well as the things that inspire them in today’s rapidly evolving online design landscape.

🛤️ The Road to Design

As is not the case for many who have followed careers in the arts, Kai Mercer did not have a straightforward road to where he is today.

He laughs, “I doodled in school notebooks,” “It wasn’t until college that I saw how I could make this a career.”

With a design and communications degree, Kai Mercer freelanced, building a creative resume piece at a time that highlighted both his versatility and increasing proficiency.

“All designers have a stage of emulating people before they can discover their voice,” they add. “For me, that was trying everything—typography, illustration, branding—before something clicked.”

💡 The Creative Process

When seeking inspiration for design, Kai Mercer finds inspiration from a very diverse array of things.

“There is just so much about architecture, old magazines, even groceries at the supermarket that inspires me. Anything that has an interesting form or interesting colors is something that makes me think.”

There is both a physical collection and a collection online that they sift through once they begin a project.

“I always start with mood boards,” they maintain. “Then I draw, even on a Post-it note. That drawing can evolve into something else, but that is where things start.”

🖥️ Taking A Look at the Portfolio

Take a peek at Kai Mercer’s UX design portfolio and you can immediately sense that they are attuned to how people act and have neat visual sensibilities.

“I’d rather design experience, not interface,” is how they put it.

The philosophy is reflected throughout their user interface design portfolio, which blends function and character.

“No matter whether the project is an online sales site or mobile app, I first focus on the user flow, then the visuals that govern from that point.”

They look at storytelling in design, also.

“An effective design gallery is one that tells a story. It takes you along a narrative path, both emotionally and visually.”

✏️ Illustration and Typography

Kai Mercer’s illustration collection is a dynamic collection of hand-illustrated and digitally generated artwork.

“Illustration is just a way for me to have fun. It liberates me from the limitations that are inherent in client work.”

Typography is also a passion.

“Fonts are clothes for words,” they claim.

Their body of work in typography varies from custom typefaces to extreme composition that dispenses with hierarchy and white space.

“The typography was the visual identity, not a support element,” is how they put it.

🧩 Branding and Logo Design

Branding is where Kai Mercer truly shines. From raucous startups to swanky high-end brands is the scope of their branding examples.

“The best logos are the simplest. They just feel right.”

Prototyping, sketches, and extensive study are hallmarks of their design approach.

“It’s not about adding more elements, but stripping them away so that only the essentials remain,” their catchphrase.

🎞️ Motion Graphics and Digital Art

Motion is now crucial to the digital design world, and Kai Mercer has seized this with a collection of motion graphics examples that give brands life.

“Motion fills the void where interaction meets emotion,” they state. “It is function becoming art.”

Their social loops, animated explainers, and everything in-between infuse energy and clarity to storytelling.

🧳 Freelance Life

Having experience as a seasoned freelancer who has collaborated with startups, international brands, and design companies, Kai Mercer has a scale of expertise that can be seen in the depth of their freelance designer portfolio.

“I like the variety and challenge,” they reply. “Every customer is different, and every project that you are assigned has something that you learn about.”

“Build a good graphic design portfolio, but learn how to talk about it too.”

🧠 The Power of a Strong Portfolio

When asked about the most important thing for a stronger creative portfolio, Kai Mercer has no hesitation:

“Curation. Don’t show everything you have ever made—only the pieces that show where you are headed.”

They advise tailoring your portfolio to:

“When interviewing for a UX role, emphasize your UX design portfolio and user interface design showcase. When interviewing for a branding role, emphasize branding examples and logo concepts.”

“People like to see evidence of their versatility.”

🗣️ Closing Remarks and Recommendations

We concluded the interview by asking Kai Mercer for words of advice for up-and-coming designers:

“Be curious. Life is moving quickly, and things are always shifting, but curiosity will always continue to instruct you. And never shy away from putting your twist on things.”

They also talk about community:

“Share your project. Design challenge participation. Receive critique. Being part of the creative community is more than just making—about connecting.”

🔎 Search for the Artist

We encourage you to visit Kai Mercer’s site and look through their web design portfolio, collection of digital artwork, and their typography showcase.

If you’re looking for:

• Inspiration for logos
• Ideas to build your own illustration portfolio
• Or simply a site to ignite fresh creativity

…something here is sure to get the creative juices flowing.

🧾 TL;DR

This feature has taken us through the process and mind of an extremely talented designer. From high-end creative portfolios to strategic freelance design projects, Kai Mercer is the embodiment of passion hand-in-hand with purpose.

Need to purchase branding samples, observe some motion graphics demos, or create a personal UI design gallery? Then their story is bound to inspire you.

🎤 Tune in for future spotlights on talented creatives shaping the future of visual storytelling.

💌 Do you want to be highlighted? Contact us—our next creative design round-up could include you!